The Detergent Debate

I'm not exactly a fan of Wal*Mart and its business practices, nor have I set foot in a Wal*Mart store in years. But I do have a Sam's Club me membership, which makes me a hypocrite. I admit that upfront.

For a long time, Sam's Club offered the convenience of BIG containers of cat litter (nice in a two-cat house) and dishwasher and laundry detergent and peanut butter, all consumed in mass quantities when you have a small child. Oh! and tissues!

I am considering dropping my membership because I ethically don't like the company and more and more the "good deals" I used to see are available now not only at Sam's but also at Wegmans, Target and other stores which are trying to compete.

I always knew some items at Sam's weren't cheap, and some, because of their bulk, would rot before my family would use them. Now, since I work at Target, I am forced to see more merchandise and what it costs. I have always been aware of what I spend for stuff, but never before have I had an opportunity to study the shelves for basic household items at a Target.

Last week, I bought dishwasher soap at Target. Yesterday, my husband bought more at Sam's Club.

I'm fairly certain inlaid $2.48 for 75 ounces of Up and Up dishwasher soap. My husband paid $7.98 for two 96-ounce bottles.

That's 4.15 cents an ounce at Sam's and 3.3 cents at Target. That's not include the membership fee at Sam's or deducting my employee or red card discounts from Target.