Groceries

There are some subtle ways grocery stores use to get an extra few bucks out of every shopper. Here are six "tricks" stores use to entice you to dig deeper into your wallet.

The changes are immediate and have taken effect. Walmart has recently updated certain policies and guidelines that have some Oklahoma customers frustrated and angry.

State lawmakers will be submitting a referendum and are hoping to gain approval in order to place it as a question on a state ballot. I think most Oklahomans would agree doing away with the state's current sales tax on groceries is a good thing.

The COVD-19 pandemic continues to create not only health risks but all kinds of other problems as well. One of the biggest has been shortages caused by panic buying and the disruption of supply lines. Luckily S.W. Oklahoma hasn't been hit quite as hard as the places.

Back in July we heard news that Oklahoma Legislators were working to end the sales tax on groceries. At that time they announced that they would be conducting a study to see what the possible impacts would be both positively and negatively for the state. Well they've done their research and it's looking like they'll be moving forward with it. Lawmakers will be meeting very soon to draft legislation to end the grocery sales tax.

The state of Oklahoma is considering doing away with the sales tax on groceries. At this time the Sooner State is only one of thirteen states that still puts a sales tax on groceries, it's around 4.5%. So most of the country isn't taxing people for grocery items, although some states still tax ready made food items. While 4.5% doesn't sound like a lot it would definitely help a lot of Oklahomans when it comes to their grocery bill.

First Baptist Church in downtown Lawton located at 501 S.W. B Avenue will be having a food distribution event tomorrow morning (04-10-21) starting at 9:00am. They'll be handing out FREE FOOD that includes milk, meat, dairy and produce while supplies last.

Over the weekend I had to go to Walmart on the West side at 6301 N.W. Quannah Parker Trail Way for a quick snack and grocery run. I had a few more items than normal so instead of self checkout I went to a regular line with a cashier. As she was ringing up all my items she said "Pretty soon you won't be able to do this." I asked what she was talking about and she told me that by the end of April or beginning of May Walmart on the West side will be 100% self checkout, no more cashiers. I asked if she was going to be able to keep her job and she said yes, that she would be assisting customers at self checkout.

If you haven't seen or heard the news yet, the big debate online is all about Walmart and the possibility that they'll be going full self check out or "Scan & Go" by the end of 2021. That's right, there could be a time and real soon that you go to Walmart and there's no cashiers or manned check out lanes anymore. The rumor is maybe as soon as April of this year, however no official word has come down from Walmart quite yet.