# Amazing coincidence today at grocery stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 6, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447 "2013-02-06T03:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/1 "2013-02-06T03:04:25Z")
I usually shop for groceries at two different stores, buying different kinds of stuff at each. Usually I buy more at one (Trader Joes) than at the other (WinCo). Today, though, there was an amazing coincidence. The totals from each store was exactly the same: $35.57. I’ve had minor coincidences before such as the total from one store be an exact dollar amount, even though I’m buying a dozen or more items, none of which are priced in even dollar amounts. But this coincidence goes beyond that. Just amazing. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/2 "2013-02-06T03:28:17Z")
Actually, I am more in shock that you got out of Trader Joes with only spending $35.57. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/3 "2013-02-06T03:36:23Z")
Go buy lottery tickets with those numbers. It makes as much sense as the other reasons people buy lottery tickets. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/4 "2013-02-06T04:19:55Z")
A couple of weeks ago, I returned some boots that didn’t fit well. I didn’t have the receipt, so I had to get a gift card- it came to $50.29. While still in the store, I shopped around and got a couple of shirts and pairs of jeans. I figured it up roughly in my head to be around the amount that was on the gift card. It turned out to be exactly the same amount- $50.29. Bam! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/5 "2013-02-06T07:08:26Z")
You don’t get out much, do you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/6 "2013-02-06T07:09:12Z")
Nice stories about coincidences…but can you top this one?: I knew a guy 30 years ago who made a religious event out of his matching receipts. He had been saving money to buy a very expensive camera. After a long time, he finally had enough money, and drove to the store to buy it., but had a traffic accident on the way. The repair bill for the car was the exact price of the new camera. He decided that God was trying to teach him a lesson about how material possessions aren’t important, and he should put his money to better use. So he started donating to charities, and became very religious. Nice guy,too. Got a Phd in ancient Greek and became a professor of Biblical Studies at a major university. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/7 "2013-02-06T07:15:39Z")
From my days as a delivery driver for a beverage distributor. Invoice number: 8972 Cost of product: 89.72 Customer check number: 8972 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/8 "2013-02-06T08:21:33Z")
This one is a truly amazing coincidence: One day, I left home to do two things: Getting new plates for my car, and stopping at someone’s house to pay some money I owed him. The plates were three letters and four numbers. The three letters were the name of the guy I owed money to, and the four numbers were the exact amount I owed him. The odds of this happening are 17,575,999 to 1. ---
**Author:** ![bot3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@bot3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bot3)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/9 "2013-02-06T12:11:54Z")
Years back lost a combination lock while bicycling near a small bridge with a creek running under it. A week later I thought I stopped at that same bridge just to rest. Walked down to the water edge. Found my lock! ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/10 "2013-02-06T12:58:32Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The odds of this happening are 17,575,999 to 1. Or, in other words, something like this (an event with this probability) happens to 15-20 people **every day** in the US alone. ---
**Author:** ![RedMud636](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@RedMud636](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedMud636)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/11 "2013-02-06T14:13:44Z")
Its not very amazing, but I purchased 3 successive vehicles over the course of 10 or so years and each one was one June 6. I had no intention of this. just kind of worked out that way, it was either an immediate mechanical reason to be getting a new car or an immediate financial one. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/12 "2013-02-06T14:16:42Z")
Many years ago, I would buy $5 worth of gasoline, and two 16-ounce soft drinks. The total would sometimes (depending upon the store) be $6.66. Every time that happened, I wanted to burst forth with some kind of demonic laughter, but I never did. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/13 "2013-02-06T14:17:44Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > A couple of weeks ago, I returned some boots that didn’t fit well. I didn’t have the receipt, so I had to get a gift card- it came to $50.29. While still in the store, I shopped around and got a couple of shirts and pairs of jeans. I figured it up roughly in my head to be around the amount that was on the gift card. It turned out to be exactly the same amount- $50.29. Bam! I bought a pair of those horrible Skechers shoes, tried them out for a couple of days and then returned them for a in-store credit of $89.99. I went back to the store a year later, picked out a pair of shoes and it came to $89.99. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/14 "2013-02-06T20:28:07Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I usually shop for groceries at two different stores, buying different kinds of stuff at each. Usually I buy more at one (Trader Joes) than at the other (WinCo). Today, though, there was an amazing coincidence. The totals from each store was exactly the same: $35.57. That’s not a coincidence, that’s a sign! When you add those 2 numbers together, it totals 7114! You didn’t look at it that way, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/15 "2013-02-06T20:33:56Z")
If you like coincidences, just wait until next week. Friday the Thirteenth falls on a Wednesday this month. :eek: And next! :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/16 "2013-02-06T20:50:41Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Or, in other words, something like this (an event with this probability) happens to 15-20 people **every day** in the US alone. And that’s assuming that only one “event” that might be coincidental happens per day per person. I’d guess it’s more like thousands per person/day. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/17 "2013-02-06T20:58:07Z")
ELAINE: No, no… but it is quite a coincidence. RAVA: Yes, that’s all, a coincidence! ELAINE: A big coincidence. RAVA: Not a big coincidence. A coincidence! ELAINE: No, that’s a big coincidence. RAVA: That’s what a coincidence is! There are no small coincidences and big coincidences! ELAINE: No, there are degrees of coincidences. RAVA: No, there are only coincidences! …Ask anyone! ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/18 "2013-02-06T20:58:23Z")
Not too amazing, but a few of us went out to watch the Stanley Cup finals at a local bar. We ordered a bunch of pizza, beer and munchies. Anyhoo, the Red Wings win and at the end of the night I say that the night’s on me (that’s actually the amazing part). I ask how much we owe and the waitress says $100 even. I start to say something and she pulls out the itemized bill and says “I added it twice and brought the tab so you didn’t think I just made up a number.” The cool thing is the people there that night still bring up the night I picked up the tab, but mostly because of the even $100 event (which, again, is not that amazing). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/19 "2013-02-07T03:06:16Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Actually, I am more in shock that you got out of Trader Joes with only spending $35.57. That’s the difference between buying and shopping. > [@runnerpat](#): > > From my days as a delivery driver for a beverage distributor. > > Invoice number: 8972 > Cost of product: 89.72 > Customer check number: 8972 OK, this one beats my coincidence by a long shot. > [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > That’s not a coincidence, that’s a sign! When you add those 2 numbers together, it totals 7114! You didn’t look at it that way, huh? Only to the extent that I spent $71.14 on groceries on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447/20 "2013-02-07T08:20:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > If you like coincidences, just wait until next week. Friday the Thirteenth falls on a Wednesday this month. :eek: > > And next! :eek: :eek: That’s [been known to happen before](http://judymintz.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/13thwednesday1.jpg). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-coincidence-today-at-grocery-stores/649447.md?page=2)