Here it goes: I have what may be either a shameful confession or an impressive boast. Once upon a time, I worked at Walmart. Truthfully, it wasn’t the worst job I’ve had, and I found it mostly tolerable. I went in, I worked very hard and I enjoyed talking to the customers. I always found it interesting to see what people filled their carts with and I certainly enjoyed the employee discount. I worked there for one short summer, and then I moved back into the dorms for the fall semester of college.

Anyway, fast forward to the present. This morning I had a rare in-between moment to casually browse the shelves of Walmart without any children in tow. In fact, it was early in the morning and there were almost no customers! The luxury of quietly strolling alone down shiny, neat aisles brought some surprising revelations. At one point I was thinking: where am I even? Is this Walmart or am I at a cute little downtown boutique?

So, in those few quiet moments, instead of minding my business and sipping my coffee, I grabbed some of those cute items and did a mini-photo shoot, right in the middle of the store! So let’s dive right in to the 5 Things to Always Buy at Walmart!

School & Office Supplies: Seriously, the back to school section in my local Walmart is full of super cute stuff! The prices on the above items start at only $3.97. There are a couple things I just have to go back and snag after I get my summer decluttering done! (I adore the notebook in the center and it was only $4). Can I just tell you with great relief that I have already done my back to school shopping for this fall and was able to find everything at Walmart all in one trip. I was shocked to see they also now carry my favorite planner, the Create 365 Planner! Suffice it say, there is good stuff to be had, just don’t procrastinate too long!

 

Statement Decor: Listen, we all like to splash out with some fun new decor now and then. It’s nice to make a change, right? But the latest on-trend tchotchkes like arrows, pineapples or #familyrules prints aren’t necessarily things that are going to stick around forever in your decor plan, so it’s usually not a place to invest the big bucks. For this, Walmart is perfect. You can brighten up your kitchen with a splash of color, add a surprising element to your living room mantel, or just keep it real with a statement cushion cover on the bed, all for a fraction of what you spend at, say Ethan Allen or William Sonoma. Pioneer Woman, we applaud you; you have done great things for the household section of Walmart! This array of loveliness started at only $1.88 and the most expensive item was still under $20. Wow!

StraightTalk Wireless: Ok, you will have to forgive me for this one because I realize it may be a little boring but cell phone service has got to be one of the most annoying necessities in our budget. I hate spending money on it, I hate spending time on it, and I very, very much hate dealing with any wireless service provider. So for me, StraightTalk Wireless has been a very refreshing change! Since I switched to StraightTalk through Walmart my cellphone struggles have been nonexistent. The plan is simple, upfront, no bait and switch, no dealing with messed up service. Even my phone was a deal and I’ve had zero complaints with the service for the last six months. If you haven’t checked out StraightTalk, you might want to!

Trendy Clothing: I have to mention these soft-sueded leggings, because inexpensive knock-offs like these are honestly the things that make me come back to Walmart again and again. These leggings are buttery soft and the cute prints are similar to popular ones from LuLaRoe. Yes, I own two pairs of these, and yes, I love them. I’ve washed them a bunch of times and they are still just as soft and comfy as ever. I’m sure LuLaRoe is great, and everything, but I just can’t see spending $30-$40 on leggings when these are $5.88. There are other great on-trend pieces in the clothing department, just choose wisely and proceed with caution. I’ve found the online reviews are helpful if you are on the fence!

Clearance Items: Oh, the stories I could tell about Walmart Clearance finds! My take away is everything eventually goes on Clearance and you have to know how to navigate your store. Some stores have a clearance section tucked away in the back, some display it front and center, and some tend to disperse the items throughout the store seemingly randomly! Although it never hurts to ask, I’ve found most of my best treasures simply through dumb luck and paying attention to the clearance tags. Last night I went to Walmart looking for a notebook for my Bullet Journal, and I ended up stumbling on a treasure trove of clearance toys! Check out the amazing prices! In fact, this time of year is actually when Walmart tends to clearance out lots of toys to get ready for new toys for the Christmas season (I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the retail world!). So now is a great time to stock up on some of the best toys from this season!

What is your favorite Walmart find?