Of course Target has some things Wal-Mart doesn't have, and vice-versa. Just like Publix has some things Kroger doesn't have, and so on and so on and so on. Once when I bemoaned the fact that I couldn't get 100% of my grocery list in one store, Mister reminded me about something called Competition. If all the stores had Absolutely Everything in One Place, they wouldn't need to compete with one another, which means they wouldn't have to keep their prices at a decent level.

As it stands, Mister and I will spend an average of $70 on a week's worth of groceries no matter where we shop. Believe it or not, the Wal-Marts in our area have a much better produce selection than most other grocery stores, and they have a few exotic fruits that are hard to find at other places. Wal-Mart also is the exclusive distributor of Rimmel cosmetics, at least around here. I happen to like Rimmel, so if I want something of theirs, guess where I have to go?

I have to say, though, that Mister says he feels like he's on an episode of The Simpsons everytime he steps into a Wal-Mart.

In a perfect world, we'd all be able to grow our own food and not have to patronize supermarkets so often. Sadly, it doesn't work that way anymore.