Made 50 Cents At Ruler Yesterday

@porwest (112924)

United States

August 12, 2018 9:52am CST

For those who are not familiar with the brand, Kroger runs a store that operates similar to an Aldi store called Ruler Foods. You have to insert a quarter to get a cart, but you get your quarter back when you return your cart to the proper receptacle. When we walked into the store a woman had a cart unlatched and said, "Feel free to take this one." She didn't care about the quarter and left it, which I gladly retrieved. When we were done shopping the cart they used to load into also had a quarter in it. When I took that cart back I got another quarter back. So, depending on how one looks at it, I gained 50 cents yesterday on the carts at Ruler Foods. Don't worry. One day I MIGHT just go ahead and pay it forward. In the meantime, I put those two quarters into my coin jar.

12 people like this

12 responses

@JohnRoberts (109841)

• Los Angeles, California

12 Aug 18

It all adds up after time.

3 people like this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

Indeed it does, sir.

1 person likes this

@arunima25 (93194)

• Bangalore, India

16 Oct 18

Does not it feel good to get those unexpected cents?

I would have been glad to receive that.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

17 Oct 18

Every penny counts. Every penny.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

18 Oct 18

@arunima25 In fact, I found a penny on the ground when I got out of my truck in the hotel parking lot. It's only a penny, but you can bet it went into my pocket. :)

1 person likes this

@arunima25 (93194)

• Bangalore, India

17 Oct 18

@porwest Sure it does.

1 person likes this

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@caopaopao (12395)

• China

13 Aug 18

Aha, in this way, there will be more and more coins.

1 person likes this

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@caopaopao (12395)

• China

16 Aug 18

@porwest That's wise, dear friend. It will be a lot if it is accumulated.

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@porwest (112924)

• United States

16 Aug 18

@caopaopao Indeed.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

16 Aug 18

The thing that amazes me sometimes is that a lot of the people who shop at a store like this are not well off, and you can tell sometimes simply by the car they drive. And yet they throw their money away like it is nothing. Guys like me will always take the money and not feel an ounce of shame for it. I know the value of even a quarter.

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@marlina (154103)

• Canada

31 Aug 18

Last week I left my quarter in for the next customer.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

3 Sep 18

Great way to pay it forward. I never do this. I am greedy.

But maybe next time I will do this and see if there is a karma award.

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Aug 18

Good for you. It doesn't matter how small the amount we all feel so good when we get something for nothing.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

16 Aug 18

Exactly. And when I think of how investing works, that quarter is actually worth 27 cents, and then 29 cents, and then 31 cents and it just grows and grows.

1 person likes this

@Hannihar (130150)

• Israel

15 Aug 18

@porwest You had a nice system going. We also have to put money in to get a shopping cart so have to make sure have the money to put in. I used to have a key and lost it. That was easier.

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@Hannihar (130150)

• Israel

17 Aug 18

@porwest Some people do not take the money they put in. Maybe they forgot or just did not want to bother.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

22 Aug 18

@Hannihar Whatever their reason, I am always grateful.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

17 Aug 18

I actually think many more mainstream stores should do this. It almost encourages people to put the cart back where it is supposed to go. I get irritated by parking lots where carts are everywhere BUT the cart corral.

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@velvet53 (24417)

• Palisade, Colorado

13 Aug 18

That is one way to make some money. I never heard of it before.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

9 Jan 23

Any money in my hands that wasn't there before is, to my mind, money made. lol

@FourWalls (86855)

• United States

12 Aug 18

I remember when the now-defunct Biggs (the store that is credited with bringing the “hyper market” concept to this part of the US) had a cart “rental” where you put your quarter and and got it back when you returned the cart. Now most of the stores around here have wheels that lock when they’re out of range of the store.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

I know a few places where they have those locking carts as well. Usually a good way to know if the area you are in is a good one to be in or not.

1 person likes this

@amadeo (111937)

• United States

12 Aug 18

very clever there

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

Not sure if it is exactly clever, but I certainly feel like I gained something.

@RasmaSandra (98106)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

12 Aug 18

When I lived in Riga, Latvia all the supermarkets there have carts where you have to pay 50 or 1 Euro to get the cart.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

It definitely helps to avoid having carts lying all around the parking lot. People tend to want their money back.

1 person likes this

@aureliah (24687)

• Kenya

12 Aug 18

Hahaha smart money. you are a smart one

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

Some say...others may disagree about my smarts.

1 person likes this

@a_jerobon (2317)

• Eldoret, Kenya

12 Aug 18

Haha! That was very clever of you.

1 person likes this

@porwest (112924)

• United States

12 Aug 18

Perhaps clever. I was just happy to walk away with two quarters I did not have before.

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