How to save $20.00 (long post, sorry)

My sweet hubby and I went to the mall today. At the risk of sounding like an old codger, has anyone else noticed that things are so different these days? One store where we made a purchase, pretty much insisted that in order to complete the transaction they had to have our name and address. We really didn't think to give a fake address, but we at least had a post office box address to give. I don't really like giving out my address to total strangers, but we actually had to. Weird. Huh?

In another store, we were attempting to pay a charge of almost $12.00 with a $20.00 bill. There was not enough money in the drawer (on a Friday, at the mall?) to give us change, so the clerk tries to get change for the $20 from another register. In an attempt to make the transaction easier, we say don't worry about it--here, use this instead and hand her $12.00. By that time she has handed us three ones from the original twenty and now has our twenty and our ten and two ones. Then she tries to give us back all the ones. Then she takes back all the ones. Then she counts out the coins we are due and hands them to us. Hmmm... where is the original $20 that we gave her. She thinks she has given it to us and "honey's and sweetie's" us into thinking that everything is ok. I told her I didn't think she gave us the twenty and her solution is to take our telephone number and call us tonight when she checks out the register, and if she is twenty dollars over, she will call us.

Hubs and I walk away very slowly, feeling like we had just been scammed.

Now this is a very respectable anchor store and the cosmetic counter is the exclusive type that you only pay for your purchase there, and all the clerks wear these official looking white lab coats. I really didn't think we were being intentionally cheated, I think the clerk just got confused, between chatting us up so sweetly and having to look into the electric blue eyes of my extremely handsome husband, and by the fluttering of all the money that was changing hands.

We stop before we leave the store and have a little discussion. We finally decide that we really don't think the $20 was handed back to us. So he waits for me while I go back and have them call a manager and check out the register, now, not at closing time. I did it in a very calm manner and was my usual sweet self. It did take about 10 minutes for the manager to get there and for them to count the cash in the drawer and compare it to the register slip. Then I could see that there was a little concern because the drawer was coming up more than $20.00 wrong. They were very gracious and apologetic about the mistake and I got the money back. Pays to stay on top of things.

Then we went to Starbucks to get my favorite blended coffee and after about three minutes in line, I realized I didn't have the patience for this and decided to join hubby and partake in a new icy beverage at the Taco Bell. It's called Frutista Freeze and comes in mango/strawberry and strawberry. We got one of each on the advice of a friend who thinks they are wonderful.

Yikes...... If you want to assault your system with something sickening sweet and sticky and almost too cold to hold, and then if you like dealing with a straw that has a little shovel on the end of it, this is the drink for you. At our house, we will stick with the orange flavored slushies that we get from Sheetz on a regular basis. Only a bit of brain freeze, just a slight "sugar knot" in the tummy and a regular straw. My kind of treat.

Well, that was our trip to the mall today. DH did get some really nice shirts on sale and I got a beautiful handbag and even a quick trip to Michael's. The great thing about today was that he and I were together and that made it a beautiful day.

Some of you I will see at the library tomorrow, but for the rest of you' ins, have a great weekend. Try to stay cool and stay out of trouble. Talk soon. Ta, Ta.