Buy the kids pizza, Mag, and don't feel bad about it.
That's far different than finding a couple bucks in the change slot.
That's far different than finding a couple bucks in the change slot.
immoral or just opportunistic? Help Mags decide
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IMO the location of a lost fiver bears no moral weight -- unless you saw it drop from some poor old woman's feeble grasp. Twists of fate taste good -- I've spent a few small ones. 
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Given that situation? I dunno. I suppose I would have kept it, too, but I think my concience would have bothered me. Too bad they don't have those donation things at the self-checkouts, like they do at regular checkouts...if they had, I'd have taken the fiver and donated it to Make A Wish or the local food bank, both of whom usually have the "Donate a Dollar" thingys laying there on the counters in my area.
Unfortunately, not an option here, though, I know.
Unfortunately, not an option here, though, I know.
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I would have returned it, but that's me. It doesn't take much for me to get a guilty conscience.
What if the person who it did belong to came back realizing they had not gotten their proper change.
I once left my wallet in the restroom, knucklehead that I can be. Thank God the woman after me turned it over to the store manager, who knew me (Trader Joe's) and found me, frantically looking for it, thinking I'd dropped it in one of the aisles. I don't always carry a purse and had set it down. Yeah, all my nickles and dimes were there. Pennies, too.
ETA: The woman had already left the store, otherwise I'd have slobbered all over her w/ gratitude.
What if the person who it did belong to came back realizing they had not gotten their proper change.
I once left my wallet in the restroom, knucklehead that I can be. Thank God the woman after me turned it over to the store manager, who knew me (Trader Joe's) and found me, frantically looking for it, thinking I'd dropped it in one of the aisles. I don't always carry a purse and had set it down. Yeah, all my nickles and dimes were there. Pennies, too.
ETA: The woman had already left the store, otherwise I'd have slobbered all over her w/ gratitude.
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Thanks again to all who have shared their comments.
BTW, what I think "probably" happened is this: Since I was due $2 but found $11, that is a difference of $9. I think the person who used the self-check out before me made a purchase for some item priced at less than $1, meant to select a $1 bill from their ?bulging? wallet but in fact put a $10 bill into the machine and therefore never thought to look for change because they weren't expecting any.
And the kids were very happily surprised when I brought home pizza for lunch today!!
BTW, what I think "probably" happened is this: Since I was due $2 but found $11, that is a difference of $9. I think the person who used the self-check out before me made a purchase for some item priced at less than $1, meant to select a $1 bill from their ?bulging? wallet but in fact put a $10 bill into the machine and therefore never thought to look for change because they weren't expecting any.
And the kids were very happily surprised when I brought home pizza for lunch today!!
... honesty is always the best policy.
I've returned loot in instances as the one you describe.
That way even if you're poor, as I often am, you can at least take comfort in having retained your self-respect and dignity. A person ain't worth much if they don't have those two things, even with all the riches in the world.
(ps Pay no attention to me. I'm an idealist and thoroughly out of sync with the modern way of things.)
I've returned loot in instances as the one you describe.
That way even if you're poor, as I often am, you can at least take comfort in having retained your self-respect and dignity. A person ain't worth much if they don't have those two things, even with all the riches in the world.
(ps Pay no attention to me. I'm an idealist and thoroughly out of sync with the modern way of things.)
I would have kept it with a clear conscience and viewed it as a lucky twist of fate when I needed it.
A couple years ago, I bought two cellphones and instead of a $200 rebate, recieved $400. I kept that without a second thought (trust me, that cellphone company didn't miss it!) and that was a lot more than 11 bucks...but I was recently divorced and flat broke with no groceries in the house. Sometimes fate is cruel and sometimes it's not so bad.
Glad you enjoyed your pizza!
A couple years ago, I bought two cellphones and instead of a $200 rebate, recieved $400. I kept that without a second thought (trust me, that cellphone company didn't miss it!) and that was a lot more than 11 bucks...but I was recently divorced and flat broke with no groceries in the house. Sometimes fate is cruel and sometimes it's not so bad.
Glad you enjoyed your pizza!
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I'd kept found money in a couple situations but in the years since, I've turned it in out of sheer guilt, even though I could have used the $300 I found.
Okay, my thoughts on this:
Even for that amount you mention, I'd at least try. Maybe check out in the parking lot for someone loading their car. Most people are honest. If they're not, maybe they need the money more than me.
If it was a substantial amount, you could have brought it to the police department with your name and phone number on the envelope.
I'd like to think that if I ever lost money, someone would try to return it to me.
What goes around, comes around, in some way or another.
Even for that amount you mention, I'd at least try. Maybe check out in the parking lot for someone loading their car. Most people are honest. If they're not, maybe they need the money more than me.
If it was a substantial amount, you could have brought it to the police department with your name and phone number on the envelope.
I'd like to think that if I ever lost money, someone would try to return it to me.
What goes around, comes around, in some way or another.
I had a similar situation happen to me. But, I did go back in to the store and give the money to the cashier. Her jaw about hit the floor she was so surprised that I did not keep it. I'd like to think that was a better lesson for her than my capitalizing on her mistake. I'm not a saint. I did sit in my car and debate whether to keep the money or not before I walked back into the store.
I've done that a couple of times. I've got to my car, realized that there was an item in the cart that I didn't pay for, walk back in and pay for it.
Why does it always seem to surprise people when you do the right thing?
I think they're surprised, but in a good way. Heck, I'd rather surprise someone than keep what isn't mine.
My conscience would bother me, but providing for my kids would take precedence.
Hoping better times are ahead for you, Magdalen!
Hoping better times are ahead for you, Magdalen!
Yes, providing for kids does take precedence. As does teaching them to return what isn't theirs.
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A cashier can lose her job for less than a $50 mistake. I don't think it's any better to treat the person on the other side of the checkout counter like a nameless thing than it is to steal a novel. (Or even potato it.)
But $5 left in a machine or lying in a parking lot has no name-tag. One can make the effort, but how does anyone prove a claim to be the one who lost it?
But $5 left in a machine or lying in a parking lot has no name-tag. One can make the effort, but how does anyone prove a claim to be the one who lost it?
Money left in the change slot, with no way of knowing who it might belong to, I would consider fair game. On the other hand, many years ago (when $20 was a lot of money) I bought a coffee table book for my brother for Christmas. Paid for it with a $20. The cashier (another college student) laid the $20 on top of the book, gave me my change, and put the book (with the $20 still lying on top of it) in a bag. I just stood there. She looked at me quizzically, and I said 'look in the bag'. She looked, and just about fainted. For a college student in the late sixties, working part time in the bookstore, that might have been most of her week's pay.
MM
MM
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That happens to us all the time, since we are a big family and tend to buy huge packages of toilet paper, paper towels and diapers, which go under the cart. Sometimes it gets a little hectic in the checkout line with Jase running around, and we've gone out to the van and realized that those things weren't checked. We always take those back inside and pay for them, and the cashiers are always surprised at it, too.
*shrug*
With that, Cranky, you're also showing your children what they should do in that situation. No need to even say a word.
... kids learn more from what their parents do, than by what they say.
It's surprising what kids pick up that you never even thought they even noticed or paid attention to.
It's surprising what kids pick up that you never even thought they even noticed or paid attention to.