US Culture Shock: A Brit's First Visit to Menards
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- Having now experienced Lowe's and Home Depot, I felt the time was right to complete the trifecta by visiting Menards, a popular alternative in the Midwest.
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As a native Midwesterner, hearing Menards pronounced "MEH- _nahhhds_ " made me just about die laughing😂
It seems not unlike the way Americans and Britons typically pronounce the name _Bernard._
Isn't "nards" an American slang word for testicles? So he's basically calling the store "My Balls."
@@polz8 Its "nads" short for "gonads"... but still pretty funny.
@@OldSaltyBear I suppose it could still sound like that depending how broad an accent one might have. Thank you for clarifying.
@@polz8Yes! In my family, we often jokingly pronounce it like a pirate who got hit in the ‘nads… “oh! Me nards!!!!” 😂😂😂😂
SAVE BIG MONEY AT MENARDS!!
Shave Pink Monkeys
11%
I have a left knee, a right knee and a weenie
Hahaha, it's been 25 yrs,but I still remember that!
Beat me too it.
One important lesson about shopping at Menards is, do not park near the entrance. Rather, park near the exit. You will have to walk the same distance either way, but on your jaunt to the entrance, you will be empty handed, but when you exit from shopping, you will have a "trolley" filled with your purchases to maneuver.
Same with any big department store, yeah. That's how I handle Walmart and especially Lowes or Home Depot lol
@@FuckGoogle502 Guess that depends on the walmart... where I live there is no difference.
Trolley? Lol Cart imagine driving that in Lowe’s. Clang clang😀
That's how I roll!
That goes for most home improvement stores. Lowes, home Depot, and Menards use the same entrance and exit concept
The rotary mower. The dang corded whipper snipper, but for some reason a hose big enough to water a corn field. I just cant lol
this guy just buys a rotary mower like it's not weird, what an absolute mad lad.
My extremely eco friendly inlaws bought one. The next year they bought a self propelled gas mower. 😂
@@dinibo if you are of a certain age and from the UK they were fairly common not that long ago. Small gardens and we didnt have gas mowers. And the early corded electrical ones were not so great. My dad had one when i was a kid .
Then i move to america and get a gas lawn mower, battery weed whacker, and anything else that will help since i have a fairly big yard and a bunch of trees and i hate raking.
I like my little reel mower - costs nothing to run, the only maintenance is sharpening every few years. And it amuses my neighbors!
Do they really work?
@@FNJ720 They do, but you do more. They will put you in shape
The "we don't remember where we paaaarked!" riff on the Menards jingle at the end is low key brilliant comedy. 😂
Pro-Tip: Take out your car keys and activate the feature that blows the horn repeatedly. Follow the sound.
I park in the 15 minute spots so I always know where I am. 15 minutes is plenty of my time for Menards.
As a Midwesterner and former employee of Menards I'm glad you enjoyed your experience and did indeed save big money, a jingle so ingrain in my head that it will probably be the last thing my mind thinks of before I die
I worked there when I was in college, and that damn jingle would play every 15 minutes! I actually liked working there. As far as a retail job goes, that was probably the most pleasant one that I had. I worked there at the beginning of them starting to bring in all of the random cheap merchandise, and my manager said "when they add the frozen food section, I'm out of here!" They knocked down the Menards by where I live now, and they built a brand new 2 story massive super Menards... With a frozen food section! It actually makes sense because if you're spending all day working on a project making multiple trips to the hardware store, you can pick yourself up a frozen pizza when you get hungry. One less stop to make.
@@drewbeta01For the longest time, they had a deep freezer at an end cap between the main aisle where storage containers are on one side, and plumbing on the other. Filled with thick cut bacon or whatever bulk frozen item they got heir hands on that week.
Save big money with my nards!
@@chadvoller2031 He was literally banned from entering his own stores because he was so abusive to employees. He was also busted dumping expired chemicals in the creek behind his mansion.
@chadvoller2031 Menards buys other chain's carts when those chains buy new ones. I've removed the plastic part on the handle and found walmart labels underneath.
I grew up near Eau Claire, WI (home of Menards) and it was big news when they started building those fancy log entrance stores.
Also "be careful not to grab the broken one" is the most important advice for shopping at Menards
Went to Eau Claire many years ago to see what returns were there to get bargins.
Went to college at UWEC.
From Chippewa Falls, John Menard probably lives near here.
The founder is long gone, but I'm old enough to remember when the cartoon man in the ads was alive and doing the commercials. I also saw Paul Menard racing at the local speedway before he became a Nascar driver.@@TheEnderknight
Same, fellow EC native. Menards provides so many jobs there, but boy they suck. Kind of a “necessary evil”. I knew many people who worked for them and it was nothing but horror stories.
I love how you say it with the emphasis on the MEN. It’s pronounced m’NARRRDS.
There’s no way you can live in the Midwest and not have heard the Menards jingle on tv a gazillion times. He knows the emphasis is on the 2nd syllable. Every time he said it was like nails on a chalk board. 😬
Unless you're 12, male and around friends. Then it is Me Nads. 😂
don't forget My Nards! 🤣
It’s pronounced MUH-nards. Not manNards. Only 1 N.
Yep here in Ohio its MnNARadz
It's not just a culture shock for people from outside of the US, I am a native Pittsburgh-er, and now Georgian. I had only seen Menards on various UA-cam channels until I visited my mom in Columbus. I was in handyman heaven. I was blown away by the prices and the size of the building.
You are exactly right, You need your hiking boots at Menard's. I am not a fan of the company but they often get my money and wow do they have the price. I especially like their depth of stock, if you need 12 of something odd they usually have it.
Never heard of Menard‘s!
The downside is that many of their store brands are rubbish
I am also from Pittsburgh area and we have no Menards in PA. But I travel one hour to Morgantown, WV to shop there. I always find good stuff and I love the rebates.
Bummer, we don’t have this hardware store in Maryland ☹️😟😫.
Just so you know, a couple weeks later, a warranty has nothing to do with returning something. That has to do with getting it fixed or replaced if it breaks. You usually have 30 to 60 days to return most things
I was just thinking that. Depends on the company, of course. And I hope he kept his receipt.
@@vicroc4 The receipt can be printed off.
When I was a kid, I was excited to go to Menards with my dad because he would go shopping and I would spend almost the entire time roaming about the lamp and chandelier section. It was magical 😊
Sounds like your Dad knew where to find you. My spouse could easily be found in either a store’s electronics or where there was books/magazines. ANY store. We don’t have Menard’s tho. It sounds like a super big store.
I did the same thing!
The Holiday season was always nice too, because they had a decent toy selection. For reference, this was like 1983-1987. Menards has always been just a really damned good store; they always had what you needed, when you needed it, and just enough stuff you didn't need but felt obligated to "save big money" so you bought anyways. The store brand snacks were always solid as a kid.
People who have never been to a place where they have a Menard’s need to understand their slogan is “Save big money at Menard’s.” They literally command you to come save money by shopping at their store. You are not given a choice.
The jingle they play in the store, is stuck within my head so I can agree with that
When I visit friends in Wisconsin, even this San Franciscan sings the Menards jingle! Such an earworm...yes, that is what they are called. The Midwest seems like a foreign country to me.
How can you not save big money when everything is 11% off!
@@joycerichardson1810 I just came from the midwest, I live in central Wash, and enen trup we are 2 hrs east of Seattle, our little town is being taken over from Seattle likes, and Calif folks, and the Midwest seem to be free from that. And the roads are much better, way less traffic, and very nice restrooms, and gas was over $1.50 per gallona cheaper.
@@tanner-46 11% off what? is what I always ask. Their rebate program is a joke. Unless you have a big ticket item, it's not worth the hassle and gamble that you may actually get the rebate which you have to spend at Menard's.
Don't forget to send in your rebate receipt!! They don't expire once issued & you can use as many as you want when checking out. Also, when the rebate comes, it looks like a Menard's postcard advertisement. Don't throw it away!!! I worked as a cashier at Menards & you'd be amazed how many throw their rebates away thinking its junk mail. I heard wonderful stories of how people spent their rebates. Like building a deck patio and having enough in rebates to buy new patio furniture & a grill! So send those rebates in!! 😃👍
I threw away the first two I got. Gutted.
I think the need to *mail* in the receipt, the weeks-long wait to get the "rebate," and the postcard-like rebate are all part of Menard's plan. They want you to *think* you're saving 11% on your purchase while doing as much as they legally can to cut down on the number of times they actually have to follow through on their promise.
I don't ever shop there because, even if they were the same price (without the "rebate") as Lowe's or Home Depot, I just find the mail-in rebate annoying and tedious to be saddled with.
Did you know Home Depot does 11% back as well? 😁
They expire. Look at the date on the rebate part of the receipt
@@lesfleurs9781 Yes, there is an expiration date for sending in the receipt for the rebate. Usually about 3 weeks. You can also send in as many receipts as you want with one form (name & address forms basically) that you collect during that 3 wk period. I used to send in a dozen at a time when I worked there. But once the rebate has been issued, there's no expiration date on the rebate. In 2022, we accepted rebates from a customer issued in 2018 from another state.
What I love about Menards, is you can walk in, go to the building supply department, pick out a garage, pole building, barn, or ENTIRE house, place the order, walk to the cashier, pay, and in 1-6 weeks, the kit will be delivered to your address. Home Depot and Lowes ain't got nothing on Menards in that regard. 👍
You can also pick up dinner for the night, a bicycle and a pair of pants. It truly is a one stop shop.
And mail in the rebate form to get your 11% rebate for next time you shop.
Does Menards help to install?
@@catw6998 Menards doesn't do any installation, however, they work with local contractors and have "installer centers" where you can go and pick out a group of installers you can then price compare to. Menards cannot recommend any single contractor however, because then that's playing favoritism.
In regards to the original poster, it's because for a lot of items, Menards has it's own supply chain. Steel, doors, and a lot of times even stone and concrete are through their own manufacturers. So stuff comes fast and cheap as we don't have to wait for 3rd parties
Really??? Wow! Guess they do sell everything!
There's a little known 2nd floor to many Menard's locations where you can find out of season items on clearance. I found sweaters and christmas trees for a great price, but that was a couple weeks ago in midsummer heat. I imagine summer stuff is also cheap once we start getting more night hours than day again.
This is also where they hide the O Gauge trains they advertise so much!
I am an employee at a Menards and your store there is layed out exactly like the one I work at. You will be happy with going there for other things as well. Just have a look around and you'll find out that you can get quite a variety of things for your house, yourself, and your dog too. I'm happy you two went and visited one!
they lay the stores out the same for a reason .however some are actually backwords ,exit and entrance on different sides. i built a menards when i worked for them.employees did all the building except for the building itself. they have crews from other stores that also help to get a new menards up and running.
I used to work for Menards, the lay out looks just like the one I worked at. The one I live near now is completely different
@@paulj9801 I transferred between 2 stores that were mirrored and that was disorienting at first. It took my brain a bit to adjust.
Weedeater, and I think Weed whacker were brand names, and my family said both. We settled on weed whacker eventually.
I don't think, though, that it had anything to do with the name of one of our cats, "Weedie."
@@paulj9801yea, we have a couple Walmarts in town and 2 or 3 that are a 30 minute drive and wouldn’t you know it, bathrooms are switched. Best to keep using the one you are closest to - always. However, that’s not us. :(. Don’t be in a rush. 😵💫.
I moved my kids to New York when they were 5 and 7. We recently moved back to the midwest. My son starts singing, "save big money at Menard's". He remembered it after twenty years!
If you’re an Iowan it’s as catchy as the Adventureland jingle lol
Imagine having to hear that jingle all day long... ugh. You probably hear it in your dreams... or nightmares 😛
Protip: You can substitute the following lyrics for some laughs: "Please don't kick me in Menards"
?? I thought Menards first started business like a few years ago. I never heard of it before then.
I know that anyone can look up when Menards opened stores in specific states. Without looking it up, I think Menards has been in Iowa for at least 20 years, and it has been in Kansas for at least 10 years.
I love Menard's! I grew up in the Midwest and took it for granted. But after living in Arizona for over a decade, where there aren't any, I now appreciate just how useful the store is. Great place not only for home improvement, but also for any workshop. Love their power tool section!
I am glad to see that the extremely lethargic entry doors are not just a feature at my local store. Everyone should have to suffer.
It would be cool if they groaned a little. Like the depressed robot (Marvin?) in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
What in the world is a lethargic entry?
@@brokeeper2007 You can see at around 1:36, where Laurence walks up to the entry door, basically has to stop (you can see him touch the door) and then it eventually decides it wants to open. That door is not configured correctly, both in the sensor up top and the opening speed. Any other major store in the region would have been open before he got to that point. For whatever reason Menard's decided they want to stand out by having doors that do not open in a timely manner.
Can confirm, the Menards I’m at has the slow door too lol
The thing about Menards is that it can't make up its mind what kind of store it wants to be. Home improvement store? Grocery store? Pick up a bathtub and some snacks!
my dad says if they dont have it at Farm and Fleet or Menards you dont need it Grab some bolts a few washers a pack a frozen brats on your way out :)
It is an everything store! The first time I took my husband I had struggled to explain it beforehand. As we pulled up he saw the signs saying "appliances" and "lumber" and said it must be a hardware store. I said "not really" and he shrugged it off. He spent the whole trip going "oh, they have snacks" and "oh, they have toys."
And that is exactly why I like it!
@@mattmopar440 Out of a morbid curiosity as to the depths of this philosophy, some months ago I found out that Menards does in fact sell engagement rings (on their website at least). To my surprise, my fiancé was not thrilled with their selection, but rules are rules.
I like that they have Watkins spices and vanilla for sale in their stores.
I'm an American and even I was kinda .. I guess.. impressed by how different Menards was. It waas like 70% alternate reality home depot crossed with 15% macy's and 15% costco. They had a grand piano in the appliance section and a live player. 2 stories with glass escalators. A food section, sizable, with like, off flavor stuff you won't find other places, like ketchup flavored chips endorsed by Larry the Cable guy. It was like steeping into the multiverse. It was just, familiar but also different.
good description!
ketch up flavored food is a Canadian thing and all major brands have a variation. I did notice walmarts has ketchup flavor lays this year, haven't seen that in 15 years since I left Toronto
They sell GRAND PIANOS ??!!
Lol. Ours is a bit more low key, but you still feel like getting onto a golf cart to get around in it!
John Menard is a genius
Even though my hometown of Eugene, Oregon has a Lowe's and a Home Depot, most people go to Jerry's Home Improvement Center, an absolutely massive employee-owned, hyper-local business with just two locations (the second one is in neighboring Springfield, Oregon). The Eugene location is so massive that check registers are located in different departments, to reduce the walking distance needed. On a local scale, it competes handily with the national retailers. 😊
Next is Fleet Farm. If you want the true upper Midwest experience, you need to go to a Fleet Farm. It might be a little bit of a drive but the nearest one is in Oconomowc, Wisconsin. So if you're ever up that way, go ahead and look around
In Iowa we have Farm and Fleet--apparently they are owned by two brothers. You got a Theisen's? LOL
Fleet Farm > Farm & Fleet
From Indiana, Farm & Fleet is the closest. But Fleet Farm country offers Menard's cousin, KwikTrip. (Although there are some KwikStars going in along interstates in Illinois.)
@@rebeccaobrien2642 The confusing one is Iowa, where it has KwikStar, KwikTrip, and which is a completely different company.
@@rebeccaobrien2642 In Iowa, Kwik Trip is referred to as Kwik Star and my Wisconsin friends always giggle at me when I call it Kwik Star and not Kwik Trip but _I shall never change_ XD
You’ve definitely got to do a video about using that old-school push mower. I had no idea those were still available.
Yes they are!
... and I will never use one, again. My grandfather had one... 50 years old or so, rusty, hard to push with rotted, splintered handles... Absolutely hated that damned thing. >=(
We discovered the people we bought our house from LEFT theirs in the corner of the yard. . . .it's still sitting there untouched. Of course, so is the backyard because we both have wretched allergies and too much rain made it grow faster than we could mow it without it being wet. . .
They're great if you have a relatively flat lawn. The blades cut much more cleanly and sharply and other types of mowers, so if you're a real perfectionist about your grass it will look better if you use a hand mower.
But you have to keep it really sharp and you have to mow often otherwise it's very labor intensive.
@@jamesanthony8438 Yes, That one (I have one out in the shed...)
And a video of him going back to Menards to buy a power mower.
I'm from New England, amd my sister lives in the Midwest. My introduction to Menards was on Black Friday. I was sent in by myself while my sister parked the car. I don't handle crowds well, and the disorder made by extra displays. I only survived because the other shoppers were so unbelievably nice.
As long as being British and not wearing a red coat.
That's the midwest for you.
did you have to park in a yard 😅 ours gets so crowded that it fills up the whole parking lot to point people park in the grass at ours
Yep, sounds like the Midwest. We really don't do black Friday fights here lol
Ah the Midwest/Upper Plains Nice.
5:19
just an FYI: an Edger is a VERY specific type of weed eater. it's designed for the 'blade' (the area where the 'string' comes out) to be turned sideways so that it cuts vertically, thus creating an 'edge' to the grass, like at sidewalks or driveways. Some weed eaters will also have this ability, but specifically Edgers are already designed this way and are useless as a normal weed eater. they also usually have wheels on them to aid in the job.
There are manual tools that do the same thing. Cutting out a strip of turf from between the walkway or driveway, and the lawn. Depending on the job a manual edger may work better.
I miss Menards, enjoy it because once you're limited to only Lowes and Home Depot you realize how good it really is.
Ok, we don’t have such a place but you sure are making me wish we did ;)
Through the years I have upgraded from push mower, to gas, to electric cord, to electric battery pack to riding mower...and then this year we did the most brilliant thing and hired a local company to mow our lawn. It doesn't get better than this!
We tried hiring but they were a no-show. Locals, so they know the neighborhood.
The American Dream.
That's some serious upwards mobility.
My nephew has lawn service. they done in under 10 minutes.
@@Vanos99 Not, my property. It would take days and be unaffordable. We do it ourselves, we are retirees in our 70's. We have an orchard and it takes all summer to go through it one time, with the STIHL, heavy duty self propelled brush/mower and chainsaw. It's exhausting.
Can't wait to see your next video where you buy your 2nd American Lawnmower! Haha.
Reel lawn mowers are lots of work if you have other than a flat, postage stamp lawn.
@@steveurbach3093for sure! Such a pain and a lot of maintenance to keep the blades sharp and adjusted.
I (American) worked with several Brits whilst volunteering in Ukraine. They were the nicest, generous, motivated, willing to help people I've ever worked with.
Probably because they were volunteering in Ukraine lol
We also have a friend from there and he just loved his vinegar with fish and chips. He brought his own bottle with when we brought him out.
I truly miss Menards having moved to an area where an over shopped Lowes and a 45 minute drive to Home Depot are my only options. Thank you for allowing me to reminisce about my favorite store!
I gave up on the reel mower years ago- I was complaining to my grandmother once about it and she said "yeah, those were terrible". Not a sentimental woman. Someone who lived through The Depression and still thinks you ought to throw something out is someone to listen to.
Makes sense. Most people I know who lived through the 20-40s are notorious hoarders.
I tried using my grandpa's old reel mower and he told me the lawn was a lot thinner during the depression. Then again, I saw a kid pushing one around the other day.
I use one... went from the crappy gas powered one to the better Reel mower best thing I did for my gardening ... also stopped using the whip, aka weedwackler the same time I got my reel mower... but that's me I will never go back to a gas powered one ... and I don't like the electric ones so human powered mower for me...
You'd be a hoarder too if you had lived through the great depression and had hardly any money. They were the ultimate reuse and recycle generation. You had to be. Or you'd probabaly be naked and starve.
Ahh just did 6 lawns with the Remington Reel mower... no gas means no wasted money on gas so more profit...pretty nice size ones too ,the cut I get with my Reel mower over my old gas powered one is crazy better... my gas one was good but the cut with my Reel mower blows it away!
Back in 1972 as a 10 year old, I was required to cut the lawn with the push mower. Several years later my father bought an engine powered front wheel drive lawn mower made by Toro. It was like Heaven to cut the grass. I started making money cutting the neighbors lawns for $5 a job. Within several years, I bought my first used motorcycle and rode it to High School. Man, that was the days.
I bet a lot of people would still pay you $5 to mow their lawn, I know, I, for one, would. You said those were the days, right
You were lucky. My first paid lawn was 35¢ and a reel mower.
Bought 3 cycles.
@@kenvandevoort7820 they were 1/2 acre lots.
Goodness, you guys cut grass in 1900? I made $10 for front yard $20 for back. The yards were very large.
If your picking out a lawnmower, you should judge it by cutting width. How wide do you need to cut, based on how big your yard is and how much room you have to turn. Also, you can get mulching blades on a mower so the grass clippings are mulched up to help the grass grow better. Works on leaves as well so you don't have to rake them, you just mulch them up as a natural kind of fertilizer. Plus, less work.
I just found your channel like 20 minutes ago and I'm so happy to find out you're exploring the Midwest! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on experiencing for the first time the things I've grown up with
I used to have one of those reel mowers. The biggest trick is not letting the grass get too long in the first place. Otherwise the mower just kind of pushes the grass over without cutting it.
Look, if it's not at least a foot tall, I'm not going out there in the heat. Battery powered self propelled mower is the way to go if you haven't gotten around to killing all the grass and replacing it with stuff you don't ever have to cut yet.
@@Martys-4x4i had one, found out you can get the blades sharpened. Was still a ton of work. If you have a small yard its fine...my parents have acres though so riding mower it is.
Also, make sure you have WD-40 for the blades after 1 year outside.
true... but also keep them super sharp and they handle mostly anything.
I couldn't stop laughing through it all. I was yelling at you, "By the battery weedwacker, not the corded one" but ya didn't listen to me!
I was saying the same thing!
He should have watched UA-cam videos to choose
Could of got a 5hp lawnmower off marketplace for 50 bucks and be done
I love Menards. Refuse to shop at Harbor Freight, Lowes or Home Depot. I really appreciate that I recognize the layout of the store even though I am a whole state away from you.
I have the luxury of having all these within a short distance from me. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
Love Menard’s! Hardware, furniture, equipment, food, toys, yard games, garden center…they have it all!
As someone who used to be a Menards employee(at one of the corporate stores too) the prices are that way because they don’t have any stock holders. It’s a privately owned company. Which is why the owner, John Menard, is one of the wealthiest men in the world.
This is the primary reason I save up a list and make a monthly 90 minute excursion to Menards rather than go to those other stores nearby. Even if the savings is balanced out by fuel cost for the trip, its still worth it to me.
Yeah, same with Koch Industries... and Diane Hendrick who owns a billion dollar privately owned supply company here in Wi.
And why he can afford to feed his son's NASCAR racing habit.
When I worked at the Menard's in Fridley, MN in the late 80s, they were going to make it a non-smoking facility. The John Menard came in smoking like a chimney in the lumberyard. Us smokers pointed that out and the policy was dropped.
Shareholders 😈
As someone who's had the Menards jingle stuck in my head for 40+ years, I'm glad to know it only takes a couple of years to get it stuck there. And it's Me-NARDS. Oh, and you can buy discount Bristol (Wisconsin) Renaissance Faire tickets there. Which, ooo, Lawrence, you need to go to the Ren Faire. As a Brit you'll be so confused.
I never knew they sold ren faire tickets there, i always just got them at the faire
You are right. He needs to go to the Ren Faire.
I don't think he'd be confused - tickled pink more like. Hilarity would abound.
If you think it gets stuck easily, try working there. I'm listening to music almost nonstop from the moment I get in my car to go to work to the moment I park it at home after my shift to avoid it getting stuck in my head. Results are about 50/50.
I love Menard's. Where else can you buy lumber, laundry detergent, breakfast cereal, milk, eggs, a lawnmower, clothes, a car battery, a DIY kit shed they'll deliver to your door, and concrete mix all in one store? And they're not lying about "Save Big Money". They're generally lower, or the same as the competition.
I grew up on this store and have fond memories of going with my dad to the "yard" and picking up a load of lumber, and sticking it through the windows of his car on the way home.
Menards is truly unique. It's honestly one of the best parts of the Midwest.
When you get your 11% rebate, it is a store credit, so you got a reason to go back! In winter you can stroll through the light department and it will help keep you from Seasonally Affective Disorder. Menards has better selection and prices then Lowes or Home Depot, plus it is often in smaller towns than those chains. Menard's is the best!
YOU'LL SAVE BIG MONEY, YOU'LL SAVE BIG MONEY, WHEN YOU SHOP MENARDS
I won't!
It's an 8 hour or so drive to the nearest one from Texas! =)
@@jamesanthony8438 you missed the joke 🤧 that's the theme song or whatever you wanna call it.
I have my own variant of that song. It has lyrics that are quite naughty, so I shall not repeat them here.
@@jasonlescalleet5611 well damn Jason, now I want to know! 😂
You are officially a homeowner when you own an orange extension cord. And I promise when you use that trimmer you'll miss it. Unless it came with the house. Also, don't let the grass get too high with that manual mower.
Mine is blue, though in all fairness I own a condo so maybe that's just how it is when it isn't a house.
I think Laurence is waiting for his Menards rebate check to get the orange extension cord.
And then you cut can accidentally through the orange extension cord with the trimmer!
@@catholiccontriversyLMAO mine's GREEN 😛
All the more reason to get the orange extension cord instead a green one - even more likely to accidentally run over / cut through the cord if it matches the grass
As someone who has shopped at Menard's, I can confirm they have both bells & whistles.
I'm struck by how this store is laid out EXACTLY the same as my town's Menards. If you hadn't shown the outside of the store I might've thought it was my store.
I can't wait for the video of you using the rotary mower and the inevitable visit to the ER. Best of luck.
Maybe we'll get to see what happens when one of those little wheels catch on a hole and he flips head over heels over it.
I just returned from two weeks in the UK, so I got to take my first trips to places like Tesco, M&S and the extremely large Harrod's. As I was driving around the country I passed signs for Grimsby and felt like an exchange student for Lost in the Pond. I got crisp and biscuit crumbs all over the rental car in celebration.
Ooohh, visiting Harrod's is on my bucket list!!
How was the eel pie?
I moved from Chicago in 2020, and watching your videos makes me so nostalgic, especially when you're walking around outside. (I lived off Fullerton & Cicero, so I recognize a lot)
Glad to see you pop your Menards cherry.
First time viewer here! Enjoyed the video. Your wife is great and she is STACKED 😊! Hope to see her in more of the videos.
When I bought my first (and only) house, I intended to purchase a push mower much like yours. My realtor introduced me to a neighbor of hers who was a gardener, to do my lawn care until I got the mower. 31 years later, the gardener has retired (but she set me up with a replacement) and I still have not purchased a lawn mower. Overall, I'm happy that I don't do my own yard work.
BTW, Target is a Midwestern chain - it began as a subsidiary of Minneapolis' Dayton Hudson department stores.
Target is also in Texas...we aren't that Midwestern lol
@@nzkshatriya6298 Target is everywhere - now.
But it didn't used to be.
@@jeffdege4786when I move to Rhode Island from Wisconsin 25 years ago, I remember telling a friend of mine that I was mad because I kept seeing Target ads on the television but we still did not have one in the state. Now I have to go over to Bridges and drive 40 minutes, but at least I can get 21
Oh now I’ve got the Menards jingle stuck in my head. Thanks for the reference 😂😂😂 1:27
I love the fact that I expected you to be less funny without a "script", but your quips seem even more clever.
I just came home from having surgery. Still very sore. I should t have watched this. I laughed too hard and thus pain happened. I love the deadpan way he delivers everything
Save big money at Menards...now the jingle is stuck in my head...thanks Laurence 😂
Same!!😂
Thank you for doing this video. I live 10 blocks from our local Menards, so it is not only my go-to hardware/home store, it is also my go-to grocery store when I need something in a pinch. And thank you for giving us a new way to forever pronounce MEH-nahhhds.
You have passed the trials and become a true Midwesterner. Welcome to the club!
We bought our first house in Kenosha, WI in 1986. It need LOTS of renovation (not remodeling; RENOVATION). Menards was the only 'big box' store in town, so EVERYthing we bought for that house was from Menards. We called our house 'Menards East' ('cause the real Menards was west of us). Now here in FL we have . . . Home Depot and Lowe's. I actually miss Menards.
My whole 2 car garage came from Menard's. Except for the concrete. And it all came home 45 miles in my F150. Except for the trusses; they wouldn't fit.
We bought a house someone else gave up on mid-flip and had to finish it ourselves. We have Menards, Lowe’s, and Home Depot in our area, but Menards always won on selection and price. I felt like I lived there for quite a long time. Sometimes I had to go twice in one day!
Who would've guessed your town would become famous in 2020 due to a nice kid trying to help out?
@@thejohnbeck All those events took place in the IMMEDIATE vicinity of my workplace. I'd already moved to FL by then, but I cried when I saw those evens unfolding, starting with the BLM protests in Civic Park, which 'my' library overlooked since 1980. Bruce Schroeder was my husband's divorce lawyer before he was appointed as a judge; he was a great disappointment in the rulings he made in this case. The shooting itself took place in front of my therapist's office. I lived in K-Town 60+ years.
I missed it too when we were in Florida. It was one of the first places I went when we came back to the Midwest.
Menards cracks me up. This is because they not only carry anything one would want for home improvement and gardening, but one may also buy cookies, sugar cereal, and peanut butter there…
Pet supplies too😊
And ribs!
@@ericpoeperic 😂🤣😂
Sometimes the food is old and stale.
They usually have the best priced milk and groceries
As an employee in menards but at a different state, it's always nice to see these videos and it's an exact copy of our store, so even through the video i could give you instructions on where everything was. I think between all stores there's only about 8 different variations depending on size and location.
I always find your videos enjoyable and humorous.
The Menards rebate is great, I bought dishwasher and re-shingled the shed roof and then spent the rebate on a new patio set for the deck. Their in store jingle will definitely get stuck in your head though.
As a native mid-westerner myself. Menards is one of my all time favorite stores. Forget I have a ton of home renovations going on as well. Which makes it my home away from home. Hearing you say the slogan almost sent me through the roof with laughter. Not sure how I stumbled across this video but it is a gem for sure.
So now that I actually finished the video. For 2/3s of the video I thought you were in my local menards. It was almost a carbon copy of the one I have here. Which is suprising to me because everyone I have been in besides my local one have had different layouts. I loved the bagging bit. That is the experiance every time. It does get anxiety producing when you are alone and trying to pay and bag at the same time. But the line stretches back to the Flamingos. Awesome video!
I like how at the beginning of the time stamp of 6:41 the cart seems to be bopping in rhythm with the music,well done.
"Save Big Money at Menards!"
I'll never forget that jingle after seeing their commercials over the years.
The true test of your satisfaction with your mower choice, won't be until next spring. You'll be digging that thing out of the garage with either no distasteful memories of last year's mowing chores, or, you'll be thinking to yourself, "Bloody Hell! Another season of pushing this f&%k'n thing around the garden!" I'll check back with you in May 2024.
I'll go to Menards in a heartbeat, but you have to drag me kicking and screaming to to into a Home Depot or Lowes. Menards has things you never knew you wanted until you see it there and the rebates add up nicely!
and you dont have to be your own cashier and the employees arent morons
I have been in a Home Depot 2x in my life, once when I was in Minnesota ( I had to at least go into one) and once in Kansas. Never been in a Lowe's. I live in Eau Claire Wisconsin, we Have Menards, Menards, there building a 3rd Menards, Farm& Fleet or FleetFarm ( we have Both). As long as John Menard is breathing, we will never have a Home Depot or Lowes.
Menards makes me think of christmas because my folks always got decorations there. Even the jingle gives me vibes of winter time.
I know that exact Menards, the cashier who assisted you at checkout is one of the best cashiers there, I generally try to go through whichever line she’s running because I know that I won’t have to demand a receipt or argue over whose responsibility it is to handle propane sales.
My husband goes to Menards at least twice a week. He always has "something" he needs. We have so many Rebates, he has actually bought groceries there and gets 11% back on those too. 🙂We love Menards.
My dad too. He swears by Menards and won't go anywhere else. He saved up his rebates and had a couple hundred dollars worth that he put towards a snowblower. He was pretty proud of that.
@@jesss6586 Yes! We got a Fire Table with rebates. It's a sweet deal all around.
As a husband myself can confirm - at Menard's around twice a week.
@@timduncan6750 I like Menards too but have to sneak there otherwose my husband says he'll go get it. 😅
Just bought an EGO battery powered motor, best lawn purchase I ever made. Collects the grass or mulches it, and battery can cover an entire ~0.75 acre yard. Also charges super fast. No annoying oil changes, and has a self-sharpening blade. Highly recommend.
As an American who lived in England, I thoroughly enjoy your videos.
🎉 greetings from coastal Mississippi. Have watched you for years. I had a push mower for 29 yrs. Finally got a gas motor a couple of yrs ago.
I've remodeled 4 houses using Menards. $1000s in rebates! The staff a Menards is much more helpful than Home Depot and they're more down to earth than Lowes.
What is it about Lowes that has their employees acting like Starbucks Baristas instead of home improvement people? I once waited a full hour in Lowes for them to figure out how to cut some glass for me. I finally told them to step aside and did it myself.
Yea menards has nice prices, but still can't withstand inflation
Hope you "saved big money" and got your 11% off 😂
🎶We don't remember where we parked!🎶 🤣🤣🤣
I love how he strains when picking stuff up, wait till he has to use that push mower! LOL!
There's always been something about Menards that makes me prefer it over Lowe's and Home Depot.
My family knows I have an issue with their purple tagged plants in their garden department. I love buying the lost and discounted plant babies and bringing them back to life. I can spend hours and hours in Menards and its my favorite place!! Then the rebates come and I'm back at it!! I'm 43 and my mom loves to send them in for me! 😂😂
Our Menards is at least 50 miles away so I don’t get to visit the plants very often, but I DO have an Aldi in town and I am a true sucker for the sick, scraggly orphan plant babies there. It’s gotten so bad my husband has forbidden me from bringing anymore home.
I rescued a moon cactus from Home Depot many years ago. I knew enough about these to know that you could cut off the grafted part at the top if it rots and that the stalk would be healthy without it. What I didn't know was how much of a climber those dragon fruit cactuses they use for the stalks are. I have like eleven billion shoots climbing up trellises all over my kitchen window in three separate pots now, all from that one original cactus. They've literally taken over my kitchen with cactuspocalypse
I like going in Menards! The patio display is great when you're tired after work and you get reeled into going. I still enjoy looking at all the displays! Weed whipper is what i call those!😅
I’ve never heard of Menard’s, but I’ve always lived in the south. Congratulations on your new mower!
excited for the midsummer video when Lawrence finally has enough and gets a proper lawn mower :D My family did the same thing 15 years ago
Keep an eye on Arthur during the 4th. Some pets are terrified. If he gets panicked, or even starts shaking, just give him some love and talk quietly to him.
It’s one of the biggest times pets run off due to this fear. Keep him secure inside.
@@suehaag2783 AND preferably IN THE BASEMENT with the Radio on!
I keep my little dog calm by telling him it's just the sky dogs. Not sure why it works, but it does. :)
or just tell him to man up.
They already have Kafka
LMFAO These are the moments I watch for... "Oh there they are. It was surprisingly easy." All the while standing in the pressure washer section talking about lawn mowers.
I'm glad I watched this video. I moved from the northeast to the Midwest 7 months ago and haven't been to Menards yet.
I think it’s time for Laurence visit the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis, Tennessee. Not only is it the 9th largest pyramid in the world at 98 meters, but it also houses a restaurant with large balcony at the top, a hotel, and ducks, 7 foot long fish, and alligators!
Bass pro is also in the Midwest!
Quick tip. If your worried about theft, add some black electrical tape to your new extension cord to give the illusion of age or crappiness. This can be applied to many tools or objects of value. Where I currently live in NYC you can have a brand new $8,000 bicycle and completely cover any identifying marks or labels with electrical or friction tape to hide its value and give the illusion that it's not worth it trying to steal it.
I tried this with a particularly attractive ex of mine who was physically way out of my league. It did not go well. Lesson learned.
Friend.. if you have to tie down, lock and cover with electrical tape all of your possessions to prevent theft, then perhaps its time to relocate? Not even being sarcastic. I live in an area of where people still don't lock their doors. Someone had their chain saw walk off last month and it was a big deal. Turned out a neighbor borrowed it and forget to tell the owner. It was promptly returned. There are still lovely areas in this country where people look out of each other, private property is respected and people who are experiencing hard times as for work instead of handouts.
Or... Don't live in a crime ridden, needle strewn, godless city.
I'm sorry that you live somewhere that you have to take precautions like this. Honestly.
🎶”Save big money at Menards!”🎶 Central Minnesota here. You should a video of getting Christmas 🎄 decorations from the same store. That is a yearly event in my family because lights burn out, and you can never have enough 😂.
Oh my gosh!!! I'm loving a Brit celebrating the 4th of July!!!
I bought a washer and dryer, stove, cat food, lawn chair cushions, fly strips, mosquito coils (they work great!), recliner, paint, wood, flowers, peanuts, bird seed,...they have everything you need!
No candy??
. . . even a kitchen sink!
@@pink1433 Yes, they have candy! 😃
@JeanStAubin-nl9uo Yep, they have those too! I left out a fireplace, furnace filters, holiday decorations, gloves, power washer,...
A brush cutter is a very different thing than a flexible line trimmer. The small ones kind of look like trimmers, but they have rigid blades. The big ones will eat whole fields of heavy brush. Or sheep, or people.
as someone that lives and works in the chicago suburbs it’s an honor to know Lawrence and I go to the same Menards
I live in Wichita, Kansas and we have all 3 of those stores, Lowes, Home Depot and Menards. We also have ACE Hardware stores which are closer to residential areas, but they are more expensive for identical items. I got my Toro Recycler gas powered lawn mower at Home Depot. I picked up a combo Craftsman V20 battery powered weed whacker with blower at Lowes. It was on sale for $100. My cousin bought me the mower and I think it was $350. It was a house warming gift for which I am extremely thankful.
Now we just need Laurence to take a trip to Harbor Freight for some small tools and maybe a circular saw, and a trip to a Meijer to show it off in comparison to a Walmart or Target. And I'm surprised y'all skipped the grocery section, Laurence. They have caffeinated root beer!
No, send him to Canadian Tire. That is the best store in the universe - like a Walmart and Lowe's smushed together. Also Bulk Barn in Canada. Canadians manners are so much better than Americans. Americans would pick up a bulk item, bite into it and put it back in the bin.
There are some weirdly large Ace Hardware locations. I grew up near the highest volume Ace in Texas. It's almost the size of a Home Depot.
You can only safely send a newbie to Harbor Freight if they're only buying cheap disposable items (shop rags, latex gloves) or you have checked the reviews. Not a place for casual visitors, or at least people you like. The difference between a getting good deal and taking home a finger eating monstrosity is often only appreciated in hindsight.
Meijer is great, too. Beats WalMart.
@@bittergeek true harbor freight does have some crap stuff, however their slightly higher cost stuff is pretty decent (i have a bunch of hercules tools)
If picking that stuff up is difficult, then mowing a lawn with a push mower will be nearly impossible. Also, Farm and Fleet is another midwest institution worth checking out.
Also called Fleet Farm in northern half of Wisconsin...very good place to find a large variety of things
@@kevinduveneck1504 Fleet Farm is a different company than Farm & Fleet. It was started by friends of the Farm & Fleet founders, and the similar name was used with permission. But they are totally independent companies.
Blains^ Farm and Fleet
And Rural King.
@@rwilson7197 Never heard of that one. Must be further south.
Welcome to "this side of the pond" from a USA-born person. So many many enviable traits of British folk on your side of the pond [You can tell that I[m 'proud' of having picked up on the reference.] Would sincerely care to meet Chadwick Model Railway..... seemingly like "the brother I never had".
I've loved menards ever since we started renovating our home! Also I love my reel mower even though most think we're crazy.