Profiting From Laziness

@porwest (78761)
United States
April 6, 2019 2:52pm CST
As some of you may or not be aware, we have a couple of stores in the U.S. like Aldi (which is actually a German company) and Ruler Foods (which is brand of Kroger) that require someone to insert a quarter to get a cart which is refunded as soon as you return the cart. The concept is simple. Most of the time people will return their carts to the proper receptacle to get their quarter back. BUT, there are still lots of people that do not want to take the time to return those carts, and just simply leave them in the parking lot also leaving their quarters behind. Often when we go to these stores we are gifted with a "free" cart. So it's not that difficult to gain a quarter when we shop there. I am also a curious guy. It is amazing to me how many carts are abandoned in these parking lots. So my wife and I had a little fun with this. We sat in the parking lot at the Ruler Foods for an hour and kept our eye out for abandoned carts. I kid you not, we made $3.25 in an hour off 13 carts just left in the parking lot. Yes. You read that right. 13 carts left abandoned in an hour. We returned them all and made out with our money. Not enough to retire on. But one wonders how profitable it might be to troll the Ruler and Aldi store parking lots for eight hours a day? How much money could one earn just returning carts all day I wonder? I am not sure I will spend eight hours actually checking this out. But spending just one hour checking this out was quite interesting I think. Laziness pays. Not for the lazy. But for those who can find a way to capitalize on it—and when you look at all the fast food, and pre-prepared foods in grocery stores etc... One quickly realizes in many ways many a businessman makes a TON of money from pure laziness. It is actually VERY profitable when you get right down to it.
15 people like this
13 responses
@rebelann (111195)
• El Paso, Texas
6 Apr 19
Hot dog, that sounds like something I'd have fun doin, I don't mind free money no matter how small.
2 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
27 May 19
I am exactly the same way. Free money is free money and I will take every cent of it that I can get my hands on.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111195)
• El Paso, Texas
27 May 19
I call what I make here free money but when you think about it I've worked for it by spending time with people like you and of course it is fun but still I have earned the money by doing so @porwest same with earning gift cards which all I have to do is play stupid games, it's not really fun and it is time consuming but I'm determined to get those Walmart gift cards so that when I buy something on Wallmart.com those gift cards pay a portion of the total cost of my order.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
30 May 19
@rebelann Very valid points. It's our time that is valuable, and we are technically doing something to get this "free money." Not like work necessarily, but we are still performing a task to get it.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
7 Apr 19
I have also gotten $1.00 and that was in the carts when I went to get mine,right there in line! I plugged up the three and used one, when I returned it another free .25 I also pick up pennies, nickels, dimes,and quarters laying on the ground tales up.
2 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
7 Apr 19
lol. I am the same way. Someone told me once to leave the tail's up coins on the ground saying they were bad luck. I am not superstitious, but I am a lover of money...so I will take my chances. So far so good.
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
6 Apr 19
Ah, we used to leave the cart for kids trying to make money. They were always there.
2 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
6 Apr 19
That is a noble cause. But I am way too cheap for that.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Apr 19
That was pretty smart - as long as you have nothing else to do.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
7 Apr 19
Well, I do waste a lot of time here on MyLot, and I am not sure if I ever made $3.25 in an hour, let alone in an entire day here.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Apr 19
@porwest I think I nearly hit $2 once a long time ago.
1 person likes this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
22 Apr 19
This is a very interesting point about today's businesses. No one wants to do things for themselves so the business make money off of people's laziness.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
23 Apr 19
I can think of a dozen things where this is true. A 20 ounce bottle of Coke is the same price as a 2-liter bottle for example. But no one wants to lug around a 2-liter bottle. Preprepared foods are much more expensive per pound than what you can cook from scratch. Cheese already shredded is many times more expensive than brick cheese you can shred at home. Like I said, there are many, many examples.
@makpop (84)
17 Apr 19
Wow wish we could earn like that just from returning carts...
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
20 Apr 19
lol. I am not sure it is a gig that will make me rich...but I will still be looking for those carts.
@Zorrogirl (1502)
• South Africa
7 Apr 19
In the end it is still working. Just because it doesn't have a job title, doesn't make it less like working. It takes effort and time to scout and walk with the carts. No lazy person will do that. So still, lazyness doesn't pay.
@cherriefic (10400)
• Philippines
8 Apr 19
True. It solves the laziness problem to make it more convenient.
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
6 Apr 19
well are you a very clever man there.You took the time doing this. I am not surprised that many leave their cart there.
@LindaOHio (156271)
• United States
7 Apr 19
Boy, people ARE really lazy!
@dgobucks226 (34375)
11 Apr 19
That was so nice of you to return those carts to the proper place for those lazy people. Less calories for them to burn off providing them with the energy to have all day to be a couch potato without getting tired and falling asleep. And just think of all the calories you burnt off returning those carts! Some added exercise for you and your wife to maintain those slim figures
@Spontaneo (14703)
• United States
17 Apr 19
Kind-of like when I play for donated items at bingo. People donate to we players as not to want to be bothered with such items... such as groceries. All the person would have to do is be a little creative with recipes. I am laughing all the way to my free home-cooked dinner with the groceries!
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Apr 19
Oh wow, you'd think those people would want their quarter back! That's great that you were able to return them and get that much for doing so!