5 Reasons Target is Better Than Walmart

First of all I would like to start off by saying that I shamefully shop at Walmart. I know that they are a controversial company on so many levels. I try not to go there but sometimes it comes down to a necessary evil. I've learned the best times and ways to tackle a trip to Walmart but I can honestly say 9 out of 10 times I would prefer going to Target. Here are my top five reasons.

1. Cleanliness

Target is usually much cleaner than Walmart. When you walk into a target store, it's usually pretty well kept. The floors are clean and even the bathrooms are usually in better shape. Sometimes when you go into Walmart, you will notice the floor is dirty and at times there is an odor in the place. The shopping carts are cleaner too. It's also prettier. The design and overall look of the store is more aesthetically pleasing. 

2. Space

The layout and space in Target is much less crammed than Walmart stores. The merchandise sections are usually spread out nicely enough for you to maneuver your shopping cart through different sections of the store without playing bumper cars with other shoppers. The aisles leading up to each section are also much more spacious. 

3. Service

So many times I've waiting in long lines at Walmart for all the wrong reasons. I've actually lost count of the amount of times I've waited in a very long line because there was a shortage of open cashiers on the floor. Seriously. I've been in a Walmart where 2 out of 30 registers were open, and the 2 that were open had ridiculously long lines. This rarely happens at Target. Target usually has plenty of registers open and friendly cashiers focused on getting you through the line. Whenever I get into a long line at Target,  a manager usually notices a line is building up and opens more registers to accommodate the crowds. 

4. Better Quality Products

You could argue that the prices are slightly higher but you get what you pay for. The merchandise is generally better quality. 

5. Market Pantry

I love Market Pantry products. I like some of the Walmart's Great Value products but the Target brand food pantry items are better. I actually wrote a blog about my favorite Market Pantry items here.

Targus-8 Section 42 Inch Travel Tripod (TG-42TT)

I have two of these tripods now. I have to say these compact tripods are very convenient. When they collapse, they can easily fit into a backpack or even large handbag. The compact factor is what really makes it easy to deal with. I haven't such luck with trying to fit any other tripod into my back pack. The tripod is very lightweight and won't weigh down your bag either. In addition to being lightweight and portable, they are very sturdy and durable. They won't break as easily as other tripods in this price range. I've had so many small cheap tripods fall apart or break very easily. I even had one tripod literally break within a few minutes of taking it out of the box.

Now the negatives. It's kind of a pain in the ass to expand and collapse the legs. In order to do so you must pull out each level and then twist until it locks. If you fail to do this then you won't be able to fully expand your tripod. It can be very frustrating and annoying. I actually prefer placing it on a table top or other another sturdy base so that I don't have to worry about expanding and collapsing the legs. Also, since the tripod is so lightweight, it can easily be knocked over when fully expanded. I actually had an incident where I set it up in the back of the room to record a concert event and some kid came along and knocked it over. That was partly my fault for leaving it unattended. Just as expanding the lets can be a pain in the neck, so can collapsing the legs. You must twist the lets to collapse them and this is time consuming.

Other than the beef I have with expanding and collapsing the legs, I really like this product. It's cheap and effective for quick shoots with either video or still camera. Overall I would recommend this tripod for anyone that wants to have a tripod available without having to lug around a bigger tripod. If you are going for a hike or backpacking around a busy city, then this is a great tripod for you.

Market Pantry Product Reviews

What is Market Pantry? Well, if you don't shop at Target, probably haven't heard of it.  Market Pantry is the in house generic brand that you will find on the shelves at Target next to the more popular name-brand food products. I love it. Market Pantry offers a variety food decent low-priced food products. In my opinion, I find the quality of some of these items are just as good or better than the name brand products.

I will start off with the one item that is only available at Target as I have been unable able to find anything similar or better anywhere else. That item is the Market Pantry Nutrition Bar. I'm addicted to these bars. Specifically the Chocolate Mint bars.  They taste better than any other protein bar I've ever tried. They also contain 14g of protein, along with various amounts of Vitamin A, C & E.  You can find these bars in the vitamin section next to other popular protein bars like Clif Bars, Luna Bars, special K, etc. At about $4 for a box of five, they are about a dollar or so less in price than the other name brand bars. This is by far my favorite Market Pantry item. Other favorite Market Pantry items that I really like are the whole grain pastas, canned nuts, frosted animal crackers, low-fat cheeses and canned seasoned black beans. All are very good products for a considerable lower price than the name brands.

Aeropostale Hoodies - Good For Indoor/Outdoor

I swear, I own about ten Aeropostale hoodies. I've actually lost track of exactly how many I own.  They are just so soft, warm and pretty much go with anything. I even wear them during the summer because when I go inside certain places, I tend to get cold because of the drafty air or low-temp set air-conditioning. They are a must-have during the spring and fall when temperatures can be unpredictable. Dressing in layers is your best bet to keep warm. The zip up hoodies are the ones I get with the logo name across the chest. I actually bought four of them in one purchase when they had a sale after the holidays last year. I got four different colors for the price of 2 for $30.. Then I did it again this year. I also may have bought a few in between. I never make a trip to the movie theatre without one. You never know - some movie theatres get cold. It's very hard to enjoy your movie or sit in a restaurant and enjoy your meal if you have goosebumps from sitting inside a drafty place. It's very uncomfortable. My husband doesn't seem to get affected by cold temperatures, but if I was wearing a short sleeve t shirt while watching a movie, I would not be able to enjoy it because I would most likely have goosebumps from the chill. These zip up hoodies are perfect for that situation. That's why I never leave home with at least one of them. Even if I'm wearing a sweater, if the temperature drops, I know I can put on an extra layer by throwing on one of those soft hoodies.

Why I'm a PC

When it comes to Laptops I would rather have a PC. I think that the Macbooks have been too hyped up and overrated. Although I'm not very happy about Windows 8, I still prefer the windows OS. Every Mac owner will tell you "once you go Mac you never go back".. well I don't want to go Mac. I just don't fit in with all the other "Apple" people. They seem kind of pretentious. The closest I came to becoming a Mac person was using my husbands a Ipad. It was fun for a few minutes but we actually ended up giving away to a friend. This is ironic because as I mentioned in a previous product review, I  also gave away my android tablet. Yes, it turns out when people need things that we don't, we like to give them away. That and maybe I'm just not into tablets. That might be what the problem is. See, I like laptops. I like having keys that I can type like a typewriter. I like to have something solid with a decent sized screen. These newer gadgets seem so fragile.  We had a keyboard for our Ipad but it still wasn't the same as having a solid windows-platform laptop in front of me. I know that you can currently buy an android tablet for less than $100, but the better ones are running $250+.. almost the price of a new laptop. So why not just get a notebook?

Most importantly, my main reason for being an Andriod/PC Gal: Cash. The Iphone and Ipad are significantly higher in price than the android and pc options. I just have trouble trying to justify spending $200-$500 on a phone. There are other things I want to spend that money on. I would rather put that money into a night out of a really nice dinner, or a new camera, or a few new pairs of shoes, etc. 

I'm not an "Apple Hipster" - I'm not poor, but I'm not rich either. ..and I'm not OK with having a Macbook and Iphone in my apartment but only one pair of sneakers and nothing in my refrigerator. As I mentioned in a former product review, I'm fairly happy with my $30 Android Kyocera Rise. It's not an Iphone but I paid a fraction of the price for it and it gets the job done. 

Sorry, I fear I have babbled off topic. But it appears that it all comes down to money. People say you get what you pay for. In some cases, I believe this to be true. ..but in some cases, I think the people that believe this are just suckers trying to rationalize having paid through the nose for a product that is overpriced.

Remington Smooth & Silky Rechargeable Wet/Dry Shaver (for women)

When it comes to shaving my legs, you might say I'm not particularly talented. I can't use disposable razors with nicking my knee or some other random bone-centric area along the way. I always come out with boo boos. I had been looking for either an electric or battery powered razor in order to avoid having any more embarrassing marks on my legs every time shaved. About six months ago I came across this wonderful little device at Target and grabbed it up right way. I have to honestly say I was very satisfied with it. It's rechargeable and does a great job when it's fully charged. The wet/dry feature makes it ideal to use for when you get out of the shower. Unfortunately about two weeks ago,  I noticed that the nozzle was starting to wear down and flake off. When I tried using it, I got a little bit cut up on my shin. Ouch. So I went back and got a new one to replace it.  It didn't really bother me that I had to replace it because I wasn't really expecting it to last forever. I bought it for less than $20. Besides, it still saved more money in six months than I would have buying disposable razors. I also probably saved myself a few nicks and cuts on my kneecaps. 

Caution - This is for women's LEGS only. Do not allow your husband/boyfriend "borrow" it for his face. It will not end well. Don't ask me how I know. Just don't do it.