My grocery store receipt from yesterday made me stop and think

I was in the checkout line at the big store on Maple Street and my total was almost $40 over what I had in my budget envelope. The cashier just said "happens all the time" as she handed it to me. What's a good way to keep a running total in your head while you shop?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie_ellis1mo ago

Phone calculator is my lifeline. Just add each price as you drop stuff in the cart. It's way more exact than rounding and you see the number climb in real time. That cashier line is a mood though, makes you feel kinda helpless.

grace5081mo ago

Oh man, that "happens all the time" line from the cashier is so real. I've been there, standing at the register feeling my stomach drop. My trick is to round every single item up to the nearest dollar as I put it in the cart. So if something is $2.49, I think $3. That way I'm always overestimating, and the real total is almost always a nice surprise under my mental number. It's not perfect, but it keeps me from that checkout shock.

jessica_hall4915d ago

Rounding up like that is smart, but you gotta be careful with tax. (you know, the part that jumps you at the register outta nowhere). If you add a little cushion for that too, like another 8% or whatever your local rate is, it's even more bulletproof. Keeps that "surprise" from turning into a bad one.