An old acquaintance once said to me, many years ago:
You should bend down for every coin — because if you don’t, someone else will.
Whenever it comes to mind, I smile. But it stayed with me. And I think I really do bend down, when the moment comes. I openly reject wastefulness and showing off. I worked enough alongside university to learn the value of every single coin.
“That’s why I avoid phrases like ‘it’s nothing,’ ‘it’s practically free,’ or ‘it’s not even money’ — even when I’d happily pay more for something.
I don’t downplay it. I’m simply glad it costs less than I would’ve paid for it.”
This week, while running errands, I suddenly felt that heavy, bone-deep tiredness. I stopped by a nearby shop for an iced coffee. There wasn’t time to sit somewhere for a hot cappuccino.
There was a buy-one-get-one-free offer on boxed drinks from a franchise I like. You could choose two out of five flavors.
At the register, the price didn’t come up as a promotion. I felt a bit disappointed, but I paid. I was already saying goodbye when I changed my mind and asked why the coffees weren’t charged at the discounted price.
The cashier looked surprised and asked me to show her where I’d seen the sign.
All at once, I was overwhelmed with shame — like I’d done something wrong. I immediately regretted asking instead of just leaving the store.
I could almost hear the familiar voices from the local Facebook groups:
“Cheapskate.”
And the lines from women’s groups:
“Should I pay it for you?”
“Are you seriously upset over this much money?”
“Does this really knock someone over?”
By the time we reached the dairy section, I started apologizing. I told her it wasn’t important, that I’d take them anyway, and that I didn’t want to hold her up.
She looked genuinely confused.
“Hold me up? I’m at work.”
“Yeah, but… the register…”
“If the promotion is wrong, we have to report it,” she said, already calling the store manager.
And I thought: please let the ground open up under me.
I only relaxed when I saw they were just as unsure about which drinks could be paired and which couldn’t. In the end, we chose two of the same one to be safe.
A small line formed at the register, but no one seemed bothered by waiting a couple of minutes.
Out of habit, I still apologized — to the cashier and the manager — who honestly didn’t understand why this would be a problem at all.
I’ve always believed in making complaints. At their best, they’re useful feedback — and every time I’ve done it, it’s been appreciated.
And I really don’t believe that respecting the money you’ve worked for makes you a “cheapskate.”
Especially when those labels usually come from people who live by the
“we’ll sort it out quietly”
and the
“everything should be free for me”
mindset.