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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 9 Checking Your Receipt I have learned the hard way to check my receipt before leaving the grocery store. It's not inten onal, but some mes an item will scan twice or you'll be charged the wrong amount. Not checking for this will add up big me. Once, a ball of fresh cheese that was supposed to be $5.32 was entered in as $53.20, and this didn't register with me un l I got home. I had to go all the way back to the store and explain the error. Avoid this unfortunate true story by quickly scanning your receipt for anything that looks incorrect. If you do spot something, just head to the customer service desk and nicely explain the situa on. They'll be quick to refund your money and not ask any ques ons. Trust me! Asking for Your Items to be Bagged a Certain Way How can bagging items lead to wasteful spending? Some- mes a er you've carefully picked out the exact groceries you want, improper bagging will crush that bag of chips, or your container of raspberries will spill all over. As long as you're asking nicely, it's OK to remind the cashier of how you prefer your groceries bagged. You can help out by loading up the conveyor belt properly. Place the heaviest items such as cans and jars fi rst and taper the weight off un l your delicate eggs and hot dog buns are last. The cashier will appreciate your organiza on. Asking Ques ons at the Bakery or Deli Counter A lot of mes, the bakery will have fresh baked goods that are s ll in the process of being packaged, which they'll sell to you, if you ask. If you need a loaf of Italian bread but don't see it out, just ask if some just came out of the oven. And di o at the deli. Some mes I'll need a ro sserie chicken for that night's dinner, but if none are out on display, an employer will be able to es- mate when the next batch will be done. This will allow me to keep shopping and swing by the deli when I'm done shopping. Asking a ques on nicely will save you me and money. Finally, Don't Hesitate to Return an Item for Any Ra onal Reason, and Don't Feel Badly About It Employees at the customer service desk are dealing with demanding and/or strange circumstances all day long, so a simple return is no big deal to them. A lot of folks don't think it's worth their me to return a $2 box of the slightly-incorrect macaroni and cheese because it's so inexpen- sive. But if no one in your house ever gets around to ea ng it, you've just thrown that money in the garbage. The same goes for perishable items that may smell foul or seem ro en when you return home. If that package of meat you opened seems bad a er the fact, it's OK to go back for a refund. It's also important for the butcher to know about the issue in case there is a larger problem with the product. As such, they actually appreciate returns like this. Remember, as long as you're friendly, modest and easy-going, you're en tled to speak up and advocate for yourself at the grocery store. Besides your mortgage, you're going to spend the majority of your home expenses on food. You might as well be smart about it, save a bit when you can and stop feeling guilty about doing so.