Stupid Tax

I admit it ... I shop at Walmart. And, as a rule, I make a great many Walmart-brand purchases. I've found no difference between most Walmart-brand and name-brand items, and in some instances, I actually prefer the Great Value brand.

When I went to the grocery last weekend, I picked up some Great Value toilet paper ... the BIG pack ... five packages of 4 rolls each, for a total of 20 rolls. I'd never purchased their brand of toilet paper before, but I like their other store-brand items, so I figured I'd give it a go. "If we don't like it," I told myself, "I won't buy it again. Besides, we go through multiple rolls a week ... it won't last long."

I opened a roll when I got home and discovered it was very, very, very thin.  I wondered if, perhaps, there was a problem at the paper plant, and they had accidentally packaged tissue paper as toilet paper ... except it was about half the thickness of tissue paper ... and not as soft.

Thing 2 commented on it, and not in a favorable way. I can't blame her. I comment on it to myself, and not in a favorable way, every time I use it, too. Worse still, is that it seems to be lasting a lot longer than the soft stuff I usually buy. When I bought this package, I figured I'd have to buy another jumbo pack of toilet paper before Thanksgiving, but at the snails-pace we're going through it, I fear we'll be using this stuff not only at Christmas this year, but next year as well!

I could donate the unopened rolls to a shelter or something, but I bought it, and so I'll continue to use it until it's gone. Besides, people in shelters have enough problems, and it would be like adding insult to injurty to force this upon them as well. I'll just consider this be what I like to refer to as "stupid tax" ...

When you do stupid things, there is a price to pay. 

This isn't my first brush with stupid tax, and (sadly) it likely won't be my last, but it will be the last time I pay it regarding toilet paper! This doesn't discourage me from shopping at Walmart or purchasing their store-brand items, but I will never, ever, EVER, EVER purchase Great Value toilet paper again.