People are funny. I think people are getting funnier (or weirder) every day. Maybe I just encounter more than my share of people these days but let’s face it— some people just need to tone it down and be a nice human.
I have shopped at Aldi long before it was cool to shop at Aldi. Honestly, we shopped at Aldi when we lived in Greenville, Ohio and that was back 34 years ago. We drove to Winchester, Indiana to stock up and back then it was out of necessity and not coolness. Their prices were amazing and we would load up the kids and make a trip and stock the pantry. Over the years I shopped when there was one in the town we lived in but as life got busy, I didn’t drive to one if there wasn’t one in the town we lived in.
Fast forward to current day and we have an Aldi in Brevard that was built and I love it. I happily shop there along with a lot of other people and find all kinds of great things. If you know Aldi, you know that one of their trademarks is that you have to “rent” a cart for a quarter while you shop. Then you get the quarter back when you are done–the carts hook together with little chains and keys that pop in and out when the quarters are placed in the slot.
Well, fast forward to my last trip to Aldi. I usually find someone to give my cart to when I am finished. I pay it forward and don’t ask for a quarter—a little random act of kindness, if you will. As I finished unloading my purchases into my car and went to return the cart I saw a woman approaching with shopping bags in her hands which made me think she would need a cart. Another Aldi thing is that you bag your own purchases. As I approached her I asked her if she needed a cart and offered mine. To which she loudly and grumpily replied “I don’t want THAT cart! I have had the same quarter for 10 years!” I must admit I was a little taken aback at her response and the vehemence with which it was spoken so I backed up and said ” Oh, okay. I will just leave it for someone else who wants it.” I walked away and as I did another woman across the parking lot who had witnessed the exchange yelled at me “Do you pay it forward, too? I love you!” as she flashed me the heart sign with her two hands. So there-grumpy woman who has used the same quarter for ten years! Someone else appreciated my gesture.
I am still chuckling about that woman and her value of her quarter that she has used at Aldi for 10 years. Good on ya. But honestly, a better answer might have been ” thanks but why don’t you give it to someone else? ”
Do you shop at Aldi? Tell me your favorite thing that you buy there. Come back tomorrow for another Aldi story. I’ve got a million of them.
