Paying With Cash and Receiving Change Back, or Losing What You Keep in Your Pockets

I work in a grocery store as a cashier and I’ve noticed through the years that most people who pay with cash and get money back don’t pay attention to whether the change they receive is correct or not. This is especially true for those that go to self-serve checkouts.

When the dollar bill machine spits the money out, most people grab it and stuff it into a pocket, wallet or purse. There have been times after people have left that another part of the money that should have been dispensed at the same time got stuck in the machine and came out a bit after the person left the store.

Another thing that happens is that a person might ask for extra change back and then forget to wait for it, leaving before the machine dispenses the money.

Something else that I’ve seen time and again is money that is lost unbeknownst to the owner when it is kept in their pockets. I used to do the same thing, keep bills in my pockets, but now, I always take a few minutes to put my money away into my wallet.

I’ve seen kids come up to their parents or grandparents asking for quarters. Many of those adults reach into their pockets for change and while doing so, bills will accidentally fall out of their pockets. Oftentimes they don’t even know this has happened so when they later realize they are missing money, they don’t know who to call looking for it.

The store I currently work for will put found money away in a safe for a month to see if it’s owner will claim it. The best way to claim it is to not lose it in the first place and the best way to do that is to make sure bills are contained some way, if not in a wallet or purse at least in a bill holder.

Along these lines, when paying with cash, count out your bills-more than once if needed especially when working with newer bills. It’s not uncommon for folks to give me more than what they need for their purchase. I always count the money before telling the computer what I have, that helps ensure that I don’t take in too much money.

If you see anyone accidentally drop any money, or find some on the floor, you have no business claiming it for yourself. Why, you might ask? Because it’s the right thing to do. Another reason is if the same thing ever happened to you-that you misplaced money, hopefully it would be returned to you also.