It’s subtle, but stores that offer smaller carts usually have higher prices. Warehouse stores that offer large carts serve a purpose for bulk loading. When you enter a store and see that the little cart is the only option then walk away.
Smaller carts are easier to push but you can’t put as much in them, so the store will jack up their prices so that you can’t carry too many of their items to your home. I’ve noticed these carts at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Harris Teeter, and now PetSmart.
Typically humans will form a queue if there are multiple registers open. The term first in first out (or FIFO) comes to mind. However, there are people who subscribe to the LIFO life (Last in first out). LIFO is our natural inclination, we are self-centered creatures and have our own interests in mind. So when someone bypasses the established queue, simply give them a reminder they’re not the only person in the store or on the planet.
For instance, I was checking out at a sporting goods store and approached the register. At first, I thought the checkout was empty until I saw the queue of four people waiting for the first available cashier. I took my place in the queue. As my turn approached a person jumped in front of me and began to place their items on the counter. The cashier said nothing. A person behind me said passive aggressively “Some people don’t know where the line starts”. I approached and politely informed the lady that the line started (I pointed in the direction of the 5 people behind me). She said something like “she didn’t see the line”. I replied, “Yeah, it’s right over there”.
A queue makes sense if you are in a busy store that’s understaffed. It’s the faster way to check out. The only problem is the person who starts the queue has to enforce it for the second person who arrives. You have to space yourself at just the right position between both registers. It helps the register be within close proximity.
If you don’t have the option to ship something to your house or buy online and pick it up in-store then you should reconsider shopping at that establishment.
I miss the days when there were new start wars movies coming out every fall. I looked forward to Septembers and Force Fridays when all the new Star Wars action figures were released. But this has been my experience…
Whatever happened to let kids buy toys. I took my children shopping for toys and the shelves were empty. I can only assume that grown men and women went to buy the toys earlier in the day and are now selling them on eBay for profit.
I know it’s fun to purchase “Hard-to-find items” but let the kids have a shot. If you really want one of each item then buy an entire case from entertainmentearth.com and let the children experience shopping for new toys rather than looking at a barren wasteland of potential happiness.
I don’t know if this happens but retailers should split the toy shipment into two pieces. Set aside half of the shipment for the people who stand in line at midnight. Then the other shipment for people who have to work and have children who may want a few toys.
Can you believe this used to be $3.00 for a sixer of 16.9oz of Pepsi Zero Original Recipe with all the caffeine and ginseng?
Do you think BOGOs are a good deal? How’s come when you see the same item at Walmart it’s the same price as one of the buy one get one? That’s because BOGO is a scam. Paying full retail price vs what the price should be. It’s not near as worse as by 3 get 2 free that Harris Teeter shills. If you divide it out it’s about the same price as a single item at Walmart or Aldi. Don’t fall for it!
How much do you love people? How much do you love people and massive amounts of them confined in one area? Do you like long lines at the dressing room and checkouts? Do you enjoy fighting over parking spaces and pedestrians who forget how to walk in parking lots?
If you said yes to any or all of these questions then you will love shopping on tax-free weekends in your state. It’s only rivaled by Black Friday sales. However, you can pay slightly a bit more and shop from your computer at home. You have to deal with the age-old question, “How much is my time worth?”.
Have extra stuff laying around your house? Why don’t you try to make a few bucks online by selling it? How about donating it for a tax write-off? How about neither, just throw it in the garbage. Sometimes that’s the best choice.
Selling
People want stuff for free. You post an item and they offer you half of your asking price. If you provide a free item then they will want you to deliver it. Better yet, they will want you to pay them to take it off your hands. Selling on eBay or Amazon has become a hassle. When you pay all the seller fees, merchant fees, and postage, you are left with about half of what the item is worth.
Donating
This is a better option. Let other people look through your bags of unwanted items and they can throw it away. The tax write-off is barely worth it. For kids’ clothes, give them to friends or family, they will be responsible for throwing them in the trash now.
Trash it
Unless you want Goodwill throwing your stuff away you can save them the trouble. Leave it visible on trash day and people will pick it from the rubbish like mining for treasure.
If you have extra stuff you should probably think about why you are buying so much stuff. Give your items away to someone who needs them.
Apparently, I’m at the age now where I don’t care how much my bag of cheese costs. My younger self would have made a fuss over this situation and maybe my older self will do the same. But for now, I do not have time to fuss over the bag of cheese cost differential. What am I talking about? Well, let me tell you.
Story Time. I went to purchase a bag of cheese from my Walmart neighborhood market. I saw several selections of the shredded variety that caused me to seek out the best deal. Do I select the bag that has the greatest value? Do I select the most recognized name-brand bag of cheese? At first glance, the brand that has the most commercials per capita on television appeared to have the greatest value. One pound of shredded cheese in a bag for $2.58. That seemed to good to be true. Because it was.
After I scanned the bag of cheese at one of those lonely self-checkouts, I noticed the price was almost double. I had fallen prey to the oldest trick in the shredded cheese bag book. The misplaced item is on the shelf.
At this point, what do I do? Call the cashier and ask for the price it was labeled even though it was probably restocked by another customer after they found it on the bread aisle after someone else gave up their grilled cheese sandwich adventure after they discovered the potato bread was out of stock? No, I didn’t want to do that. Do I cancel my transaction and walk back over to the bagged shredded cheese aisle and find the correct item that I wanted? No, too much time. What do I do? I simply pay for this bag of cheese and enjoy it when I get home.
Like a well-aged cheese, time is valuable and should not be wasted. Enjoy your cheese, whichever you choose.
Save some money and do it yourself, and put it in glass containers
Look for cars – Don’t assume we see you, if you are coming from a blind spot (say behind a bush or multi-passenger van) then you need to make sure a car is not already in the crosswalk. Don’t sprint out there in front of us.
Use the crosswalk – It’s there for your safety, it’s a clear path for you to make it safely to the other side while I’m trying to finish this blog post on WordPress mobile.
Walk in a straight line –Don’t walk diagonally from the lot to the door, again use the crosswalk it’s a great guideline.
Don’t dilly dally – I have frozen chicken in the trunk and we would prefer it was roasting on the grill and not near my spare tire.
Don’t text – your Facebook update or text message can wait until you are safely on the sidewalk.
Don’t stop – now is not the time to impress your girlfriend by showing that you have the right away and shout and throw your cigarette at my car.
Remember just because the law says you have the right of way doesn’t mean that you can walk like a zombie into oncoming traffic.
Sir Is used as a polite or respectful way of addressing a man, especially one in a position of authority
Ma’am Is a term of respectful or polite address used for a woman.
However, whenever I hear this directed towards another human at retail, a restaurant, or another place of business during a customer complaint, it always has the connotation of @$$h0le or B! tch. It’s never used with endearment but rather as a derogatory term. It’s overused with emphasis that you are not getting what you want no matter how reasonable you are being. To be blunt, it’s a power trip for the person using it. It’s like calling your dog a stupid idiot but using a friendly voice, he still wags his tail and licks his chops with excitement.
It’s subtle, but stores that offer smaller carts usually have higher prices. Warehouse stores that offer large carts serve a purpose for bulk loading. When you enter a store and see that the little cart is the only option then walk away.
Daily Irritant 
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