We’ve all heard the adage before – buyer beware. Many of us think it’s to keep us from buying something fraudulent or non-existent. Well, it also means to keep a close eye when you’re making a purchase at the mall, grocery store, car repair shop, etc.

My most recent “caughtcha” moment was while at a Food Lion in the area. I picked up children’s allergy medicine and noticed the aisle sign indicating the product was $19.99; I had a $2 coupon, so I was supposed to end up paying $17.99 plus tax right? WRONG! When I got to the register, the item rang up for $21.99! Had I not been paying attention, Food Lion would have made an extra $2! Ever the Savvy Shopper, I informed the cashier that the item had been scanned at the wrong price. You would have thought I told her I was taking it out of her check! She glanced at me, not once but twice, and then asked me if I had misread the sign. Then she had the audacity to say that I would be paying $19.99 after I redeemed my coupon. What?! I told her that I had NOT misread the sign and that she should verify the price on the aisle sign. To her chagrin (I guess), I was right about the price.

The operative phrase here is: HAD I NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION

Had I not been paying attention to my purchase, not only would I have missed them overcharging me on the allergy medicine but maybe on the cheese, cereal, lotion, toothpaste, frozen food, etc. You get my point. When I’ve shopped at Lowe’s Foods in the past, when an item scanned incorrectly, they would give you the item for free. What a deal! Of course I was always hopeful that the scanner would be incorrect – it didn’t happen often.

So if you too want to be a Savvy Shopper, do me a favor: get off your cell phone, close that magazine, stop chit chatting with the person behind you, and put your eyes on the cash register!

Until next time…