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Honestly, whenever I leave the grocery store I feel like I’ve just been had by the lot of them. I fully confess it, too. I wheel in for toilet paper and wheel out with a fat cart loaded to the gills with super-size salsa, half a dozen danishes, and two new brands of frozen pizza.
It hits me like a hammer at the cash register but by then it’s too late.
Yes, I reluctantly pay the bill as my mind flashes back to the Me of 15 Minutes Ago, a barely recognizable guy humming down the aisle and happily accepting little sample cups of drinkable yogurt from sweet old ladies in hairnets while casually tossing brightly-colored cheese bricks and nicely-packaged turkey sticks into my shopping cart.
Oh, I’m a happy camper amongst the freshly-misted lettuce and bubbling lobster tanks, but when I get to the front and get Cash Register Slapped it’s a different story.
If you’re with me, then you know this is what makes it so great when you go to the store and the thing you were going to buy is already on sale. Because suddenly the tables are turned and now you’re calling the shots.
“Oh, what’s this?” you ask innocently, approaching a towering display of toilet paper on sale for half price. “Half-off, really? Well that’s perfect because that’s all I came here for, anyway. And hmm, you know what? May as well get seven extra dozen while I’m here, too. … Annnnnnnd I guess that’s everything for today.”
Then you mime making a big check mark on your grocery list and smile as you savor the moment sweetly. Yes, now your wallet stays fat, your smile stays fresh, and you ride the fast lane straight to Penny-Pinching Heaven.
AWESOME!
I love it when this happens! Last weekend, I was about to spend $60 on 3 tops, which is a big deal since I literally NEVER spend more than $12 on one item of clothing, but when I got to checkout, it turned out that not only did I have $32 more gift card money than I thought I had, but everything was half off.
This post is really well-written btw. =)
Awesome indeed!
this never happens to me- i have to scratch things off my list in order to gravitate towards what is on sale.
in related news, i have never won the lottery in my life either.
Your articles always put a smile on my face, i am not looking forward to that inevitable “#001”
It is indeed a treat. But when Hubby comes home with two bags of doritos and two bags of chips – I know what’s been on sale. No more junk!
Its always go to know if we are every sent underground for a long period of time, you know like Armageddon, we will be covered on toilet paper, bottled water, and salsa. :)
http://www.marriageconfessions.com
Love it, love everything about it. I’m a master at this, especially the extended version where it’s marked as being regular price yet the sale has just started. Even better is when your account has unknown credit on it as well that you find out as you’re about to pay.
Works excellently with media too. You plonk down the entire X Files DVD boxset along with the £150 stated on the price sticker. The cashier scans the set, looks confused, calls for a manager, the manager looks confused then they give you £80 change and run round the store changing prices. So you use your new found wealth to buy another DVD boxset only to find that’s cheaper too. Celebrations at Subway on the way home and your regular order is the cheaper sub of the day. Awesome day.
That last photo clinches it. This is counting towards my tally.
Yup.. the whole post was just building towards the toilet paper pay-off. Definitely counts.
Definitely one of my favourites!
I saw a beautiful skirt online for £35, and didn’t buy it as I’m cheap / have no money. Several weeks later, I innocently walked into the store to buy some food and saw the same skirt in my size for £12! Hurray for bargains.
This happened to me when I purchased my bike from sport check! It was regularly $750, and it was the only one in the store my size, so I had to get it. When I went to buy one, the bikes were on sale and I got it for $450!
I know exactly what you mean. We went to buy some furniture for our back yard that we had been eyeing — debating whether we should splurge or not. When we went to the store it was 25% off. Hubby and I had BIG smiles and I think my wallet grinned a little too.
Great blog.
I wish everything were on sale all the time. Especially the toilet paper.
The opposite also works frequently for me, unfortunately. That amazing t-shirt I just saw and want to buy, well, apparently the cashier doesn’t seem to recognize the sale thing with his scan. “Oh, but wait, it said ‘on sale’ on it. Then it should be less expensive than my current total.” Heartbreaking answer, “Well, I’m sorry. But it didn’t belong to that section. This product isn’t really on sale. Somebody probably left it there.” Sad, sad life.
I just booked a train to and a hotel in Chicago. Between the time I originally looked at prices, and when I went to pay, the price increased so much on the hotel I wanted that I had to go for a cheaper one. Reallly sucked. Train tickets went up too :(
This is one sweeeeet time. One of my favorite awesomes!
I love this…especially going to the Bargain Barn at our local Goodwill. Nothing is ever the price that it was originally marked……I ended up getting a nice assortment of clothing ($1.25/lb) and several books for under $10. I read the books, shared them, and then unloaded some on ebay! Awesome!
I love expensive cheese it makes the best mac and cheese so when it goes on sale me and my BF give each other the eye. Cheese it’s whats for dinner.
This happened to me yesterday.
I was going to order something from Amazon. I keep a “save til later” list on there, and when you go to your shopping cart, it tells you prices that have changed since you put them in there. Since I was going to order a couple things anyway, I was happy to find out a couple of the TV seasons on DVD that I had saved-til-later had dropped to about half price, so I added them. Then I added a couple more DVDs that had also dropped a couple dollars each. To top it off, while I was juggling things between the active cart and the save-til-later list, one of those DVDs that had dropped… dropped again, another $0.50! I was going to buy it anyway, right then and there, and it dropped again! It would be like waiting in line at the store when they suddenly announce a sale on something you’re holding!
Just saying thanks for a fun positive blog!
It brightens my day!
Even better is when you don’t know it was on sale until you get to the till. I swear every time I shop at Sears the stuff ends up being cheaper when they ring it in than it said on the tag! That is the best!
Is it just me or is the post not showing up? It looks like half of it is missing on my screen?
The other day, I was planning what to buy before I got to the store. I needed to get a new pair of shorts, and I knew I couldn’t afford the ones I wanted. I found a cheap, not so great pair and almost purchased it until I saw a pair that was better and cheaper than both! With the money I saved, I even found a top to match (also on sale). Ahhh… I love Target!
This hasn’t happened to me recently but it happened to a customer where I work as a cashier and ya you’re right, that is the only word for it! That’s all I could say to her, “that’s awesome” when she told me the thing she came in to buy was on sale for half off.
just one question… are you gay?
I know a guy who says “Everything is on sale, as long as there’s a buyer!”
But I do agree, it’s awesome when you find what’s on your list, (or wish list better yet), is on discounted price!
even better at a thrift or yard sale!
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I alway get a kick when I’m in the grocery store and someone buys Old El Paso Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa. I was the Art Director for years and had fun doing the radio, print ads and TV Commercials! Thank you for supporting my brand.