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Overcharged on a Loaf of Wheat Bread

by Dustin Davis, Articles, 1 Comment

A smiling woman checking her shopping receiptYesterday I stood in line at Smith’s Marketplace to return some clothes. There was a lady in front me also waiting in line. It looked like she had just finished grocery shopping. She was sharply dressed and was carrying her daughter on her hip – probably about 2 years old.

When it was her turn at the customer service counter, she pulled out one of her grocery bags that had a single loaf of wheat bread. I didn’t hear the conversation but she was pointing out something on her receipt.

I then watched as the customer service representative gave her one dollar and some small change.

My first thought was, “Wow! I can’t believe she waited in this line for $1. I couldn’t be bothered.”

After returning my clothes I walked out to the parking lot and noticed her again, this time loading her groceries into her Cadillac Escalade. I thought this interesting.

Let me be clear, I don’t believe I was judging this woman. More so, I was judging myself. Would I take the time to watch my groceries go through the scanner to make sure I wasn’t being overcharged? If so, would I even notice the overcharge? Finally, having noticed, would I ask for a refund?

Some might think that if she is driving a nice car she has plenty of money and shouldn’t worry about being overcharged $1. I would argue that the reason she can afford a nice car is because she watches her money very closely.

Stil, there are is another school of thought. Like I said, I couldn’t be bothered to stand in line for a $1 refund. AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT! I’m sure my finances would be improved if I paid 1/2 as much attention as this woman.

I would intellectually tell you that it is literally not worth my time. If I had to stand in line for 5 minutes to get a $1 refund, that is like saying that effort is worth $12 an hour (60 minutes in an hour / 5 minutes in line * $1). The longer I had to wait in line, the less valuable my time. I could go home and do freelance work and make more than $12 per hour.

The real truth is:

  • I can’t actually work for only 5 minutes and earn any real money. I might be able to charge someone an hourly rate for some work, but I don’t get paid until I complete the project.
  • It’s always better to save $1 than to earn $1, because uncle same is going to take 30% of that dollar you earn.
  • Frankly, it’s not so much that it is not “worth my time” as it is a matter of me being too lazy or embarrassed to ask for $1 refund.

Where do you stand on this situation? Are you the type that would notice and go back for a refund?