(Quote from original post re-added for clarity.)
This is why businesses can refuse to accept large bills. I’ve had people attempting to make a purchase with a $100 bill point out, “But you have to take it. It’s legal tender.”
To which I would reply: “You’re not settling a debt. A purchase of goods for sale is a completely different transaction. We’re free to refuse currency over $20.”
Yeah, but did that shut them up?
My brother used to take rolls of pennies in a store and see if he could get cashier to accept it. Like $20 bucks worth. It was a game. He had mixed results. Some cursing.
I’ve been told that there are so many counterfeit $50 and $100 bills out there that for many businesses, not taking them makes life a lot less complicated.
You were told wrong.
#1, The twenty is the most-counterfeited bill.
#2, There aren’t nearly as many counterfeits in existence as many people assume. The grand total is a minuscule percentage–from memory, something like 1/5000–of all cash in existence.
Someday I hope to be able to afford a new smartphone, like the girl with the food stamps in front of me today in the supermarket line.
We had a rash of $10 counterfeit bills around Christmas last year. No one would take a $10 without the marker thing happening.
How did you know hers was new?
Don’t be so fucking judgmental. People who are eligible for food stamp benefits can apply for a free smartphone from the government Lifeline program. You can also buy a smartphone from Wal-Mart for around $19.99, although they occasionally have phones in stock for around $9.99. Granted, the quality is as cheap as the price, but you no longer have to be well-off to own a smartphone these days.
Like I said, there’s always the person behind them throwing a hissy fit.
I have a friend that was making decent amount of money, but due to being on the wrong side of a car vs pedestrian accident her neck was broken. During the few months that she was off of work she received Snap benefits*. She said during that time she’d get a lot of under the breath comments from people in line behind her and in one case the cashier at a higher end (whole foods maybe) store even gave her some problems. Everyone that made comments towards her knew only what they saw. A 30ish year old, driving a car that’s not falling apart, dressed well, hair nicely done etc… They had no idea that she hasn’t had any income for weeks or months, had multiple back and neck surgeries and been in physical therapy.
Similarly, when you use your EBT card, for whatever reason, it prints out the remaining balance. I’ve had to tell my cashiers to ignore that. Often, the first few times they see it they’ll be surprised that the person may have 800 or 900 or 2500 dollars on their card. But, as I’ve said many times, you don’t know what’s going on with them. Maybe they have 4 kids and do a good job of budgeting their money so it’s been adding up for a while. Maybe they’ve been living with family and friends or for any other reason haven’t been using it in a while. Maybe there’s a million other reasons that they have a thousand dollars and you’re bouncing checks…maybe it’s because you call in ‘sick’ to work 3 times a week.
*For the record, I don’t know the ins and outs of applying for and receiving Snap benefits. I learned about this when I first met her, she was asking me if she’s allowed to use it at places like Whole Foods and if the cashier can make judgement calls about what can and can’t be purchased with it.
PS, maybe someone gave her the phone, maybe it was a used or free phone, maybe it wasn’t even her phone. Like I said in my other post, I understand the comments, but unless you know what’s actually going on, you’re just being judgemental.
So we are paying for her food and her phone, and probably her healthcare and maybe her housing as well. What else should we be on the hook for? Makeovers, spa days, and vacations?
I expect that you will refuse to collect your Medicare and Social Security benefits when you become eligible, lest you become a hypocrite for relying on the rest of us to pay for your healthcare and (all or part) income.
If it pisses you off, gladly.
If you have any form of insurance, you’re leeching off others. either now or sometime in the future.
shhh… he probably thinks his out of pocket contribution towards his premiums is paying for his entire cost of care.
What, and deny him the agony of the knowledge?
2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375* Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Spread into prepared pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Siam Sam, you can afford a new smartphone. You can afford an iPhone 10, if you want. You have enough disposable income that you could buy one. Now, maybe you’ve decided that there are other ways that you’d rather spend that disposable income. I can’t blame you for that; I’ve decided the same thing. But maybe that girl in front of you in the checkout line made a different decision on what to do with her money.
Welp, this was actually an interesting discussion. It took a good turn after the OP. But it looks like that’s over now.
Get an instant pot, toss in some chicken breasts and a little bit of [turkey] broth. Run it for like 20 minutes, shred the chicken and toss it back into the pot with some store bought [turkey] gravy. Make instant potatoes.
It’s not the best, but it’s really good and I love leaving work deciding that maybe I want some turkey and gravy tonight and then I have it 30 minutes later.
It’s almost easier than my crock pot.
Hmm. I guess I’m the only one who thought Sam from Siam was joking. I certainly hope he was, but maybe the joke’s on me!
The phone program has been in place for decades, with the idea that the homeless or poor cannot help themselves or get jobs if they can’t pay for a phone. How will a potential employer reach them to hire them?
Seriously, with all the corporate welfare and egregious waste that goes on in government spending, I will never understand the short sighted thinking that thinks we’ll all be better off if we help the poor less.