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Trip to Joann's

 I need to made a baby blanket. Ordinarily I avoid any shopping on a weekend but with COVID keeping people home I thought I would risk a trip to Joann's to pick up some yarn.

I have a pattern that uses baby blanket yarn and a size L hook.

I got to the store and there were probably four or five other shoppers about. Right there in the yarn aisle -- a sign announcing buy two skeins of baby blanket yarn and get one free. Oh lucky day!

Since the only size of crochet hook I do not own is the size L, I figured I might as well pick one up. I discovered that is the exact size that Joann does not have in stock. Oh, well, make do but it felt less like a lucky day.

I went to the cashier. She scanned my three skeins of yarn and gave me a total that was full price for three skeins. I told her there were signs in the yarn aisle saying there was a buy two get one free offer on this yarn.

"Oh," she says. She calls someone in the back who went to check and then told her that, yes, that was the case. The cashier gets out a calculator and starts punching in numbers, telling me, "I'm not sure how to do this. I have to take 66.6% off."

"No, I really think it is just a third less. But they are all $10.99 so why don't you just subtract the 10.99?"

"We can't do it that way."

Okay. So by this time all of the five other shoppers are lined up to pay and waiting for me to take my yarn and get out of the way. The woman was completely rattled. The clerk from the back came out to open a second register, but first she took the calculator away from the first clerk and told her to charge $7.31 for each ball of yarn.

And they worry about kids losing academic ground these days.


Gotta love a bargain. I actually made five cents on the deal. I guess that is what my time was worth.


Comments

  1. Linda ReederJanuary 31, 2021 at 3:59 PM

    I'm laughing out loud, even though it's pretty sad!
    I have avoided going to my nearby Joanne's, not because of the lack of skill of some clerks - most are very good there- but just because I don't really go anywhere right now. That's why I keep digging into my scrap box to see what I can make. I may be running out options though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Margaret (Peggy or Peg too)February 1, 2021 at 8:56 AM

    I loved this because I have lived it. Sad to be honest. I could have gotten free groceries at the time because the cashier was so clueless. I was honest but I wondered how many others weren't. Can't wait to see the baby blanket. I would like to learn to crochet, maybe in retirement. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. MaebemeFebruary 1, 2021 at 9:59 AM

    Oh my, you would think their cash registers would be able to do that calculation with a push of a button. The good, bad and the ugly of shopping. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. gigi-hawaiiFebruary 1, 2021 at 10:31 AM

    Even a calculator could not help that poor woman. But, I love the idea of you knitting yarn. Something I cannot do.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RianFebruary 1, 2021 at 10:38 AM

    I buy my yarn at Joann's also. But I don't go into the store anymore. I order it online when it is on sale and it comes pretty quickly. I'd love to see the baby blanket when it's done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Arkansas PattiFebruary 1, 2021 at 10:44 AM

    That is so funny and true most places with young employees. If the computer is down, watching them try to just make change is comical.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jenn JilksFebruary 1, 2021 at 4:31 PM

    Oh my!!! I'm sorry, but I had to laugh!

    ReplyDelete
  8. TomFebruary 2, 2021 at 5:20 PM

    When I worked the register as a summer job in high school, back in '66, I didn't have to add or subtract. I just knew -- an item cost 40 cents then change for a dollar was two quarters and a dime; 60 cents, then you just grabbed a quarter, a dime, a nickel. I don't remember seeing any bills bigger than one dollar.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JoaredFebruary 5, 2021 at 1:15 AM

    If the cash register can't readily provide the accurate total they're totally lost. Sad commentary.

    ReplyDelete

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