Cashiers hate it, but I do it right in front of them. I monitor everything they scan or ring up, then I step aside after paying and read over my receipts one more time. At least 50% of the time, especially when I have a large order, I find an error on my receipts. Nine times out of ten the error is in the store’s favor.
While checking the receipts is imperative in a grocery store, it is even more important when you are in clothing stores and even buying single items. I can’t tell you how many times a sale was not rung up correctly when I was just buying one item. Because I pre-calculate my purchases in my head, when I hear a price that I know does not sound right I challenge the cashier to recheck the purchase. Some get visibly aggravated or flustered, and I feel for them, but I am not about to pay more for an item than the listed or sale price.
Another reason a truly frugal person should check their receipt is that many grocery stores will give you the item for free or greatly reduced if you discover an error. This post at Michigan Consumer Blog explains how some states mandate a bounty be paid if a consumer is overcharged. Too bad such a bounty does not exist on large ticket items!
In addition to checking your receipts when shopping, you must also remember to check your account and credit card for overcharges. Keep your restaurant receipts and check them against what you are actually charged to make sure the waiter or waitress did not give themselves an extra tip, or worse. In cases where no one is really at fault, it is also common to be charged twice for a restaurant or meal delivery.
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
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