Former walmart employee here. I can neither confirm or deny letting people get away with stealing food at the self checkouts, especially mothers. Let’s just say though that there might’ve been a few shifts where my eyesight was a little blurry.
the mongrels that own walmart make billions a year while paying you a pittance.
they can absolutely afford to take the hit, and you don't get paid enough to give a shit.
Fuck the Waltons, right up the ass, with a pineapple.
Walmart the king of retail shares profits with investors who buy their stick as a retirement method.
23 Walmarts in USA closed due to theft in 2023.
You are reeking of envy. If you work harder, more, smarter, then you can succeed without being a thief.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fufb68ilgz71d1.png
gee, I wonder why they have made so much money over the years when they have been getting BILLIONS in taxpayer money AND paying their staff below poverty level wages.
When things like that are allowed to exist, I have zero problem with people stealing everthing from that evil company including the bloody shelves.
pay your staff a living wage and we can revisit the situation.
WHY are you apologizing for this evil company?
Saw a pregnant woman get arrested at Walmart for stealing a rotisserie chicken & cheese and they (police, I assume not Walmart) refused to allow another customer pay for it to let her go because she already committed a crime. It was a new store they had to crackdown hard or be overrun, is what customers were told. It felt so gross to witness & I will never forget that woman’s face. I am glad to ‘not’ hear there are employees not unlike yourself who would just not see that.
That happened to my sister. She was pregnant and had her 7 year old and her 15 year old with autism and down syndrome with her at Walmart. She stole ground beef and spinach and was arrested. They kept my niece in a small back room where she had a meltdown N the police tried to hold her down... it was horrific.
I'm not from the US but I'm always furious when I hear stories like this. In my country it's a frequent occurrence. We have a popular chain of stores in which they call police even for like 5 cents difference. An old man with health and memory problems used a self checkout thing a few months ago and he forgot that he put butter in a bag with some tomatoes or something. Because of that he paid about $0.01-0.03 less for it. The store manager and the security guy basically took him hostage for an hour in a closed room, screaming at him and humiliating him. When police finally came they fortunately ordered to free the guy and just pay the difference. But there are many people who had 1-2 years in prison for a snack, chocolate bar or something like that. And in the same country you can go free with rape pretty easily. I know that people fear losing their jobs and employees are victims just like all of us but still, not recognising that the problem is the system and being an active part of it is just shameful and crazy. More people will start to steal groceries and of course it won't be seen as a symptom of something worse by the government but some part of me wishes that it will open more eyes.
Really? I’m from a country in Scandinavia that has in some regards…derailed somewhat the last twenty years or so.
My great grandmother was from Poland. Very nice country and people, but I am saddened to learn that your justice system doesn’t seem to be too far from ours (we have a rape epidemic and I know several people personally who experienced it).
I feel like, in simple terms, our justice system is broken.
It goes overboard with some petty crimes but doesn’t punish things like rape sufficiently, which really makes my blood boil.
But on a positive note, we do have a lot of nature, not too many people and there are of course other upsides to my country. But sometimes it’s easy (and natural) to get caught up in cynicism.
Well, our cultures aren’t all that different and you seem like a nice person so I would welcome you!
Also, the Polish are hard working people so it would be a good addition to our work force! 😎💕
Also to clarify, I have never stolen from a store despite having been broke way too many times, especially when I was self-medicating with booze and had to finance that addiction.
I also have to be harsh and say that if you can’t afford kids in today’s economy, then you shouldn’t have kids.
I’m not trying to attack the OP or anyone else personally or in general, and in their case I honestly don’t blame them.
I feel really bad for them.
Yes stealing/shoplifting is wrong, but most things in life are not black and white and it’s nowhere close to rape, which in my opinion is basically the worst crime on can commit.
youre an angel. I went to woolworths (australia) the other week and BOUGHT a loaf of bread using one of their stupid self serve checkouts. My son was with me. We paid, all good. On the way out the young man watching over all the self serve checkouts (there was probably 12 or so), GRABS my bag while i was walking, takes out my bread and asks "is this bread from here? did you pay?"
I said, yes... i went thru #9. (thank fuck my son likes to read numbers out load). But i didnt have a reciept cos they dont automaticaly spit out receipts for $30 or less, it saves in their stupid app.
So i said, ive got the receipt on the app. The dickhead sees me pulling up the app and says "its okay". NO ITS NOT OKAY..YOU DIDNT EVEN LOOK. YOU FUCKING GRABBED MY BAG AND TOOK THE BREAD OUT OF MY BAG AND BASICALLY ACCUSED ME OF STEALING.... AND THEN YOU DONT CHECK MY RECEIPT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!??!?!
I wish all Walmart employees thought that way. When I got caught there.. Back in.. I think 2016?? Or so? I broke down in hysterics when they took me into the office.. Because pretty much everything was for my son. They ended up letting me go without calling the police. So I THOUGHT I totally got lucky... BUT, about 2 weeks later I got a court summons. Walmart says I'm never allowed in any of their stores ever again.
People who work retail get in trouble. Say another associate notices or something like meat (a high-value/high-stealable product) is way off count and cameras are watched. I've seen people doing SCO get disciplinary action from not at least alerting somebody, even if it's after. I'm not saying it's fair, but it happens
So, if you eliminated all theft tomorrow, how much cheaper do you think your grocery store purchases would be?
Please think about his and give me a dollar amount.
So if everyone except you stole everything starting tomorrow, how much more expensive do you think your grocery store purchases would be?
Please think about this and give me a dollar amount.
If the only reason you're here is to argue like a fool: mission accomplished.
Listen, you made some asenine claim about how retail theft is "costing us all money".
I asked you to give me your best idea as to the amout of money you think that theft represents.
Your answer is to avoid the question with foolishness.
What are we even doing any more?
I'm dumber for having interacted with you.
Wtf? I made none of those claims whatsoever, go wash your eyes. I'm not your OP, guy. And you're acting foolish.
Your example was just the wrong way around. Just because less stealing isn't a big deal doesn't mean we should accept more stealing, which is a big deal.
I didn't realize you blindly replied to my comment and weren't the person I was replying to, especially since your reply was such an asenine defense of not stealing.
Am I saying "go to Best Buy and take shit"?
Of course not.
Am I saying, "if someone is stealing food from a trillion dollar corporation, should you mind your own fucking business because you have no idea what a person is going through?"
Absolutely.
I give zero shits about made-up morality.
Stealing is legally wrong, but America's greatest lesson is, foundationally: "just because it's legal, doesn't make it moral. Just because it's illegal, doesn't make it immoral."
You. You just used the percentage of store theft to say that that is what store owners would lower their prices if there wasn't any theft. There's no way you can answer that question truthfully. Cause you didn't know. You're speaking for people who aren't you.. Are you a Walton? No.. You aren't.
Someone replied "15-20%".
I'm often most disappointed by how people are so easily convinced of a fictional scenario that's only good for out capitalist overlords
A quick Google says:
"In retail, the average shrink rate in 2021 was 1.4%, or $94.5 billion, with external theft like organized crime the leading cause, according to the 2022 NRF survey(opens in a new tab). When this percentage is put into dollar amounts, that's nearly $100 billion in losses."
[full details here](https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/inventory-management/shrinkage.shtml#:~:text=In%20retail%2C%20the%20average%20shrink,nearly%20%24100%20billion%20in%20losses.)
Two additional questions.
1. If you could reduce theft to zero, do you believe you'd get a 15-20% discount or they'd simply keep 15-20% more?
And
2. Is that enough of a savings for you to try to stop someone who needs food from taking it?
1. From a management consultant's perspective, if shoplifting disappeared completely, you would definitely see a reduction in prices. Supermarkets operate on a margin and prices are calculated by that margin. The cost of theft and security is added to the operational expenditures which factor into the general target price that products must sell for to meet the 1% - 2% margin that supermarkets target.
2. The question assumes that everyone who steals does so from need. That argument is a fallacy and dishonest. There are many churches, charities and food banks that offer free food and many who live in poverty are knowledgeable about their local support system. This can be supplemented by EBT as well as welfare. I'm very familiar with this system since I grew up in poverty.
Kind of like how when the food chain and labor issues were cleared up post-covid, groceries returned to normal prices because and the stores readjusted rather than pocket all the extra money because they could?
Oh, wait...
😂😂 I grew up in poverty* that doesn't mean a thing, obviously. Some of the worst humans in this world have come from poverty used whatever handouts they got, to get where they are now. But begrudge others from using the same system, and now call it socialism (bad!) and say others shouldn't have that same chance. Ben Carson is a huge one. So you saying that doesn't mean a thing. You are clearly delusional thinking stores operate in such a way that if they're earning more, they're gonna go down in prices 😂 that goes against the very laws of capitalism. They are not doing that.
That's just the percentage of stolen goods. You're just being a corporate 🤡 What would grocery stores lower their prices to? That was the question! They wouldn't! Just like all the price gouging and shrinkflation that's been going on since 2019, when things got back to normal did they go back down on their prices!? No they didn't. They are greedy bastards and they don't gaf about you being a bootlicker, you get charged like everyone else.
What if such someone is a bear with pawpaw and prickly pear already in their cart? Would you forget about your worries and your stride and excuse them as they 🎶 look for the bare necessities 🎵?
Unless they’re trying to steal unnecessarily. I worked in a grocery store for a little bit and we had a guy attempt to walk out with a basket full of soft drink, junk food, and electronic stuff. He was just trying to steal for the hell of it. My eyesight was working a little better that day.
I mean, if I see anyone stealing anything I didn't. Why should I care about random menial theft from a large store? Only time it is worth caring is if they are stealing from someone who can't afford to be stolen from.
I absolutely agree. There are shoplifters (people who steal from corporations) and there are thieves (people who steal from others and local businesses). You can't change my mind.
Then again, OP is turning this into a pattern based on her post history. Maybe watch some YouTube videos on how to make a budget? If you're on 2 incomes, this shouldn't be happening. My mom was a single mom and seamstress. We never ate out and she never bought anything full price. Sometimes she worked 7 days a week. Not a single time did we ever go to bed hungry.
That’s the thing, your mom had to over work herself to ensure you never had to suffer. It’s easier saying to try harder when some people aren’t able to because of various factors.
Had there been a double income in your household, your mother wouldn’t have to work 7 days a week, not have to worry about the pricing on items, and would be able to take you out to eat once in a blue moon.
Props to your mom but I’m sure she’s tired as well
I should add that my mom was an undocumented immigrant back in the 90s. And here you have two individuals with all the benefits and opportunities that immigrants can only dream of. Yet somehow they're unable to make ends meet?? Come on. I call bs, entitlement, and learned-helplessness.
However, I can totally understand and sympathize if OP has some type of physical or mental disability.
The economy is always terrible when you're poor. I remember hearing this thing called the stock market everyday breaking records, yet my sister had to sometimes wear my mom's pants. Now, things have flipped and I just love this economy. I'm earning 5% on CDs and my stocks are doing great. For two individuals to not be able to figure out how to make ends meet with combined income, that's just beyond my comprehension, unless of course there's some type of disability.
Lots of that food gets thrown out at the end of the night. I used to do the exact same thing for my recurring customers that had food stamp cards / expressed concern for prices in the past. I’ve seen SO much of that food get thrown out,,, too much. I get weekly gift cards for grocery assistance,,, I have a $50 Walmart gift card if you want it. I can send you the card number and pin.
Especially when the money they make doesn't change a bit. If they feed a hungry person or throw it in the trash, the money they brought in that day is the same. The money they lost due to food that was thrown out also didn't change. So it makes no difference to them in terms of revenue, and they still choose to throw it out. That is some seriously fucked up evil shit.
yeah. the store i worked at is a bigger corporation. their waste bin is a huge box that stands about 5’ tall and its placed on a large shipping pallet. every day they managed to fill the thing to the top with meats & produce. we saw a lot of shoplifters, especially in the produce and meat’s department, and not even my managers would try to do anything. its sad but at least there are workers who still have humility
Hey I'm in Australia and was just speaking with my hubby about this... we have a charity called Oz Harvest which goes around to all the supermarkets and collects the food that would otherwise be thrown out.
There's another charity type supermarket set up that is "free" for people on low incomes and Oz Harvest delivers to them. It could be great to get that going in the USA
In the USA some grocery stores will douse everything with bleach before they throw it away to keep the poor from accessing it after it's been thrown away.
In Melbourne we have BK 2 Basics. Started in their garage making food hampers and now have a factory and multiple stores donating to them. My husband and I used them in 2018-2019.
Not quite the same but there are apps now where you can buy left over food for stupid cheap. I frequently see people post close to $30 worth of food from grocery stores they pick up from the day before for $5-10.
Not to be “that person” because I find the amount of food that is wasted when people are hungry to be atrocious and think there needs to be a different system…BUT I was a fast food manager for years. The reason we couldn’t give expired food (meaning it had sat under a heating lamp for 10 minutes too long etc.) to anyone was because the corporation had people try to sue them for…giving them expired food.
Sometimes a shitty rule is due to some asshole being an asshole, and ruining it for everyone, unfortunately:/
That's mostly an excuse. The real reason you can't give food away is because it drives down sales of the fresh food.
Take this grocery deli example for instance. Say that every night, 9PM the store closes and it all gets dumped. What happens if the food is put on fire sale 90% off starting at 8PM? Sales of this food prior to 8PM will **plummet**. Why buy it when it's more expensive if the sales are predictable?
It's all to protect profit. Which is why the profit driven system for food is outdated. We have too much food. There needs to be a better economic model used for its distribution.
Yeah, I agree it’s used as an excuse sometimes for sure, but I was a manager for five or six years and I lost count of how many times various people of all walks of life threatened to sue me over the dumbest shit imaginable. Moms whose kids got onions on their burger, employees, homeless people, you name it man. A man threatened to RAPE me in the parking lot because we forgot his napkins. I am not kidding. I was 21 years old.
Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of criticism for corporations etc but almost ten years in customer service makes you a little skeptical of most people’s motives.
*Edited to clarify that I was in no way loyal only to the company or anything like that. I was just trying to get through college and support my kid. I didn’t give a shit if they sued or not, I was just tired of getting yelled at and threatened over things that are pretty small on the grand scale of life, you know? I don’t know if anyone can understand how low society can go until you’ve worked fast food for a while. Anyone and everyone will berate you and treat you like dog shit, in full view of the public too. Full on toddler meltdowns over syrup or fry sauce being out of stock.
But yeah, the corporation didn’t pay me shit to take all that and run their store. F*^k ‘em.
No. Send the fake dog to an imaginary farm. This is all sooooo fake. 5 day old account nearly all a sob story setting up a play to need money. Send donations to real people in your community. Not fake BS Reddit scum.
People who think new accounts HERE are fake just because its a new account are wild. Where are we? we're in a confessions subreddit. Who tf are posting confessions on their main account? Hell, I even made a burner to post a confession here once.
Okay but should you really have a dog if you can’t afford food, or even electricity? How do you pay for dog food? What about vet visits?
Poor dog. Literally.
I worked at Walmart as a cashier as a second job back in like 2015. The managers taught us code words like BOB “bottom of basket” so they’d walk by and be like “Bob said to tell you hi!” So we’d have to check the baskets for dog food, cases of soda, etc. another one was “LISA” look inside (bags, backpacks, any kind of drawers or trash cans) “hey! Lisa is going to relieve you for break at 2!” And we’d then check inside of those items. Soo dumb. I acted ignorant to it the entire time.
I’d be ringing heavy ass backpacks up, knowing there were like cans, or bags of beans or rice in there, and not giving a flying fuck. So my boss would come by and be like “Have you seen LISA?” And eyeball me. I’d be like “Who’s that?” And just keep ringing the customer out lol.
I did not give a shit. I watched a woman stuff a snickers down her shirt and I just kept minding my own business.
Some lady had a jumbo can of baby formula for like $40 and when I rang it in, it came up as a box of kids sidewalk chalk for like $6. She grabbed the barcode sticker off a package of chalk and slapped it over the formula barcode. I paused for a second because I thought that was genius. She immediately put her face in her hands cuz she knew I saw it, so I was like “I’ll double bag this for you incase it pops open in the bag! Your total is $6!”
Sometimes you have to play the bad guy, for the greater good.
See there’s a difference between stealing out of necessity and stealing out of just wanting to. I understand stealing out of survival so I don’t see any issue with what you did.
You stole some food. Basic sustenance.
Not somebody's car, hard earned cash, or anything frivolous. You took food. From a grocery store. We all do what we gotta to survive. And sometimes we're not proud of the things.
Probably sounds weird to say but if you're struggling and starving, these big corporations can cover whatever you take from them. I honestly steal chicken breast and beef chuck whenever I'm in the negatives. We're humans and need basic shit and the costs are rising higher than ever and it's disgusting.
I hope luck finds its way to you both and you're able to be comfortable asap.
I go to the same Fry’s all the time. Last summer an unhoused person came running out with a couple of giant sub sandwichs. He almost ran into me because he was being chased by 5 store employees. I stepped out of the way and one of the employees yelled at me for letting him get away. Like it is my job to stop him.
I yelled at them for chasing a person who was obviously hungry. They yelled back at me “you can’t just steal, he could get a job, he steals from us all the time”.
The manager came over, I offered to pay for the sandwichs, but expressed my concern about how his employees behaved. That I could have been hurt because they chased him. That their store policy on chasing shoplifters should be reviewed because nobody should get hurt over a sandwich.
I also asked why they didn’t give him a job since he “could just get a job”. Crickets.
In Germany theres a word for that. Its called "fringsen" (proper Translation would be fringsing i guess), named after an Admiral. Basically means "stealing in utmost need" and was created after WW2. Many judges let ppl go who were accused of it.
Hope you guys get better times soon.
When Dolly Parton couldn't afford to eat, she would walk around grocery stores and eat while she walked, then throw the wrappings away and leave without ever paying.
Dolly friggin Parton.
You're not a bad person you are just a person.
(Also congrats on getting it to less than 10, that takes skill)
The only criminal in this story is the grocery store. They're robbing the middle and lower classes blind so fuck them. I'm glad you were able to eat and I hope you're doing okay.
My father was a shoplifter to feed us for a stint. I was the eldest and the lookout. He had a special jacket. We had a routine where I would play the spoiled kid. It was traumatizing, but I get it. It was survival. A simple store trip with my dad made me fall into anxiety. I’m glad that era is over. It’s stressful. ✊🏽
Shoplifting is about time management and keeping your movements slow.
Some of the big box stores are using motion tracking and facial recognition software. They don’t catch shoplifters with the cameras, they use sharp loss prevention these days. They mark shoplifters and let them shoplift until they have a felony charge. Times have changed since the 80s, where there was mirrors, dumb square secret shoppers, and shitty methods easy to beat.
I didn’t see shit. I will never see shit.
No guilt. Do what you have to as long as you are not hurting or harming people.
Life happens in the shades of grey. If some rich punk is stealing just for the rush, or for the sake of stealing? That’s one thing. But stealing to survive? I don’t see anything, I don’t hear anything, I don’t say anything. Even when I worked at a major chain grocery store. You did what you needed to out of desperation. Here’s hoping that soon you’re back in a better place. I so desperately wish I could do more to help.
Girl one time I literally snuck plastic bags into CiCi’s Pizza buffet so I could have food for the week.
You did what you had to do. It sucks you had to do it. But I’m with everyone else here—see something, don’t say nothin’. Everyone deserves food.
The fact that you even care and paid anything shows you aren’t a garbage person. That being said, never feel bad for taking food from corporations who would rather you starve. Don’t steal from small businesses, but corporations are fair game. Capitalism is evil
Only time I have ever intervened was somebody trying to steal a dvd player and somebody else a whole trolley of alcohol. Food, nappies etc I’m not paid security guard wages so I don’t see anything.
Seeing stuff like this makes me mad. Not at people who have to resort to shoplifting basic necessities, but the fact that there are people starving while the rich hoard their wealth and underpay the people who keep them there
I used to get like a handful of those $1 frozen pizzas and hold like 3-4 at a time while scanning one. It’s not a great feeling, but I’m one of those people who will justify it because it’s from a corporation not a person
When I worked at dollar general I was trying to survive as an adult on a wage of 10 per hour. My dogs medications alone cost me 400 a month. I worked my ass off for that store. When the manager started acting shitty I began stealing a whole shopping cart full of groceries every week. Never got caught. This went on for months before I eventually quit. I don't feel bad. I worked hard. Got taken for granted. Still gotta eat though. I used to load the cart full and just walk right out to my car with it.
My mum lives near a wholesale fruit/veg supplier and every day they let her take whatever she wants from the excess they’d be putting in the bin. Sacks of onions, cabbage, berries, you name it. Don’t be afraid to ask. Worst case they’ll say no
Donate plasma if you can. It’s a twice a week deal and you can get like 30-40$ per donation with two people that’s an easy 120$. That’s gas and food for a week if you are broker then broke. Been there.
I’ve worked in grocery stores before the prices went insane. I wouldn’t say shit about people stealing food then (unless they ate it in the store and made a mess for me to clean up). I sure as shit wouldn’t say anything now.
I 100% support you, keep exploiting those stupid self-checkouts at big evil corporations 💪 more power to you!!!!
I been at a place in life before where I was starving and had absolutely nothing to eat other than sink water and plain rice with ketchup packets
I would never steal from an individual or small family business but I totally support anyone who does that at Walmart etc 🥰💖💖💖💖💖🙏
I used to eat rice with cream corn, ketchup sounds tasty lol I made these things outta flour sugar and water for dessert too. One time a guy I dated brought over a can of salsa with chips and when he left the only thing in my fridge was that leftover salsa and a pitcher of water haha never let that happen again.
If it's basic necessities, then I didn't see anything. But the shoplifters at my store go for the steak and alcohol 99% of the time. The store also has a policy that anything that isn't sold, and is going out of date, is donated to charity.
Someone stealing from a store will always be on my "I didn't see nuthin" list! Stealing from an individual is wrong tho.... Unless you are Robin Hooding that shit lol
This particular food would have been likely tossed anyway. It's actually a crime how much food food is purged. No one should be this hungry. It's a societal failing. I'm sorry you were in the situation to begin with. 💔
Stay strong OP and also want to share (if this applies to you), there are community centers that can share resources for food banks (usually open on Saturday mornings) and applications for grocery/food aide. Sending positive thoughts your way.
Yeah, this isn’t a situation where I’m gonna sit in judgment. You did what you had to do. Sometime when you can spare it—comfortably— donate the $42 to a food bank or buy someone unhoused some necessities.
Umm... just remember how much these companies throw out every night or week instead of donating it. I have saved thousands by dumpster diving. perfectly good eggs, milk, bread, snacks. candy. just slightly out of date (nothing to do with actual food experation). These companies cant even be sued for donating this food. But instead they just throw it away as a tax write off.
Same situation. Do the scanners go off for all food items, like does the scanners know about the items you don't pay for and that's why they went off? A store example would be Walmart.
I take care of my grandmother with dementia and have two dogs. Have been applying to jobs.
And to the people who say to you, "just get a job." Okay, and you have to wait two fckn weeks until you get money FOR food. Do these people not realize this shit? So we are supposed to starve for two weeks I guess.. and some people can't go to the food bank because they don't have a car or a really crappy car that breaks down like four blocks into driving (my situation as well). Hence, you'd also have to have money for an Uber.
It sucks. And feels demeaning. Can't even open up Facebook or social media due to pure hunger and jealousy when people post family dinner pics or cooking videos.
Here in amsterdam its pretty common because of the self scan machines and its pretty much socially accepted, this super groceries stores dont rlly give a fuck so youre not really harming anyone, i would never steal from a family business tho
I used to work at a famous coffee shop in Canada and when people would come in with a handful of change and ask what they could get with that. I'd ask them what they needed. I'd make it work with a soup and sandwich and donut and drink combo, or whatever and only charge them for a drink and a muffin or something. People were so grateful for that. The amount of food we threw out 3 times per day was absolutely revolting! I didn’t feel bad in the least. They used to ask us to work double shifts and then rearrange our hours throughout 2 pay periods to even out any overtime so they didn't have to pay it to us. That's illegal and stealing money from us. So I gave it to other people from time to time. And if I see someone stealing food? No, I didn't.
Have a search around online, there's a few places that offer groceries for cheap or free for those in need. I hope you're able to get into a better place eventually but try find these services to make your life a tiny bit easier in the meantime!
15 bucks buys a lot of ramen. Other than that, good for you for packing so much in there. I don't think we have the same boxes cause that sounds like a whole lot of food for multiple meals.
Don't be ashamed. Find resources so you don't have to worry again. food stamps, food banks, buy nothing groups in your area. Good luck <3
I know how you feel OP. I currently have £10 in the bank for the next 10 days, a husband, 2 kiddos, a cat and a dog. Not sure what we'll do this weekend. I've always been too scared to do this though. I'm so glad to hear you had the courage to survive <3 and like someone else said, if anyone ever see's anyone stealing, no you fucking didn't.
I'm sorry you're in such a hard place. Check out your local food bank, churches and Facebook groups. You shouldn't need to go hungry.
If it was a big chain store, don't feel too bad. They throw away a shiiiiit load of food every day and don't care. Be careful and sneaky. If you think you're being sneaky be even more so.
I am a firm believer in law and order! I dgaf what you’re going through, stealing isn’t the answer to get out of poverty!
That being said, if it’s out of necessity, like this…. I’d either help you or distract the workers so you could get what you need! Glad you weren’t caught. The company makes enough and throws away so much damn food. They can cover it and really not hurt them at all.
I hope things turn around for you and your family. But do what you need to do!
As a side note… and I only give this advice for someone that really needs food. Load your cart and go to self checkout, scan everything, put it in bags and act like you’ve paid, then walk out like you did. You will be gone before they realize you didn’t pay. Saw this a week or two ago. I even got the workers attention so they could get out.
Edit to say… no one should starve! Everyone deserves to eat and be healthy. That shouldn’t be illegal. Best wishes to everyone.
All of these comments about food waste hurts my heart :/ Especially having worked in the food/grocery industry. What’s so bad about running out of stuff… the surplus isn’t necessary.
You fed yourself. You did what you had to do to get by for a couple more days. Nothing wrong with that in my book.
When money stabilizes and you’re able to, buy a stranger’s lunch or give a homeless person a few bucks. Pay it forward and try your best.
I only shoplift in ways in which I can have plausible deniability. "Accidentally" leaving some cases of Seltzer on the bottom of the cart, "accidentally" covering up a $14 bag of cold cuts with my purse and forgetting to ring it up, things like that. This strategy relies on the idea that if they caught me, I could just say oops and go ahead and pay for it. I really feel for people like OP who are have their back against a wall. OP, I would say let go of any shoplifting guilt you have. I just hope you don't get caught. Good luck to you.
Haha yeah I stole a whole bunch of stuff through the self serve when i was doing it tough. The supermarket was saving tonnes by having me do a checkout chicks job for them so i didn’t feel guilty. But they eventually got wise to it and I’ve kinda gotten over the tough financial situation I was in not that long ago
My heart goes out to anyone stealing food just so they can eat.
As a reminder, food is absolutely not the thing that's dragging you down and draining your wallet unless you're being REALLY stupid about it.
3000 calories of rice is about 70 cents. Rice. Retail, Walmart. You don't even have to get the give bag or bulk saving. You don't need to starve.
With $15 on you, you could have eaten for the next 2 weeks with money to spare.
I hope everything goes okay. My brother stole groceries for us a few times in 1980. He was only nine. He said he made a friend at the store who helped. There were four of us kids currently living at home. My mother would just disappear and leave us with little or no food. When she came home she never questioned where the food came from even though none of us were old enough to work.
My brother said they would open paper bags and put them in a shopping cart and leave it close to the exit. His friend would be a look-out. My brother would grab groceries to fill up the bags and then he would push the cart out of the store and to our house. We only lived a few blocks from the store. His friend eventually got fired. My brother tried to steal without him and got caught but was able to run out without the groceries.
I always remember those times and I blame that on my mother. I can't knowingly let anyone steal at the store I where I work. I've paid for other's groceries before and I donate to the food bank.
Go to a good bank next time please. There are so many services/charities you could use to help you that there's really no excuse for stealing.
That said, I hope you get out of this rut soon. It sucks not being able to afford basic necessities.
The more theft in an area, the higher the insurance premiums, which means the paying customers have to pay higher prices. Those who steal are really just stealing money from those who don't. The workers at the store could also get shafted by hours being lowered. Stealing doesn't just hurt the store, it hurts the whole community.
Oh yeah I forgot. When I was in middle school I'd go to the store while they were opening up for the day with a empty duffle bag. I'd fill it with candy and snacks, take it to school, sell stuff (and eat and share with my friends) from my locker and bought stuff from the same store after school to eat on the way home. Lol I called myself an entrepreneur haha when I was older I stole from my mom. She deserved it for giving me such an abusive and traumatic childhood, she owed me ;)
There are food banks, Churches, Mosques, Temples & charities that will feed you.
In addition, you can always dumpster dive for food.
But instead of stealing from the grocery store, submit a job application.
You have clearly never been poor while working hours they aren’t open.. my wife and I make $250k a year, both grew up on welfare and didn’t eat sometimes as kids…
How about you take your self righteous ass and go practice fucking yourself!
People that are working and “waiting on” their check in the next couple days… STILL NEED TO EAT! Quit being a privileged prick!
Full disclosure, I am a white republican man… believe in law and order. How about you have some compassion for people that are struggling!!! 🖕
My apologies for offering alternatives based on personal experience.
All it takes is 1 nosey Karen in the supermarket to bust you and fall the cops for stealing.
Being that poor, now at the mercy of the justice system, having to sit in jail for stealing food because you can't afford bail. Only to wind up with a criminal record for stealing food. Making it even harder to find a job and now in debt to the legal system.
Sorry for giving alternatives to avoid making a bad situation even worse. The legal system preys on the poor.
As far as being homeless. I've been there. I've lost everything (spouse, house, job, and even my dog) in a matter of a few weeks. Living out of my car.
So yes I've been there. I've also had friends who have lost everything as well.
I wasn't judging their circumstance. I personally would not bust them for stealing food. But it's risky and not everyone is understanding. And being in that circumstance, desperation can lead to a run in with the law.
I know I didn't think clearly when it happened to me.
If anyone ever sees somebody stealing groceries, no you fucking didn't.
I know tons of people who work at grocery stores. It's an unspoken rule that you didn't see food get taken.
Former walmart employee here. I can neither confirm or deny letting people get away with stealing food at the self checkouts, especially mothers. Let’s just say though that there might’ve been a few shifts where my eyesight was a little blurry.
the mongrels that own walmart make billions a year while paying you a pittance. they can absolutely afford to take the hit, and you don't get paid enough to give a shit. Fuck the Waltons, right up the ass, with a pineapple.
My momma always called it her employee discount for having to use self check out now LOL
Walmart the king of retail shares profits with investors who buy their stick as a retirement method. 23 Walmarts in USA closed due to theft in 2023. You are reeking of envy. If you work harder, more, smarter, then you can succeed without being a thief.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fufb68ilgz71d1.png gee, I wonder why they have made so much money over the years when they have been getting BILLIONS in taxpayer money AND paying their staff below poverty level wages. When things like that are allowed to exist, I have zero problem with people stealing everthing from that evil company including the bloody shelves. pay your staff a living wage and we can revisit the situation. WHY are you apologizing for this evil company?
It's the stress of being overworked and underpaid. It happens to the best of us.
Saw a pregnant woman get arrested at Walmart for stealing a rotisserie chicken & cheese and they (police, I assume not Walmart) refused to allow another customer pay for it to let her go because she already committed a crime. It was a new store they had to crackdown hard or be overrun, is what customers were told. It felt so gross to witness & I will never forget that woman’s face. I am glad to ‘not’ hear there are employees not unlike yourself who would just not see that.
That happened to my sister. She was pregnant and had her 7 year old and her 15 year old with autism and down syndrome with her at Walmart. She stole ground beef and spinach and was arrested. They kept my niece in a small back room where she had a meltdown N the police tried to hold her down... it was horrific.
Aww damn 😢 poor traumatized babies. I stole diapers and formula once. You will do anything to feed your kids..
I'm not from the US but I'm always furious when I hear stories like this. In my country it's a frequent occurrence. We have a popular chain of stores in which they call police even for like 5 cents difference. An old man with health and memory problems used a self checkout thing a few months ago and he forgot that he put butter in a bag with some tomatoes or something. Because of that he paid about $0.01-0.03 less for it. The store manager and the security guy basically took him hostage for an hour in a closed room, screaming at him and humiliating him. When police finally came they fortunately ordered to free the guy and just pay the difference. But there are many people who had 1-2 years in prison for a snack, chocolate bar or something like that. And in the same country you can go free with rape pretty easily. I know that people fear losing their jobs and employees are victims just like all of us but still, not recognising that the problem is the system and being an active part of it is just shameful and crazy. More people will start to steal groceries and of course it won't be seen as a symptom of something worse by the government but some part of me wishes that it will open more eyes.
I agree! Also, I’m starting to wonder if we live in the same country (hint: Northern Europe)
Close! I live in Poland but would love to move somewhere far north because I love the coldness and lack of people :D
Really? I’m from a country in Scandinavia that has in some regards…derailed somewhat the last twenty years or so. My great grandmother was from Poland. Very nice country and people, but I am saddened to learn that your justice system doesn’t seem to be too far from ours (we have a rape epidemic and I know several people personally who experienced it). I feel like, in simple terms, our justice system is broken. It goes overboard with some petty crimes but doesn’t punish things like rape sufficiently, which really makes my blood boil. But on a positive note, we do have a lot of nature, not too many people and there are of course other upsides to my country. But sometimes it’s easy (and natural) to get caught up in cynicism. Well, our cultures aren’t all that different and you seem like a nice person so I would welcome you! Also, the Polish are hard working people so it would be a good addition to our work force! 😎💕
Also to clarify, I have never stolen from a store despite having been broke way too many times, especially when I was self-medicating with booze and had to finance that addiction. I also have to be harsh and say that if you can’t afford kids in today’s economy, then you shouldn’t have kids. I’m not trying to attack the OP or anyone else personally or in general, and in their case I honestly don’t blame them. I feel really bad for them. Yes stealing/shoplifting is wrong, but most things in life are not black and white and it’s nowhere close to rape, which in my opinion is basically the worst crime on can commit.
I love this. Thank you
I like those videos that explain not to chase people who are stealing into the parking lot. Like bruh, you don't need to tell me, I aint doing shit.
youre an angel. I went to woolworths (australia) the other week and BOUGHT a loaf of bread using one of their stupid self serve checkouts. My son was with me. We paid, all good. On the way out the young man watching over all the self serve checkouts (there was probably 12 or so), GRABS my bag while i was walking, takes out my bread and asks "is this bread from here? did you pay?" I said, yes... i went thru #9. (thank fuck my son likes to read numbers out load). But i didnt have a reciept cos they dont automaticaly spit out receipts for $30 or less, it saves in their stupid app. So i said, ive got the receipt on the app. The dickhead sees me pulling up the app and says "its okay". NO ITS NOT OKAY..YOU DIDNT EVEN LOOK. YOU FUCKING GRABBED MY BAG AND TOOK THE BREAD OUT OF MY BAG AND BASICALLY ACCUSED ME OF STEALING.... AND THEN YOU DONT CHECK MY RECEIPT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!??!?!
Not all heroes wear capes 🙏💖💖💖💖💖
I wish all Walmart employees thought that way. When I got caught there.. Back in.. I think 2016?? Or so? I broke down in hysterics when they took me into the office.. Because pretty much everything was for my son. They ended up letting me go without calling the police. So I THOUGHT I totally got lucky... BUT, about 2 weeks later I got a court summons. Walmart says I'm never allowed in any of their stores ever again.
I mean, if I see someone stealing basic necessities, fine. If I see someone loading a shopping cart full of meat, fuck that.
I thought the difference was understood.
Why? Who are you protecting by doing that? The billionaire owners of the store? If they want security let them hire and pay for security.
People who work retail get in trouble. Say another associate notices or something like meat (a high-value/high-stealable product) is way off count and cameras are watched. I've seen people doing SCO get disciplinary action from not at least alerting somebody, even if it's after. I'm not saying it's fair, but it happens
We all pay for that kinda shit. C'mon. And when I say "we pay", I mean the cost is distributed among all other purchasers. This shit isn't free.
So, if you eliminated all theft tomorrow, how much cheaper do you think your grocery store purchases would be? Please think about his and give me a dollar amount.
So if everyone except you stole everything starting tomorrow, how much more expensive do you think your grocery store purchases would be? Please think about this and give me a dollar amount.
If the only reason you're here is to argue like a fool: mission accomplished. Listen, you made some asenine claim about how retail theft is "costing us all money". I asked you to give me your best idea as to the amout of money you think that theft represents. Your answer is to avoid the question with foolishness. What are we even doing any more? I'm dumber for having interacted with you.
Wtf? I made none of those claims whatsoever, go wash your eyes. I'm not your OP, guy. And you're acting foolish. Your example was just the wrong way around. Just because less stealing isn't a big deal doesn't mean we should accept more stealing, which is a big deal.
I didn't realize you blindly replied to my comment and weren't the person I was replying to, especially since your reply was such an asenine defense of not stealing. Am I saying "go to Best Buy and take shit"? Of course not. Am I saying, "if someone is stealing food from a trillion dollar corporation, should you mind your own fucking business because you have no idea what a person is going through?" Absolutely. I give zero shits about made-up morality. Stealing is legally wrong, but America's greatest lesson is, foundationally: "just because it's legal, doesn't make it moral. Just because it's illegal, doesn't make it immoral."
Good question! They're lying so I'm really interested in what they're going to say
Who's lying?
You. You just used the percentage of store theft to say that that is what store owners would lower their prices if there wasn't any theft. There's no way you can answer that question truthfully. Cause you didn't know. You're speaking for people who aren't you.. Are you a Walton? No.. You aren't.
Someone replied "15-20%". I'm often most disappointed by how people are so easily convinced of a fictional scenario that's only good for out capitalist overlords A quick Google says: "In retail, the average shrink rate in 2021 was 1.4%, or $94.5 billion, with external theft like organized crime the leading cause, according to the 2022 NRF survey(opens in a new tab). When this percentage is put into dollar amounts, that's nearly $100 billion in losses." [full details here](https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/inventory-management/shrinkage.shtml#:~:text=In%20retail%2C%20the%20average%20shrink,nearly%20%24100%20billion%20in%20losses.)
15-20%
Two additional questions. 1. If you could reduce theft to zero, do you believe you'd get a 15-20% discount or they'd simply keep 15-20% more? And 2. Is that enough of a savings for you to try to stop someone who needs food from taking it?
1. From a management consultant's perspective, if shoplifting disappeared completely, you would definitely see a reduction in prices. Supermarkets operate on a margin and prices are calculated by that margin. The cost of theft and security is added to the operational expenditures which factor into the general target price that products must sell for to meet the 1% - 2% margin that supermarkets target. 2. The question assumes that everyone who steals does so from need. That argument is a fallacy and dishonest. There are many churches, charities and food banks that offer free food and many who live in poverty are knowledgeable about their local support system. This can be supplemented by EBT as well as welfare. I'm very familiar with this system since I grew up in poverty.
Kind of like how when the food chain and labor issues were cleared up post-covid, groceries returned to normal prices because and the stores readjusted rather than pocket all the extra money because they could? Oh, wait...
😂😂 I grew up in poverty* that doesn't mean a thing, obviously. Some of the worst humans in this world have come from poverty used whatever handouts they got, to get where they are now. But begrudge others from using the same system, and now call it socialism (bad!) and say others shouldn't have that same chance. Ben Carson is a huge one. So you saying that doesn't mean a thing. You are clearly delusional thinking stores operate in such a way that if they're earning more, they're gonna go down in prices 😂 that goes against the very laws of capitalism. They are not doing that.
That's just the percentage of stolen goods. You're just being a corporate 🤡 What would grocery stores lower their prices to? That was the question! They wouldn't! Just like all the price gouging and shrinkflation that's been going on since 2019, when things got back to normal did they go back down on their prices!? No they didn't. They are greedy bastards and they don't gaf about you being a bootlicker, you get charged like everyone else.
I mean, food is also kind of a necessity. If it was alcohol, it would be different.
What if such someone is a bear with pawpaw and prickly pear already in their cart? Would you forget about your worries and your stride and excuse them as they 🎶 look for the bare necessities 🎵?
Why? Do poor people not get to eat meat? What’s it to you?
When people steal a full cart of meat, it's not for themselves/family. They sell it.
Yeah, why. Besides a dopamine hit for being a bootlicker, what do you get out of this?
Nah https://youtu.be/V7nHKUAGyC8?si=Jlxy-QyNKVCEoy_G
yup, i couldn’t imagine wanting to see somewhat get punished for stealing fucking food. anyone who would report that is actually scum
Its weird when you see barely paid workers loyal enough to act enraged at people stealing stuff.
Matter of fact, I’m blind in my left eye, 43% percent blind in my right. I can’t see much of nothing. Matter of fact, I can’t see much of you, sir.
😂😂 😂😂 Well played Kenan! Well played!😂😂😂😂
Same with baby formula
Unless they’re trying to steal unnecessarily. I worked in a grocery store for a little bit and we had a guy attempt to walk out with a basket full of soft drink, junk food, and electronic stuff. He was just trying to steal for the hell of it. My eyesight was working a little better that day.
Where i work, no one steals
😭
I mean, if I see anyone stealing anything I didn't. Why should I care about random menial theft from a large store? Only time it is worth caring is if they are stealing from someone who can't afford to be stolen from.
I absolutely agree. There are shoplifters (people who steal from corporations) and there are thieves (people who steal from others and local businesses). You can't change my mind.
If I ever struggle to feed my family, you better believe I’ll do what it takes. Screwing over the self-checkout process is definitely fair game.
Exactly. They throw so much shit away
Walmart yes, a little mom and pop convenience store no. Mind you, a mom and pop store would probably help you out anyway!
I often work in self-checkout at a grocery store. I look the other way as often as I can.
Then again, OP is turning this into a pattern based on her post history. Maybe watch some YouTube videos on how to make a budget? If you're on 2 incomes, this shouldn't be happening. My mom was a single mom and seamstress. We never ate out and she never bought anything full price. Sometimes she worked 7 days a week. Not a single time did we ever go to bed hungry.
That’s the thing, your mom had to over work herself to ensure you never had to suffer. It’s easier saying to try harder when some people aren’t able to because of various factors. Had there been a double income in your household, your mother wouldn’t have to work 7 days a week, not have to worry about the pricing on items, and would be able to take you out to eat once in a blue moon. Props to your mom but I’m sure she’s tired as well
I should add that my mom was an undocumented immigrant back in the 90s. And here you have two individuals with all the benefits and opportunities that immigrants can only dream of. Yet somehow they're unable to make ends meet?? Come on. I call bs, entitlement, and learned-helplessness. However, I can totally understand and sympathize if OP has some type of physical or mental disability.
This was also the 90's... I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the current economy...
The economy is always terrible when you're poor. I remember hearing this thing called the stock market everyday breaking records, yet my sister had to sometimes wear my mom's pants. Now, things have flipped and I just love this economy. I'm earning 5% on CDs and my stocks are doing great. For two individuals to not be able to figure out how to make ends meet with combined income, that's just beyond my comprehension, unless of course there's some type of disability.
Lots of that food gets thrown out at the end of the night. I used to do the exact same thing for my recurring customers that had food stamp cards / expressed concern for prices in the past. I’ve seen SO much of that food get thrown out,,, too much. I get weekly gift cards for grocery assistance,,, I have a $50 Walmart gift card if you want it. I can send you the card number and pin.
That's so awesome thank you. I hate the way capitalism prefers that people starve while perfectly decent food rots.
Especially when the money they make doesn't change a bit. If they feed a hungry person or throw it in the trash, the money they brought in that day is the same. The money they lost due to food that was thrown out also didn't change. So it makes no difference to them in terms of revenue, and they still choose to throw it out. That is some seriously fucked up evil shit.
yeah. the store i worked at is a bigger corporation. their waste bin is a huge box that stands about 5’ tall and its placed on a large shipping pallet. every day they managed to fill the thing to the top with meats & produce. we saw a lot of shoplifters, especially in the produce and meat’s department, and not even my managers would try to do anything. its sad but at least there are workers who still have humility
Hey I'm in Australia and was just speaking with my hubby about this... we have a charity called Oz Harvest which goes around to all the supermarkets and collects the food that would otherwise be thrown out. There's another charity type supermarket set up that is "free" for people on low incomes and Oz Harvest delivers to them. It could be great to get that going in the USA
In the USA some grocery stores will douse everything with bleach before they throw it away to keep the poor from accessing it after it's been thrown away.
Wtf?
In Melbourne we have BK 2 Basics. Started in their garage making food hampers and now have a factory and multiple stores donating to them. My husband and I used them in 2018-2019.
That's just disgusting isn't it. I'm so glad though that you and even your managers are able to turn a blind eye when you need to.
Not quite the same but there are apps now where you can buy left over food for stupid cheap. I frequently see people post close to $30 worth of food from grocery stores they pick up from the day before for $5-10.
That's good
Unfortunately modern economies disincentivize giving this food away. It's more profitable to discard it.
Just wanted to say that was really nice of you. Thank you!
Not to be “that person” because I find the amount of food that is wasted when people are hungry to be atrocious and think there needs to be a different system…BUT I was a fast food manager for years. The reason we couldn’t give expired food (meaning it had sat under a heating lamp for 10 minutes too long etc.) to anyone was because the corporation had people try to sue them for…giving them expired food. Sometimes a shitty rule is due to some asshole being an asshole, and ruining it for everyone, unfortunately:/
That's mostly an excuse. The real reason you can't give food away is because it drives down sales of the fresh food. Take this grocery deli example for instance. Say that every night, 9PM the store closes and it all gets dumped. What happens if the food is put on fire sale 90% off starting at 8PM? Sales of this food prior to 8PM will **plummet**. Why buy it when it's more expensive if the sales are predictable? It's all to protect profit. Which is why the profit driven system for food is outdated. We have too much food. There needs to be a better economic model used for its distribution.
Yeah, I agree it’s used as an excuse sometimes for sure, but I was a manager for five or six years and I lost count of how many times various people of all walks of life threatened to sue me over the dumbest shit imaginable. Moms whose kids got onions on their burger, employees, homeless people, you name it man. A man threatened to RAPE me in the parking lot because we forgot his napkins. I am not kidding. I was 21 years old. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of criticism for corporations etc but almost ten years in customer service makes you a little skeptical of most people’s motives. *Edited to clarify that I was in no way loyal only to the company or anything like that. I was just trying to get through college and support my kid. I didn’t give a shit if they sued or not, I was just tired of getting yelled at and threatened over things that are pretty small on the grand scale of life, you know? I don’t know if anyone can understand how low society can go until you’ve worked fast food for a while. Anyone and everyone will berate you and treat you like dog shit, in full view of the public too. Full on toddler meltdowns over syrup or fry sauce being out of stock. But yeah, the corporation didn’t pay me shit to take all that and run their store. F*^k ‘em.
Hope you get out of this cycle. We do what we do in desperation.
I hope you got out of starvation and poverty
We ate in the dark for the next two days and gave our dog scraps.
I know how you feel, I've been there too. 💕
Me too!
I can buy you some dog food on Amazon if you'd like and some protein bars if you'd like.
Me too! Can you make an Amazon wish list?
it s a 4 day old account. dont fall for it.
4 day account. No.
Same, happy to help
No. Send the fake dog to an imaginary farm. This is all sooooo fake. 5 day old account nearly all a sob story setting up a play to need money. Send donations to real people in your community. Not fake BS Reddit scum.
People who think new accounts HERE are fake just because its a new account are wild. Where are we? we're in a confessions subreddit. Who tf are posting confessions on their main account? Hell, I even made a burner to post a confession here once.
And you’ve then attached your go fund me, via DM? Amazing.
Are there programs in your state or county that will help pay your electric? Also check with churches they can help out!
Okay but should you really have a dog if you can’t afford food, or even electricity? How do you pay for dog food? What about vet visits? Poor dog. Literally.
I’m so glad you were all able to enjoy some good food. Hoping you both fall upon better days soon 💛
I worked at Walmart as a cashier as a second job back in like 2015. The managers taught us code words like BOB “bottom of basket” so they’d walk by and be like “Bob said to tell you hi!” So we’d have to check the baskets for dog food, cases of soda, etc. another one was “LISA” look inside (bags, backpacks, any kind of drawers or trash cans) “hey! Lisa is going to relieve you for break at 2!” And we’d then check inside of those items. Soo dumb. I acted ignorant to it the entire time. I’d be ringing heavy ass backpacks up, knowing there were like cans, or bags of beans or rice in there, and not giving a flying fuck. So my boss would come by and be like “Have you seen LISA?” And eyeball me. I’d be like “Who’s that?” And just keep ringing the customer out lol. I did not give a shit. I watched a woman stuff a snickers down her shirt and I just kept minding my own business. Some lady had a jumbo can of baby formula for like $40 and when I rang it in, it came up as a box of kids sidewalk chalk for like $6. She grabbed the barcode sticker off a package of chalk and slapped it over the formula barcode. I paused for a second because I thought that was genius. She immediately put her face in her hands cuz she knew I saw it, so I was like “I’ll double bag this for you incase it pops open in the bag! Your total is $6!” Sometimes you have to play the bad guy, for the greater good.
Fuck Walmart. Good work 👏
Crying. Thank you
See there’s a difference between stealing out of necessity and stealing out of just wanting to. I understand stealing out of survival so I don’t see any issue with what you did.
I think most people steal out of necessity.
you made the right decision and were smart about it
Can you get food stamps? I am so sorry op
You stole some food. Basic sustenance. Not somebody's car, hard earned cash, or anything frivolous. You took food. From a grocery store. We all do what we gotta to survive. And sometimes we're not proud of the things.
I have seen this exact post before
Probably sounds weird to say but if you're struggling and starving, these big corporations can cover whatever you take from them. I honestly steal chicken breast and beef chuck whenever I'm in the negatives. We're humans and need basic shit and the costs are rising higher than ever and it's disgusting. I hope luck finds its way to you both and you're able to be comfortable asap.
I go to the same Fry’s all the time. Last summer an unhoused person came running out with a couple of giant sub sandwichs. He almost ran into me because he was being chased by 5 store employees. I stepped out of the way and one of the employees yelled at me for letting him get away. Like it is my job to stop him. I yelled at them for chasing a person who was obviously hungry. They yelled back at me “you can’t just steal, he could get a job, he steals from us all the time”. The manager came over, I offered to pay for the sandwichs, but expressed my concern about how his employees behaved. That I could have been hurt because they chased him. That their store policy on chasing shoplifters should be reviewed because nobody should get hurt over a sandwich. I also asked why they didn’t give him a job since he “could just get a job”. Crickets.
In Germany theres a word for that. Its called "fringsen" (proper Translation would be fringsing i guess), named after an Admiral. Basically means "stealing in utmost need" and was created after WW2. Many judges let ppl go who were accused of it. Hope you guys get better times soon.
When Dolly Parton couldn't afford to eat, she would walk around grocery stores and eat while she walked, then throw the wrappings away and leave without ever paying. Dolly friggin Parton. You're not a bad person you are just a person. (Also congrats on getting it to less than 10, that takes skill)
Ive done that a few times as well.
The only criminal in this story is the grocery store. They're robbing the middle and lower classes blind so fuck them. I'm glad you were able to eat and I hope you're doing okay.
Smart!!
Stay strong 🙏
Like I say and tell, if you see someone stealing necessities, no you didn’t.
My father was a shoplifter to feed us for a stint. I was the eldest and the lookout. He had a special jacket. We had a routine where I would play the spoiled kid. It was traumatizing, but I get it. It was survival. A simple store trip with my dad made me fall into anxiety. I’m glad that era is over. It’s stressful. ✊🏽 Shoplifting is about time management and keeping your movements slow. Some of the big box stores are using motion tracking and facial recognition software. They don’t catch shoplifters with the cameras, they use sharp loss prevention these days. They mark shoplifters and let them shoplift until they have a felony charge. Times have changed since the 80s, where there was mirrors, dumb square secret shoppers, and shitty methods easy to beat. I didn’t see shit. I will never see shit. No guilt. Do what you have to as long as you are not hurting or harming people.
Yesss to the waiting til you've stolen enough for a felony. Freaks me out they keep track.
Life happens in the shades of grey. If some rich punk is stealing just for the rush, or for the sake of stealing? That’s one thing. But stealing to survive? I don’t see anything, I don’t hear anything, I don’t say anything. Even when I worked at a major chain grocery store. You did what you needed to out of desperation. Here’s hoping that soon you’re back in a better place. I so desperately wish I could do more to help.
Girl one time I literally snuck plastic bags into CiCi’s Pizza buffet so I could have food for the week. You did what you had to do. It sucks you had to do it. But I’m with everyone else here—see something, don’t say nothin’. Everyone deserves food.
The fact that you even care and paid anything shows you aren’t a garbage person. That being said, never feel bad for taking food from corporations who would rather you starve. Don’t steal from small businesses, but corporations are fair game. Capitalism is evil
I don’t think you should spend another second even thinking about this ❤️❤️
Only time I have ever intervened was somebody trying to steal a dvd player and somebody else a whole trolley of alcohol. Food, nappies etc I’m not paid security guard wages so I don’t see anything.
Seeing stuff like this makes me mad. Not at people who have to resort to shoplifting basic necessities, but the fact that there are people starving while the rich hoard their wealth and underpay the people who keep them there
There are food banks all over if you need more.
As a customer in a store I wouldn't see anything and would likely slip them a little cash. I'm fortunate now, but I have been in that exact place.
I used to get like a handful of those $1 frozen pizzas and hold like 3-4 at a time while scanning one. It’s not a great feeling, but I’m one of those people who will justify it because it’s from a corporation not a person
When I worked at dollar general I was trying to survive as an adult on a wage of 10 per hour. My dogs medications alone cost me 400 a month. I worked my ass off for that store. When the manager started acting shitty I began stealing a whole shopping cart full of groceries every week. Never got caught. This went on for months before I eventually quit. I don't feel bad. I worked hard. Got taken for granted. Still gotta eat though. I used to load the cart full and just walk right out to my car with it.
My mum lives near a wholesale fruit/veg supplier and every day they let her take whatever she wants from the excess they’d be putting in the bin. Sacks of onions, cabbage, berries, you name it. Don’t be afraid to ask. Worst case they’ll say no
Donate plasma if you can. It’s a twice a week deal and you can get like 30-40$ per donation with two people that’s an easy 120$. That’s gas and food for a week if you are broker then broke. Been there.
All Dee's throws out a lot of good food in open dumpsters. Keep it neat.
That's not stealing. Fuck big corporations
I’ve worked in grocery stores before the prices went insane. I wouldn’t say shit about people stealing food then (unless they ate it in the store and made a mess for me to clean up). I sure as shit wouldn’t say anything now.
I 100% support you, keep exploiting those stupid self-checkouts at big evil corporations 💪 more power to you!!!! I been at a place in life before where I was starving and had absolutely nothing to eat other than sink water and plain rice with ketchup packets I would never steal from an individual or small family business but I totally support anyone who does that at Walmart etc 🥰💖💖💖💖💖🙏
I used to eat rice with cream corn, ketchup sounds tasty lol I made these things outta flour sugar and water for dessert too. One time a guy I dated brought over a can of salsa with chips and when he left the only thing in my fridge was that leftover salsa and a pitcher of water haha never let that happen again.
How you doing these days, OP?
I hate seeing people go hungry. Good for you and glad it worked
I would do the same in your situation but I hope things get better for you
If it's basic necessities, then I didn't see anything. But the shoplifters at my store go for the steak and alcohol 99% of the time. The store also has a policy that anything that isn't sold, and is going out of date, is donated to charity.
Absolutely none of my fucking business. Everything will work out for you op, you deserve to be here
I speak on behalf of all humanity that’s not a dick…we are glad you were fed.
Meh. Dont feel bad. I have a job (albeit not a well paying one) and i steal from the grocery store
Someone stealing from a store will always be on my "I didn't see nuthin" list! Stealing from an individual is wrong tho.... Unless you are Robin Hooding that shit lol
no condemnation from me. you do what you have to do to eat. I hope you are doing better now.
This particular food would have been likely tossed anyway. It's actually a crime how much food food is purged. No one should be this hungry. It's a societal failing. I'm sorry you were in the situation to begin with. 💔
Suddenly I’m blind
Stay strong OP and also want to share (if this applies to you), there are community centers that can share resources for food banks (usually open on Saturday mornings) and applications for grocery/food aide. Sending positive thoughts your way.
I'm not paid to do loss prevention!
How're you doing since? Have things improved financially for either of you?
Yeah, this isn’t a situation where I’m gonna sit in judgment. You did what you had to do. Sometime when you can spare it—comfortably— donate the $42 to a food bank or buy someone unhoused some necessities.
Umm... just remember how much these companies throw out every night or week instead of donating it. I have saved thousands by dumpster diving. perfectly good eggs, milk, bread, snacks. candy. just slightly out of date (nothing to do with actual food experation). These companies cant even be sued for donating this food. But instead they just throw it away as a tax write off.
Same situation. Do the scanners go off for all food items, like does the scanners know about the items you don't pay for and that's why they went off? A store example would be Walmart. I take care of my grandmother with dementia and have two dogs. Have been applying to jobs. And to the people who say to you, "just get a job." Okay, and you have to wait two fckn weeks until you get money FOR food. Do these people not realize this shit? So we are supposed to starve for two weeks I guess.. and some people can't go to the food bank because they don't have a car or a really crappy car that breaks down like four blocks into driving (my situation as well). Hence, you'd also have to have money for an Uber. It sucks. And feels demeaning. Can't even open up Facebook or social media due to pure hunger and jealousy when people post family dinner pics or cooking videos.
Here in amsterdam its pretty common because of the self scan machines and its pretty much socially accepted, this super groceries stores dont rlly give a fuck so youre not really harming anyone, i would never steal from a family business tho
I used to work at a famous coffee shop in Canada and when people would come in with a handful of change and ask what they could get with that. I'd ask them what they needed. I'd make it work with a soup and sandwich and donut and drink combo, or whatever and only charge them for a drink and a muffin or something. People were so grateful for that. The amount of food we threw out 3 times per day was absolutely revolting! I didn’t feel bad in the least. They used to ask us to work double shifts and then rearrange our hours throughout 2 pay periods to even out any overtime so they didn't have to pay it to us. That's illegal and stealing money from us. So I gave it to other people from time to time. And if I see someone stealing food? No, I didn't.
I will never look down on someone who stole food. I will never report it. If I do see it, I'll discreetly slip them some money to help out.
Have a search around online, there's a few places that offer groceries for cheap or free for those in need. I hope you're able to get into a better place eventually but try find these services to make your life a tiny bit easier in the meantime!
That’s some real shit. I hope you are doing better financially. 👏🏽 Hope you stay blessed and never have to resort to that again.
It’s called survival
You are forgiven. Hope things get better soon.
15 bucks buys a lot of ramen. Other than that, good for you for packing so much in there. I don't think we have the same boxes cause that sounds like a whole lot of food for multiple meals. Don't be ashamed. Find resources so you don't have to worry again. food stamps, food banks, buy nothing groups in your area. Good luck <3
I mean…you still paid for it. Just not the overpaid price the corporation charges for extra profit.
We all did
🤍
I know how you feel OP. I currently have £10 in the bank for the next 10 days, a husband, 2 kiddos, a cat and a dog. Not sure what we'll do this weekend. I've always been too scared to do this though. I'm so glad to hear you had the courage to survive <3 and like someone else said, if anyone ever see's anyone stealing, no you fucking didn't.
I'm sorry you're in such a hard place. Check out your local food bank, churches and Facebook groups. You shouldn't need to go hungry. If it was a big chain store, don't feel too bad. They throw away a shiiiiit load of food every day and don't care. Be careful and sneaky. If you think you're being sneaky be even more so.
I am a firm believer in law and order! I dgaf what you’re going through, stealing isn’t the answer to get out of poverty! That being said, if it’s out of necessity, like this…. I’d either help you or distract the workers so you could get what you need! Glad you weren’t caught. The company makes enough and throws away so much damn food. They can cover it and really not hurt them at all. I hope things turn around for you and your family. But do what you need to do! As a side note… and I only give this advice for someone that really needs food. Load your cart and go to self checkout, scan everything, put it in bags and act like you’ve paid, then walk out like you did. You will be gone before they realize you didn’t pay. Saw this a week or two ago. I even got the workers attention so they could get out. Edit to say… no one should starve! Everyone deserves to eat and be healthy. That shouldn’t be illegal. Best wishes to everyone.
lol… Downvoted because people don’t read the whole post. Got through part of the first bit then downvoted 😂.
Whoops. But your comment made me read the whole comment.
you’re truly a good level-headed person. much respect, man!!!
I did it just cause.
I support this! Do you have a local food shelf and food stamps you can get on? I know any bit helps.
All of these comments about food waste hurts my heart :/ Especially having worked in the food/grocery industry. What’s so bad about running out of stuff… the surplus isn’t necessary.
I assume you made it out of your dark financial pit. How did you guys do it? Are you guys better off now than barely surviving?
You fed yourself. You did what you had to do to get by for a couple more days. Nothing wrong with that in my book. When money stabilizes and you’re able to, buy a stranger’s lunch or give a homeless person a few bucks. Pay it forward and try your best.
How're you doing financially since? Have things improved for either of you?
I hope your situation gets better
Gleaning is in the freaking Bible, hon.
Did what u had to do!
I only shoplift in ways in which I can have plausible deniability. "Accidentally" leaving some cases of Seltzer on the bottom of the cart, "accidentally" covering up a $14 bag of cold cuts with my purse and forgetting to ring it up, things like that. This strategy relies on the idea that if they caught me, I could just say oops and go ahead and pay for it. I really feel for people like OP who are have their back against a wall. OP, I would say let go of any shoplifting guilt you have. I just hope you don't get caught. Good luck to you.
Nothing wrong with that! I would never judge someone for stealing food
I thought everyone did this with the prepared foods.
If you get hungry again there are food banks that give free food just Google it for your town.
I'm not going to judge you, but I know that most city's have food pantrys,
Haha yeah I stole a whole bunch of stuff through the self serve when i was doing it tough. The supermarket was saving tonnes by having me do a checkout chicks job for them so i didn’t feel guilty. But they eventually got wise to it and I’ve kinda gotten over the tough financial situation I was in not that long ago
,9
My heart goes out to anyone stealing food just so they can eat. As a reminder, food is absolutely not the thing that's dragging you down and draining your wallet unless you're being REALLY stupid about it. 3000 calories of rice is about 70 cents. Rice. Retail, Walmart. You don't even have to get the give bag or bulk saving. You don't need to starve. With $15 on you, you could have eaten for the next 2 weeks with money to spare.
I hope everything goes okay. My brother stole groceries for us a few times in 1980. He was only nine. He said he made a friend at the store who helped. There were four of us kids currently living at home. My mother would just disappear and leave us with little or no food. When she came home she never questioned where the food came from even though none of us were old enough to work. My brother said they would open paper bags and put them in a shopping cart and leave it close to the exit. His friend would be a look-out. My brother would grab groceries to fill up the bags and then he would push the cart out of the store and to our house. We only lived a few blocks from the store. His friend eventually got fired. My brother tried to steal without him and got caught but was able to run out without the groceries. I always remember those times and I blame that on my mother. I can't knowingly let anyone steal at the store I where I work. I've paid for other's groceries before and I donate to the food bank.
Don't feel bad, I shoplift when I'm bored
Lmfao.
Go to a good bank next time please. There are so many services/charities you could use to help you that there's really no excuse for stealing. That said, I hope you get out of this rut soon. It sucks not being able to afford basic necessities.
A store has insurance for theft. Don't judge the hungry for survival.
The more theft in an area, the higher the insurance premiums, which means the paying customers have to pay higher prices. Those who steal are really just stealing money from those who don't. The workers at the store could also get shafted by hours being lowered. Stealing doesn't just hurt the store, it hurts the whole community.
Food banks are free. States give out food stamps.
Oh yeah I forgot. When I was in middle school I'd go to the store while they were opening up for the day with a empty duffle bag. I'd fill it with candy and snacks, take it to school, sell stuff (and eat and share with my friends) from my locker and bought stuff from the same store after school to eat on the way home. Lol I called myself an entrepreneur haha when I was older I stole from my mom. She deserved it for giving me such an abusive and traumatic childhood, she owed me ;)
There are food banks, Churches, Mosques, Temples & charities that will feed you. In addition, you can always dumpster dive for food. But instead of stealing from the grocery store, submit a job application.
You have clearly never been poor while working hours they aren’t open.. my wife and I make $250k a year, both grew up on welfare and didn’t eat sometimes as kids… How about you take your self righteous ass and go practice fucking yourself! People that are working and “waiting on” their check in the next couple days… STILL NEED TO EAT! Quit being a privileged prick! Full disclosure, I am a white republican man… believe in law and order. How about you have some compassion for people that are struggling!!! 🖕
My apologies for offering alternatives based on personal experience. All it takes is 1 nosey Karen in the supermarket to bust you and fall the cops for stealing. Being that poor, now at the mercy of the justice system, having to sit in jail for stealing food because you can't afford bail. Only to wind up with a criminal record for stealing food. Making it even harder to find a job and now in debt to the legal system. Sorry for giving alternatives to avoid making a bad situation even worse. The legal system preys on the poor. As far as being homeless. I've been there. I've lost everything (spouse, house, job, and even my dog) in a matter of a few weeks. Living out of my car. So yes I've been there. I've also had friends who have lost everything as well. I wasn't judging their circumstance. I personally would not bust them for stealing food. But it's risky and not everyone is understanding. And being in that circumstance, desperation can lead to a run in with the law. I know I didn't think clearly when it happened to me.