me and Wal-mart: MFEO

August 19th, 2007

I went to undergrad at a really small college in the middle of the country. It was so rural, in fact, that we had to drive 45 minutes to “go to town.” We went weekly, storing up our shopping lists for toiletries or groceries or whatever, for the magical day when we’d hit the Wal-mart. And it’s been a healthy relationship ever since.

I love Wal-mart. It fills my prescriptions, develops my photos, keeps me stocked with shampoo and deodorant and body wash. Even though I now live in a thriving community of Meijers and Targets and super grocery stores, I still choose Wal-mart.

Today, I found yet another thing I love about this place. When my two-week disposable contacts ran out this morning (gotta’ love when the container has completely dried out, meaning the contact worth at least $10 is unusable), I panicked. I’ve been ordering from 1-800-CONTACTS for years, but they require at least 4 days to deliver. I needed contacts NOW. My last eye exam was in January, and the clinic’s prices are high. I called Wal-mart. They called my last eye doctor, transferred my RX and got me set for the next three months within a half hour. I don’t even remember what I’ve been paying for mail-order, but this three-month set cost $60, which was perfectly fine with me.