"Are Wal-Mart's prices really that different from anywhere else?"
Yes.
"And the lines at the checkouts were way too fucking long."
Because it's cheaper to shop there. To avoid the long lines, when I shop there -- which I do because it's about all I can afford, and that isn't some lazy excuse -- I try to go about 1 AM or so, to avoid the lines. Even then I'll be surprised how many people have their 3 or 4 kids with them. At 1 AM, or even past that. Little kids running around in Wal-Mart.
-B.