There are times when it’s tempting to lie, steal or break one of the other 10 Commandments to get a good deal but, in living frugally, we all need to stick to being honest. This is not always easy to do, but I want to give some examples that may help you stay honest. Here are some common tactics that some people use that are unethical and sometimes illegal:
Stealing “Free” Merchandise - This one really irked me! We needed some labels for the business. UPS gives their customers free unlimited labels as needed for packing when shipping with UPS. We purchased labels from a lady on Ebay. When we received them, they arrived from the UPS shipping center. The lady told us that was her “other office”! What she did is take our money and then call UPS as if she were me and have them send me “free” labels. The gaul! I confronted her and reported it to UPS. I should have known it was a “too good to be true” deal! Incidentally, this particular lady had made tens of thousands of dollars on Ebay sales of UPS “free” labels. This is not only dishonorable, but illegal.
You need some pens because you are running short so you take a handful from a store that is giving them out. This is stealing. If you take one, that’s fine. Unless they tell you to take them all, it is tacky to take a large number of them. They’re offering them simply as a courtesy.
Limit One Per Customer specials. This is one of those gray areas. The store’s intention when offering “one per customer” is generally for each customer to get the deal only once. This really means you can buy one item one time, not go back three or four times to get more. Sometimes, they say limit one per purchase. If you make more than one purchase, it may be appropriate to go back more than once. If you’re not sure, ask the store manager. If your conscience is bothering you, pass it up. Sometimes stores offer special deals where they actually lose money. If they post a limit it is because they need a certain amount of sales to make up for the loss. If there’s no limit, buy everything if you wish. If there’s a limit, use your judgment.
You buy an item and you use it a few times and then return it because you’re done with it. Stealing and lying. You probably won’t tell the sales clerk you just needed to use it for a few times and even if you do, that’s only OK if it is a rental store. If an item breaks, doesn’t work or is not the right color, it is fine to return it. If you just needed it “for a few times” (like a dress for a special occasion) and know you won’t use it again, you’re stealing if you return it.
If you eat a food item with a guarantee on the box and it tastes nasty, return it. That’s why they offer a guarantee. If you eat the entire contents of the box first and return the mostly-empty box, it probably wasn’t actually nasty.
If you try to pass off your 14 year old child as a 12 year old so that you only have to pay for a child’s meal, you are lying and teaching your child that lying is good when it benefits you.
If you go to a restaurant where it is customary to tip, tip the customary amount (usually 15%) if the service is reasonably good. If you get good service and fail to tip, you are stealing from the server. If you can’t afford the tip, go to a restaurant where it is not customary to tip (like a fast-food restaurant). If your whole family shares one entree and your kids leave a mess of ground up crackers reaching out eight feet from the table in every direction, don’t just tip on the one entree. Tip on the work you create for the server.
If you find a “great deal” that you can’t live without but you don’t have the money in your checking account, don’t write a check. Let it be the “one that got away” If you knowingly write a bad check, you are stealing and lying.
If you find a “great deal”, buy it and then hide it from your husband, you’re lying (unless it’s his birthday present ;-). If you have to hide it, you know you’re doing something wrong.
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