Dishonest to Save Money: Is it worth it?

yourbeginnings · 03-13-2008, 04:13 PM

So yesterday I was going through my pantry and noticed 4 jars of Spaghetti sauce that I bought on a BOGO (actually bought 8 and used 4). I checked the expiration date and notice they were going to expire in less than a week. The Spaghetti sauce was going to go to waste so rather than throw them away I decided to take them back to the store. At the store I told the cashier that I did not have the receipt, which I did not, but I was being a little sneaky returning the unused sauce back to the store. I ended up getting $10 on a store credit.

So to answer my own question, I believe it is worth it but what are your thoughts?

USCGamecocks · 03-13-2008, 05:56 PM

That's pretty tight :-)

Did you drive to the store just to take back the sauce or were you shopping too?

I haven't taken anything back to the grocery store before.

It's still $10 saved though. Doesn't really enrage me though.

rstlne · 03-13-2008, 07:30 PM

Just because a product is close to its expiration date doesn't mean that it'll go bad on that day. The expiration date is just a recommended sell-by date. You could probably store it for quite a while after that date.

As to the question, I wouldn't return an item unless there is something wrong with it. I try to figure out how much I'll need before I buy so that I don't overbuy.

kav122 · 03-14-2008, 03:41 AM

yeah, I think it was a little sneaky.

I agree with rstlne.

Also, even more frugal would be to make your own spaghetti sauce. It is very simple and you just leave it alone after you pour everything in, so it kind of makes itself. Now that I think about it, my mom has had jars of sauce in her pantry for quite a while and it didn't "go bad." (I usually don't have as many tomatoes as her so I run out

amyschiff · 03-14-2008, 09:14 AM

I agree that things don't expire for a while after the actual date on the package.

Did you tell the cashier that you got the sauce on a BOGO deal? If not, then you actually took money from the store because at the time of purchase you technically only paid 50% of the regular price for each can.

Let's say each can was $1 regularly, so 4 on a buy one get one deal would make them 50 cents each. Now if you return 4 out of 8 and get $4 dollars back you're actually getting $2 more than you paid in the first place.

yourbeginnings · 03-14-2008, 09:30 AM

Thanks all for the replies. Interesting to read the opinions.

Gootsy · 03-14-2008, 09:34 AM

It's a little sad to hear that you'd do this just to save a couple bucks.

Ack this post's putting me in a bad mood the more I think how someone would do this, when it's entirely their fault for waiting so long.

Didn't even have a receipt... pathetic.

yourbeginnings · 03-14-2008, 09:46 AM

Gootsy, it is not worth getting into a bad mood over it. I was asking for opinions and have recevied them. Your point is well taken.

Kathryn · 03-14-2008, 09:55 AM

If you're looking for opinions, I think it's both unethical *and* silly.

Solinvicta · 03-14-2008, 02:05 PM

Hmm...yeah, the use of BOGO, and then returning the sauce to get full price back is unethical. I wouldn't say it's something to lose sleep over - I mean, you're probably not hurting a big store THAT much - but unless you were in a situation where you'd be willing to physically steal the sauce (i.e. starving children at home, etc), yeah, that's a pretty big "unethical" and I don't think you should repeat it.

03-13-2008, 04:13 PM	#1
yourbeginnings Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 121 Reputation: (41)	Dishonest to Save Money: Is it worth it? So yesterday I was going through my pantry and noticed 4 jars of Spaghetti sauce that I bought on a BOGO (actually bought 8 and used 4). I checked the expiration date and notice they were going to expire in less than a week. The Spaghetti sauce was going to go to waste so rather than throw them away I decided to take them back to the store. At the store I told the cashier that I did not have the receipt, which I did not, but I was being a little sneaky returning the unused sauce back to the store. I ended up getting $10 on a store credit. So to answer my own question, I believe it is worth it but what are your thoughts?

03-13-2008, 05:56 PM	#2
USCGamecocks Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 123 Reputation: (19)	That's pretty tight :-) Did you drive to the store just to take back the sauce or were you shopping too? I haven't taken anything back to the grocery store before. It's still $10 saved though. Doesn't really enrage me though. __________________ Timemakeover.com - Time Management Articles & Resources

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03-13-2008, 07:30 PM	#3
rstlne Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 361 Reputation: (115)	Just because a product is close to its expiration date doesn't mean that it'll go bad on that day. The expiration date is just a recommended sell-by date. You could probably store it for quite a while after that date. As to the question, I wouldn't return an item unless there is something wrong with it. I try to figure out how much I'll need before I buy so that I don't overbuy.

03-14-2008, 03:41 AM	#4
kav122 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 443 Reputation: (186)	yeah, I think it was a little sneaky. I agree with rstlne. Also, even more frugal would be to make your own spaghetti sauce. It is very simple and you just leave it alone after you pour everything in, so it kind of makes itself. Now that I think about it, my mom has had jars of sauce in her pantry for quite a while and it didn't "go bad." (I usually don't have as many tomatoes as her so I run out

03-14-2008, 09:14 AM	#5
amyschiff Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 265 Reputation: (33)	I agree that things don't expire for a while after the actual date on the package. Did you tell the cashier that you got the sauce on a BOGO deal? If not, then you actually took money from the store because at the time of purchase you technically only paid 50% of the regular price for each can. Let's say each can was $1 regularly, so 4 on a buy one get one deal would make them 50 cents each. Now if you return 4 out of 8 and get $4 dollars back you're actually getting $2 more than you paid in the first place.

03-14-2008, 09:30 AM	#6
yourbeginnings Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 121 Reputation: (41)	Thanks all for the replies. Interesting to read the opinions.

03-14-2008, 09:34 AM	#7
Gootsy Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 236 Reputation: (19)	It's a little sad to hear that you'd do this just to save a couple bucks. Ack this post's putting me in a bad mood the more I think how someone would do this, when it's entirely their fault for waiting so long. Didn't even have a receipt... pathetic.

03-14-2008, 09:46 AM	#8
yourbeginnings Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 121 Reputation: (41)	Gootsy, it is not worth getting into a bad mood over it. I was asking for opinions and have recevied them. Your point is well taken.

03-14-2008, 09:55 AM	#9
Kathryn Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 103 Reputation: (17)	If you're looking for opinions, I think it's both unethical and silly.

03-14-2008, 02:05 PM	#10
Solinvicta Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sandy Hook, CT Posts: 74 Reputation: (12)	Hmm...yeah, the use of BOGO, and then returning the sauce to get full price back is unethical. I wouldn't say it's something to lose sleep over - I mean, you're probably not hurting a big store THAT much - but unless you were in a situation where you'd be willing to physically steal the sauce (i.e. starving children at home, etc), yeah, that's a pretty big "unethical" and I don't think you should repeat it.