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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

people who split their food shopping into 'batches' to pay for separately

266 replies

BooCanary · 22/09/2013 21:25

How annoying is that?
Today I went to Asda and BOTH people in front of me at the till did this.

Person one paid THREE different times, one for the majority of the shop, one for a few essentials ( milk, bread etc) and a third time for an item of clothing.

Person two then proceeded to pay for their shopping in two sections.

I was waiting bloody ages, fuming and wondering why these people can't just pay once and then divide it up later based on the receipt if they happen to be buying for other people.

OP posts:
Somerset8 · 23/09/2013 10:02

Yabu. Just that

SatinSandals · 23/09/2013 10:03

I can't see that it holds it up for more than a few minutes. I can think of things that hold it up far longer, someone forgetting something, picking up something without a bar code, replacing something that is leaking, card not working, I could go on and on. It can't be good for your stress levels if it upsets you so much.

MisguidedAngel · 23/09/2013 10:04

I haven't actually counted, but most people seem to think YABU, as do I. You asked - they told you. Why are you arguing?

ExitPursuedByADragon · 23/09/2013 10:14

YANBU Gets my bloody goat as well.

Growlithe · 23/09/2013 10:22

That person in front of you could have been me a few years ago before my DDad died. I had to do my dad's shopping, choosing things that I thought he could probably heat up without burning down his sheltered accommodation. I was trying to do mine and his shopping as quickly as possible because I worked and was also trying to have a bit of a life of my own with my new DH but I felt the need to spend as much time with DDad as I could because he'd gone so downhill with grief and was so lonely in the years since my DMum died suddenly of a heart attack. He was physically and mentally a shadow of the man I knew and loved and looked up to all my life.

It made it all a bit easier to split the bill this way. I would have taken standing in a queue with a restless 4 year old over all that, I know because I've done both, and I know which made me feel more harassed and stressed.

Touched a nerve this thread, because he died 9 years ago yesterday, and I didn't have to split my shopping anymore. I'd forgotten I'd ever done it, but this brought it back.

The 'small stuff' you shouldn't be sweating, might just be someone else's very big stuff.

SarahStrattonIsBackForJustABit · 23/09/2013 10:25

The lovely man on the till in Tescos split my shopping for me, as they were doing a spend £X get £Y back. He scanned it through until it reached £X, processed the payment, then carried on doing it until all my shopping had gone through.

I had 5 separate payments. I thought it was lovely of him to be so thoughtful.

treadheavily · 23/09/2013 10:53

Quint your post about your chat in the pastry aisle was very sweet. People like you brighten others' days.

I try to be a good, considerate shopper, but I don't feel bad if for any reason I have taken a bit long at the till. Like I did when my card was declined and I went online on my phone to transfer funds then swipe again. I explained it to the self checkout guard person, offered to stand aside but they were very cool and said no no, it's all fine. Crumbs, it's only life. You are going to give yourself a stress condition if you let these little things rule your feelings.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 23/09/2013 10:59

Supermarkets really bring out the worst in some people. I'm sure they're the root of all evil.

BergholtStuttleyJohnson · 23/09/2013 11:09

YABU. I've never done this but I can see many reasons why someone may need/want to. There's no rule against it and it doesn't take that much longer.

ChinaCupsandSaucers · 23/09/2013 11:33

There's no rule against it

Thats the thing isn't it - supermarkets would quickly insist on a one-customer, one-transaction rule if it in any way affected the image or profits of their business. Despite the OP moaning, I'm sure she won't boycott the store just because they don't have a policy against it.

If supermarkets can insist on footwear and shirts being worn in store, I'm sure they could prevent "splitters" from buying their shopping in this way if it was bad for business Wink

Charliefarlie1192 · 23/09/2013 11:36

yabu, they were in the queue before you and can pay however they wish

Lweji · 23/09/2013 11:43

PS, OP, sorry you've had a hard time on this thread - never post in AIBU on a Sunday night unless you are up for a fight. There mustn't be anything good on the telly on a Sunday night ;)

Or... never post in AIBU unless you are up for a fight.

You may be pleasantly surprised that it doesn't lead to a fight, but consider the default option before you post and keep your sense of humour.
Which you clearly can't, if you have to post about people paying separately at the supermarket.

DamnBamboo · 23/09/2013 11:45

Does it really take that much more time to process? I don't think so.
Often if they have done it this way, they will be more organised in terms of payment and bagging etc.
YABU

SatinSandals · 23/09/2013 12:01

I very often do it, for my mother, for groups that I belong to. It makes life so much easier to give them separate receipts. I have no intention of stopping.

SatinSandals · 23/09/2013 12:03

I would say it is much quicker than have to faff about with the packing. I find the annoying people are the ones who won't pay until it is all in bags.

pumpkinsweetie · 23/09/2013 12:34

Whether you do this or don't do this or whether you must do this, it doesn't mean it is not annoying to the people behind you.

Bottom line is vouchers, coupons, 3 separate parts of shopping or counting with pennies, it is annoying & time consuming.

5Foot5 · 23/09/2013 12:43

OP you would hate to be behind me at the Self Service checkouts on a Friday lunch time then!

On Saturday morning I need to be able to dish out various amounts of cash to family members (£14 for one music lesson, £12.50 for another £12 for something else) These are all situations where it helps enormously to be able to have the exact money so I have to make sure I have a supply of tenners and at least 8 pound coins. Of course when I go to the cashpoint it gives me the money mostly in £20 notes. The solution therefore is for me to go in to the nearest supermarket and buy three small items - e.g. a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a newspaper - and then I go to the Self Service till and pay for each of the three items separately, thus getting my supply of change and notes.

Never notice anyone fuming behind me but I suppose it is possible

Lweji · 23/09/2013 12:44

Anything you can possibly do at the checkout is potentially annoying to the people behind for the simple fact that they are behind you.

I think a little good will with others is necessary.

Those who get annoyed have the additional problem of stopping being annoyed.

Just be patient.
And try not to annoy the person behind you. Grin

limitedperiodonly · 23/09/2013 12:47

It's true, other people are very annoying. I often think how different things would be if my life were one long personal Zil lane.

Stupidly, I chose the wrong career path and failed to become a high-ranking Party official in a totalitarian state.

ChristineDaae · 23/09/2013 12:48

When I was a support worker we couldn't pay altogether. We needed receipts for the lady's account, we were on 24 hour shifts we had to provide our own food so when shopping for 'bits' we old have to separate them out.

BeCool · 23/09/2013 13:03

Off to buy lunch annoy someone Grin

SelectAUserName · 23/09/2013 13:18

I would be mildly annoyed. My level of annoyance would vary depending on whether it was simply a case of "great, I'm going to be stuck in the soul-sucking Hellmouth that is the supermarket for slightly longer than I hoped" or whether I'd dashed in to get a few bits while on my 30-minute lunch break from work, and was now likely to be a couple of minutes late back to the office which might only be a couple of minutes, but will get noted as poor punctuality (we don't have flexi time in this department).

However even while acknowledging my own annoyance, I would recognise that I was BU to let it get to me, that the person/people ahead of me in the queue hadn't set out that morning thinking "I know, today I'll really piss off Select" and that having to faff about with three loads of shopping was probably more inconvenience for them to deal with than for me to wait for. And if they, or the cashier, apologised I'd just smile - even if it was ever-so-slightly through gritted teeth - and say "that's fine, no hurry." My issues aren't their fault or responsibility.

Sparklingbrook · 23/09/2013 13:21

Our local supermarket has a pay and display car park. 50p for half an hour, £1 for an hour. With all these invisible customers and massive queues I wouldn't know if 50p would do it. Sad

Solo · 23/09/2013 13:32

I do my Mums shopping for her. I use her credit card for her shopping and I also hand over her club card for her shopping. If it's just a couple of items, I'll pay for it in one bill, but I've had her £60+ bill and my £30 bill and it would not be reasonable for either of us to lose out by putting all that on one persons bill.
So! I apologise, but will continue to do it. I do try to get through it all very quickly though and if you are behind me with just a few items, I will let you go in front of me. HTH.

Sparklingbrook · 23/09/2013 13:36

That's dodgy territory Solo using other people's cards, and knowing their pins.

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