For me I generally pirate most books I read, although if there is a book I really enjoyed I will buy the physical copy.
I also generally tend to avoid having takeaways because they are just so expensive in this day and age with inflation and tend to opt for cheap meals like pasta or rice etc.
Also I don’t pay for any streaming services, but borrow a VPN service from a friend to pirate the movies I watch.
Curious to hear of some ways that you people here save money.
sometimes i pirate groceries at self-checkout
My always on buy two get one free discount
does the door alarm not go off? ive always been paranoid to try just incase i somehow end up in jail over a candy bar or smth
When the door alarm goes off, most people keep walking - and the store employees often don’t care.
Most places, the store employees are trained to do nothing. Several stores I worked at specifically state with a lot of emphasis to never engage a shoplifter. They might have a gun or attack you or who knows what else. Plus the cost of prosecuting someone for shoplifting is often greater than the value of what was stolen, so the small time thefts are largely ignored. Instead preventitive measures are used like visible cameras and engagement. So if you’re ever at a store and you find employees are repeatedly asking if you need help with anything, there’s a good chance someone thinks you are shoplifting (but not always!)
they don’t place alarm markers on the food i buy: box of cereal, fresh fruit, bag of rice, can of beans…
in IL, they might put markers on liquor but IDK bc i quit years ago
Grocery stores largely don’t have anti-theft sensors. Some in some very bad parts of town might, but for the most part if there’s self-checkout you can walk out with just about anything. Liquor I think will be the most common exception.
Typically the easiest way to get the five finger discount is to ring something up as an item that charges per pound that’s significantly cheaper than the item you’re buying. Closest I’ve done to that is to buy two donuts but only ring up one lol. I’m too much of a rule follower and anxious about getting caught.
And you def won’t go to jail for light shoplifting. Though some places like Walmart or Target track you and don’t do anything until you’re at a felony level of theft. So if you do steal, best not to do it repeatedly at the same store.
i live very close to a target and dont have a car so its my main grocery store location.
ive honestly never been poor enough to justify the risk of stealing but i also have crippling anxiety and even the thought of it going wrong is too much.
shit id prolly turn around if the sensors started to beep id be like “yoo sorry i didnt know haha plz don’t hurt me” the irony is im not afraid of physical pain, more the financial pain. coz im a shredded rock climber/calisthenics guy. sadly violence just gets people into more actual trouble. otherwise my roommate would be very worse for wear though we gave him an apartment warning instead (of a beating).
On paper I buy a lot of bananas
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creative ways to save money: STEALING