Free food anyone?

[greensinestro]

My grandmother, God bless her soul at ninety-five now, has told me this story over and over again to where I practically have it memorized. Now, I can tell the story and let everyone know that scheming customers existed even way back in the 1950's. She used to work at a local drug store, back when drug stores existed in the same shopping centers as Publix grocery stores do. (I know someone will say some of them still do, but new drug stores like CVS and Walgreen's are being built alone) Every day, on her lunch, she used to walk over to Publix for a sandwich, or a soda, so they practically knew her there. One day, as she approached the deli for her sandwich, she saw the deli manager nearly raising his voice, something she never saw him do. He was saying, "Don't anyone ever serve that woman here again, whether she's buying or returning!" My grandmother then asked the manager why he was being so abrupt and not so nice with his employees, and he answered with, "You see that woman over there? She comes in every week and buys a pound or turkey, takes it home, eats over half of it, then returns it for a refund stating we sold her rotten meat to begin with!" To this day, my grandmother still remembers this incident, and how back then this woman was wearing the most expensive clothes of the day, yet was finding ways of ripping off the grocery store's deli.

It's as if this type of behavior has progressed now to where this woman's grandchildren and probably great grandchildren have kept this ongoing. Thankfully, I was raised different and know that many of us work for a living, and the money we make also goes for the food we need to survive on. We don't work so we can all have a free meal.

[Becks]

Wow. Some people. I'm glad she got called out on it.

[SuperB]

In our store, when milk, eggs, and lunch meat hits it's sell by date we usually take it home. All are still good for a few days to a week as it's a "sell by" date and not a "goes bad by" date. Little by little we've let locals have a few of these things too. Some could really use the extra food, some are just cheap. Well I'm stopping it now. We have one guy who now waits and watches the dates before coming in and getting it free. It's not even asked anymore he just goes and takes it and no longer asks if I'm planning to take any for my family.

I don't mind it not going to waste, even though I've already paid for it and he's getting it for nothing but to wait and watch the dates? I'm sick of it and the people that do that.

[greensinestro]

SuperB, when I worked for Publix we had crap like that pulled on us all the time. We had a lady who would come in near closing time and get all the doughnuts that the bakery was throwing away. Sometimes when I would dump trash in the dumpster, I would see what must have been 50 or so doughnuts being thrown out being they only sell freshly made ones during the day. I never for a moment wondered why this lady was close to 500 pounds and why her young children were obese. It was as if this is all they lived on every day.

Same thing used to happen on weekends when Publix would serve free hot dogs, normally during the football season. They one weekend served them outside and what happened was the hillbillies would come in with their cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it, and take home tons of hot dogs, bags and bags of chips, and the sodas. After one Saturday of this, the next weekend they moved the hot dog cart inside being these hillbillies were treating Publix like it was a restaurant for freeloaders. None of them were actually going into the store, which is why Publix did the free hot dogs to begin with. So, I feel your pain there.

[tollbaby]

Well, I tend to stop by the grocery store on my way home at night so I can pick up some of the buns and stuff that they normally sell individually, but at the end of the evening, they bag up and sell for $1/bag... is that sucky of me? (I normally wouldn't buy these buns full-priced, but that cheap, I buy a bag and freeze them, and make the kids' sandwiches for school with them).

That's not the only time I go into that store though.... I do my regular groceries there every week or two.

[chainedbarista]

there's thrifty, there's cheap and then there's chintzy.

thrifty is seeing a good buy and jumping on it.

cheap is someone who waits forever for something to go on sale, because even .50 is too much extra to pay.

chintzy is someone who waits, then haggles, waits some more then haggles when the item is already nearly at cost, only to complain, whine, wheedle and threaten the store because 'it's too expensive.'

argh.

buying something at the end of the day is ok; waiting until they throw it out is just nasty. ick.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well, I tend to stop by the grocery store on my way home at night so I can pick up some of the buns and stuff that they normally sell individually, but at the end of the evening, they bag up and sell for $1/bag... is that sucky of me? (I normally wouldn't buy these buns full-priced, but that cheap, I buy a bag and freeze them, and make the kids' sandwiches for school with them).

That's not the only time I go into that store though.... I do my regular groceries there every week or two.

That's not sucky--if you happen to be stopping for something else and they just happen to be trying to unload the day-old stuff at that time. If you were going there just for that and hanging out like a vulture until they put them out, that would be sucky. But this way, you get cheap bread and they don't have to throw it out...at least they make a buck on it.

[Boozy]

Same thing used to happen on weekends when Publix would serve free hot dogs, normally during the football season. They one weekend served them outside and what happened was the hillbillies would come in with their cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles, you name it, and take home tons of hot dogs, bags and bags of chips, and the sodas.

I went out once with a guy who took me to a free barbecue outside our local grocery store.
Then he argued with the guy because he'd only give us each one hot dog.
It was our first and LAST date.

[Spiffy McMoron]

Well, I tend to stop by the grocery store on my way home at night so I can pick up some of the buns and stuff that they normally sell individually, but at the end of the evening, they bag up and sell for $1/bag... is that sucky of me?

I wouldn't say so. It's convient for you because you get buns for cheap, on your way home from work, and it's good for the store because they get to sell the buns instead of throwing them away. Win-win!

If only all business-customer transactions could be that smooth...

[SuperB]

Well, I tend to stop by the grocery store on my way home at night so I can pick up some of the buns and stuff that they normally sell individually, but at the end of the evening, they bag up and sell for $1/bag... is that sucky of me? (I normally wouldn't buy these buns full-priced, but that cheap, I buy a bag and freeze them, and make the kids' sandwiches for school with them).

That's not the only time I go into that store though.... I do my regular groceries there every week or two.

No, that's not sucky at all. A bakers dozen type sale is simply saving money, imo. My local tries to get it free, waits until it's the day after the date and hasn't been asking me *if* he can take some or how much. I expect to be asked since I've already paid for it, it does cost me and I should have first crack. (milk a day past it's sell date will go fast in any family with kids so it's not a bad deal)
I may have to change my policy of letting people I know into the cooler. I usually don't mind since they usually only do it when I'm busy with customers.

[Lace Neil Singer]

When I worked at the pizza place, at the end of weekday nights the local chippy would come round with leftovers for us. In return for this service, the owner of the chippy got the discount normally reserved for workers, ie 50%. Was a good deal all round.

[Ackee]

I do this

I'm sorry I must admit I do/did this.
I got into the habit when I was really a poor student . it was the only way to live on a small budget.My pattern was, look for bargains, buy bargains and freeze bargains.

Now that I am working full time again, I am still stuck in the habit.

Although, I would never buy something, eat half and return it. However, I think watching for bargains at a large chain is fair play. But a small corner shop? SC and Sucky person!

[chainedbarista]

i think it's more reasonable for those who are hurting; those who do it simply because they're cheap/chintzy are just *dare i use this?? why, surely* assboils.

some habits are hard to break; i've heard this before, maybe it's due to lingering fear of being back where they were before, but who knows? i've gone hungry a few times myself, and understand how hard that is; at the end of the day, if you can live with yourself and know it's not because you're a lowlife who's simply a cheapskate, then i say it's all good, cesii.

i doubt you're the same as the people in the story, just someone who has a habit (we all do, right? ).

[Ackee]

Thanks

it's not because you're a lowlife who's simply a cheapskate, then i say it's all good, cesii.

i doubt you're the same as the people in the story, just someone who has a habit (we all do, right? ).

Thanks for this!