I expected this to be more condescending.

When I saw Claire had linked to a NYT article about dollar stores.

I expected the article to be condescending, that is: Not Claire.  She gets it.

I confess with some embarrassment that I was late coming to dollar stores.  Some stupid but deeply-held prejudice on my part, no doubt, that said, "But they're for poor people."

To which the rational response could only be, "Suck it up, Joel.  You are poor."

The little town near our neighborhood has only one supermarket but two dollar stores, which will probably tell you something about the local economy.  I find that entirely appropriate, and the stores are very useful for keeping up stocks of those everyday things that don't really require Full Costco Mobilization and big sacks'o'grain.