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From MSNBC.com:
Layaway, other changes irk Wal-Mart loyalists.

Wal-Mart customers are surprised that Wal-Mart, one of the largest corporations in the world, cares more about sales than about some of their customers' budgets. Company spokespersons in the article even say that they are pleased with sales that took place as a result of changes.

Many of the people interviewed in this article are upset because they can't afford the same Christmas gifts for their children. While I sympathize with living on a really tight budget (My family still does it), it might be a nice time to explain to impressionable children that the real meaning of the holiday season is not materialism, but togetherness. Even Santa is wearing last year's suit! But that fat bastard is happy because he's hanging out with his wife and elfin-workers.

There are easy ways to save money in your budget: canceling your cable television service for a few months, switching to compact flourescent light bulbs, hang-drying your clothes, and using appliances responsibly by unplugging them when not in use are some of the ways to save some money on your monthly bills, and to pay a little kindness to the environment. This is a small list of suggestions on how to save a little money, and doing some research will undoubtedly uncover a wealth of better ideas.

It's also not uncommon to find items at lower prices elsewhere, by the way. People should be smart and price-compare, rather than accepting a company's motto that their prices are the lowest. And low prices definitely do not guarantee customer satisfaction. But I never liked Wal-Mart, and no overhaul could change my mind.

I understand that it's difficult to explain to your children why they will have fewer presents during the holidays, and feeling inferior to other children who have whatever they want really sucks. But Christmas is only one day, and most parents pay for everything for their children year-round. It's sad that our culture doesn't appreciate that fact nearly enough.

I never had the best of anything as a child, except for soccer shoes (My dad rules!), and soccer and Legos are really the only things I consistently liked. My parents were good people, so I didn't care about owning nice things. And in middle school, I was going to be miserable regardless of what I owned, so I was fairly inexpensive as a child. There are still expensive things that I want to buy, but I'd much rather live simply and love what I do have in the small space in Hollywood that's mine.

Yes, it sucks that old people don't have fabric stores in their small towns, but that's not what I took from this article. Parents should know what their children actually really do like, and any child that opens presents and complains about what they didn't receive deserves the lesson they are learning.

So, Mom and Dad, when are you buying me an iPhone?