Getting over the embarassment

Any

Yes, businesses do pay small fortunes for getting change.
So even Coinstar gets part of their revenue that way, I am sure.

Yes, supermarkets do cashback etc to get rid off cash as save on cashing up - but they get the big notes from people paying in cash and those are the ones they mainly give away in cashback, and they still need a change to give change to people who just paid with the note.

I often pay by loose change at self-tills, at work I need to get rid off small change from petty cash so I don't have to constantly count it at the end of the month (no one else thinks of taking it away, well, they don't have to count it). No one has ever told me anything. And if they did, I would have probably answered "that thing charges fee doesn't it? If I want to give money away I will give them to charity" or something along those lines.

The idea that you put change in something charging you 10% and then you go and get milk just to pay with less amount of coins is just ridiculous.

I also don't understand people who will burn money... Problem is that some rely on it being better quality. And I am prepared to pay more for more quality items - but Primark tights and basic Tshirts (which I am 99.9% sure are exactly the same as GAP ones as my friend owns those) are far superior quality then what you get at M&S.

It's not about being cheap, which is what people imagine and why they feel embarassed, it's about being wise and using your brain.

Justamum

skyvicky123 wrote: »

Compared to some of my friends I am very thrifty I think but struggle to get over the embarassment of trying to save money. I know it's silly but I still find it really difficult if I feel like people are judging me. Does anybody else get this?

For example I paid for my shopping at Tesco using the self checkout tonight. I got rid of about £10.00 worth of very small change to buy some bits I needed, but I drew so much attention from the staff that one of them came over and pointed out the coinstar machine. to which i replied that this way I don't lose 10%! However I could feel myself going red in having to justify myself and couldn't get out of there quick enough.

I also hunt for reduced bargains which my friends seem to think is really odd, and i'm happy to find a bargain in a charity shop too but I swing between being proud and wanting to tell of my bargain to not wanting anyone to find out!

Some people must have money to burn! With food prices having gone up so much we would not be able to afford meat more than a couple of times a week without my reduced bargains and we earn a good salary. I wonder why more people don't try to be thrifty, and why people are still so wary about letting others know about how they save money?

I can't see anything wrong with anything you've posted. Wait long enough and your friends will catch up :rotfl:

As for coinstar that sounds like a right rip-off :mad:

Turkishdreamer

snowleopard61 wrote: »

I was thrilled when a (young and trendy) girl ran after me in the street to ask where I'd bought the jacket I was wearing, as she'd tried everywhere to find one like it, and my (truthful) answer was 'Oxfam!'
!

I would be interested to know what her response was! I work in a Charity Shop and you would be amazed at how many new/unworn good quality items come in as donations. You would also be surprised how many supposedly 'well to do' people come in and buy them. You usually find they come in from another town, so they do not have to admit that they have purchased them from a Charity Shop and nobody knows them:)

Many CHarity Shops now offer Loyalty Cards and the points ratio far outweighs the supermarket ones, another good reason to support a local Charity and get something back.

jess1011

Turkishdreamer wrote: »

Many CHarity Shops now offer Loyalty Cards and the points ratio far outweighs the supermarket ones, another good reason to support a local Charity and get something back.

Which charity shops do this? Im quite new to charity shop shopping and hadnt heard of this. Thank you in advance

snowleopard61

Turkishdreamer wrote: »

I would be interested to know what her response was!

She was fine about the fact that I got it from a charity shop; just disappointed that it didn't really get her any further forward in her search! (It was originally from M&S, btw.)

I like the loyalty card idea and would also be interested to know which charities do this - I haven't bought much in recent months, not because I'm too snooty but because I'm afraid my budget is such that I try not to buy anything much for myself even at charity shop prices!:o. I do sometimes succumb to the temptation to buy books, especially if not easily available from libraries, or household goods, but with clothes I try to make do as much as possible.

Turkishdreamer

snowleopard61 wrote: »

She was fine about the fact that I got it from a charity shop; just disappointed that it didn't really get her any further forward in her search! (It was originally from M&S, btw.)

I like the loyalty card idea and would also be interested to know which charities do this - I haven't bought much in recent months, not because I'm too snooty but because I'm afraid my budget is such that I try not to buy anything much for myself even at charity shop prices!:o. I do sometimes succumb to the temptation to buy books, especially if not easily available from libraries, or household goods, but with clothes I try to make do as much as possible.

jess1011 wrote: »

Which charity shops do this? Im quite new to charity shop shopping and hadnt heard of this. Thank you in advance

Age Scotland have just launched their Loyalty Card. Rewarding repeat customers by giving points on their purchases.

It benefits the customer, but more importantly the Charity. As people will want to build up their points, therefore, will regularly come into the shop to browse and ultimately buy.

Charity shops add to their stock daily, so don't dismiss popping in daily, you never know what you might miss.

mrbadexample

skyvicky123 wrote: »

but I drew so much attention from the staff that one of them came over and pointed out the coinstar machine. to which i replied that this way I don't lose 10%!

I'd have spun that one round so fast..."What, you want me to give away my money just to have it counted?"...and looked at her like she was completely brainless. :rotfl:

mariapb

I just wanted to add that I work in a shop that gets charged for getting change from the bank, which in itself doesn't bother me, as it's not my company but I also don't get the change delivered, I have to go and collect it from the bank myself, as is the way for all 200+ plus shops in this company. If you've ever carried more than a few bags of coins you'll know how heavy it is esoecially when you're getting a few hundred pounds worth at a time. For this reason I love customers who come in and pay with coins, infact I encourage it. Loads of retail places have to collect their own change so it's well worth nipping in and asking if they can change some bags for you. The worst they can say is no after all.

sandraroffey

i have a very large jar that i put all change into....not 50p and over, but anything under 50p and once in a while i bag it up for the bank.

one day, my son called to ask if i could lend him, £10 for petrol, so i handed a bag of £10 in 20ps and said 'pay it in the bank, then you can draw it out at the cash point'

what did he do?? paid for the petrol with the bag of 20ps.

i told him that he was very lucky that the actually took it!! to which he said, 'what could they do, i had the petrol in the car and they couldnt take it back'.

so glad i wasnt with him.....

dandy-candy

OP - I would write to head office and tell them about what happened and how you felt embarressed and humiliated. I think you are very likely to receive a letter and Tesco voucher by way of an apology. The customer service departments are very keen to keep the supermarkets image looking good!