...you're kidding, right?
By Yuki
@yukimori (10145)
United States
August 18, 2017 5:29pm CST
The kids and I are sitting in the food court at a mall, having a late lunch before getting into the majority of our mystery shops for the day.
We sat down at a table where someone had left their receipts and a handful of coins. While we were eating, the ladies at a table nearby finished and left... leaving behind a bunch of loose change.
This isn't a place where tipping is expected, and the ladies' comments as they left with their huge shopping bags made it clear they just didn't want the money they were leaving behind.
Between the two piles there was 87 cents. Not much, to be sure, but it adds up--just look how much I rolled up the other day!
Is this really a thing, though? Just ditch the coins because they're inconvenient? Because I can totally get behind folks who feel that way--literally!
9 people like this
12 responses
@much2say (55512)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Aug 17
It's so crazy that these kind of people think money is "disposable" like that! During the summer at a pet store, my daughter was making a purchase and the cashier actually asked us if we wanted a bag of coins. ??? I said nah, but my little son said he'd take it . It was a produce plastic bag with what looked like a bunch of pennies . . . he said a lady paid with a bag of coins . . . and he didn't feel like counting them, so we could have it. ??? So later we counted it (with some hidden dimes and nickels) and it turned out to be like $1.30. Seriously, finding these "disposable" coins could be our new hobby !
2 people like this
@much2say (55512)
• Los Angeles, California
20 Aug 17
@sallypup @yukimori
I have no idea what the situation was . . . it was one of those small pet shops that seemed family owned. He and the other cashier were saying what a strange lady that was and he seemed dumbfounded about what to do with a plastic bag of coins. When I was working in retail, I remember the drawer had to be counted at the end of the day too . . . so I don't know why he insisted we take it.
2 people like this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
19 Aug 17
I've had moments where I didn't want to bother counting out tons of change, so I just told the customer not to worry about it and paid the difference from my own pocket.
But yeah, if it's above the amount allowed for variances the cashier would probably be written up for it.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (60954)
• Centralia, Washington
19 Aug 17
@much2say- That makes no sense. Didn't the clerk have to make the till add up to the correct amount or it would look like he was stealing? Lucky for you, though.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (119517)
• United States
19 Aug 17
@yukimori and I never remember that I need a quarter until I am pulling into the lot. NEVER. One time I didn't have one so I just walked into the store and went up to the customer service desk and asked for one. I said "I really want to spend $200 on groceries but I need 25 cents first".
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
20 Aug 17
@NJChicaa You know, it seems like a totally reasonable request to me. If I were there I'd probably keep a few extras on hand just in case customers happened to need them. I mean, it makes perfect sense to give away a quarter or two for that amount of profit for the company.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
19 Aug 17
Sometimes people don't collect the money from the change dispenser. It adds up. I usually drop other peoples change into the donation bin right infront. :)
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
20 Aug 17
@yukimori I too don't get why people just toss change. Change is money and definitely adds up! With all this change you're finding, it'll help out with your laptop!!
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
19 Aug 17
I've seen instances of that at the self checkouts sometimes. Once a guy at the next register handed my daughter an entire handful of change because he saw that she was picking up a penny on the ground. That I can understand, but not willfully abandoning it like those ladies did yesterday.
I found two quarters in the refund slot of those silly little mall strollers, too. $1.37 just for walking around and doing my own thing at the mall... well, that'll go straight towards the amount I need for my laptop.
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
20 Aug 17
@infatuatedbby Yeah, it definitely will! Not as much as some of the other things I'm doing like InboxDollars and Swagbucks, where I'm just a few dollars away from cashing out again, but every little bit going towards it helps.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (35461)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
Loose coins add ups and when they do, they make a dollar or more. I have so many coins here and plans to use it in the grocery.
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (35461)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
@yukimori That is what we are saying, it adds up.
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10145)
• United States
19 Aug 17
They sure do. I rolled up a few jars of loose change I had the other day and ended up with more than $80. I still have a big jar of (mostly) pennies to go through and count up, but I ran out of penny rolls before I got to that one.
I don't understand why people leave any amount behind, but I'm totally grateful for it because that's money that goes straight to my pocket.
1 person likes this
@skydream (1445)
• Agate, Colorado
18 Aug 17
Yeah! I know plenty of people who ditch coins because they just don't want them. My boyfriend is one who always just left coins where we were so when I would tell him not to he just started giving them to me and now just based on coins I have found i have $15 just because people don't wanna deal with them.
2 people like this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
18 Aug 17
I don;t know how common this is, but I sure don't do that. I am careful with my money since I don't have much.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81899)
• Onaway, Michigan
19 Aug 17
Wow crazy people. I don't care how much change it is it is still money.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81899)
• Onaway, Michigan
20 Aug 17
@yukimori Right. Me and my ex-husband saved up all our change one time had over $400.00 saved then an emergency came and we had to use it.
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
18 Aug 17
Like you, I could get behind these people. I'd happily pick up the change they leave behind. I try to find a buggy that wasn't returned just so I can get the $0.25 when I finish with the cart.
1 person likes this
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
19 Aug 17
That is so weird, I take pride in all my pennies and dimes haha! Well, finders keepers!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
18 Aug 17
I have seen a lot of people do that or simply just throw it away. I don't understand it.
1 person likes this