The price on the box ...

Something is wrong in the state of shopping, said Marcellus to Horatio, or something like that.

I have shopped at convenience stores, bodegas, those drug/convenience/groceries that a lot of places are changing into, and regular supermarkets. I have, in each of these styles of stores, experienced one thing that TOTALLY rankles me.

Ignorance might be bliss in this situation but it would eventually be a costly joy. You see, in each of these styles of stores, I have picked items off the shelves, mindful of their posted shelf price, went to the counter to purchase said items, only to find out when they are rung up by the cashier, they are "conveniently" more expensive.

Now if you don't notice, and they don't say anything, and you compound that .25 on your one item by the hundreds of other customers who will buy a little or a lot, well . . . the store is making a tidy little profit.

I am always hesitant to cast motives on other people's (or in this case, businesses') actions but it happens so often where we live that you really have to wonder if these are intentional decisions to price an item lower on the shelf and higher in the register.

That aside, I think it's not an unreasonable desire to want to pay the cashier the price on the shelf.

In short:

-keep in mind shelf prices (write them down if you're really worried) especially if part of your intent to buy was based on the lure of a low price.
-pay attention at the cash register, particularly to those items that show 'sale' shelf prices.
-hopefully, keep that money . . . for other things.

Dismissed.