I’m a Cashier. Here’s Why People Are Failing at Inflation.
The scanner beep is the soundtrack of my workday. Beep. Beep. Beep.
As a cashier, I watch hundreds of transactions a shift. I see what you buy, how much you spend, and, most frustratingly, how much you don't save.
We live in an era where everyone is complaining about the cost of living. Groceries are up, rent is up, everything is up. You would assume that in this economic climate, shoppers would be shark-like in their pursuit of a deal.
My experience behind the register tells a very different, very surprising story.
The truth is, most people just don’t seem to care.
When I shop for my own groceries and essentials, I treat it like a mild sport. Between store apps, digital coupons, and weekly ad specials, I easily hit a 20% savings rate on nearly every trip. I don’t spend hours clipping paper; it takes maybe ten minutes of prep on my phone before I walk in.
Then I go to work and watch customers hemorrhage that same 20%.
The interaction is almost always the same.
Me: "Did you enter your phone number for the rewards today?" Customer (already tapping their card): "No, I'm good." Me: "Do you have any digital coupons clipped in the app?" Customer: "Nah, too much hassle."
They then proceed to pay full price for $150 worth of items that could have easily been $120 or less. They walk out the door, having just voluntarily donated $30 to a massive corporation because typing seven digits into a keypad felt like too much work.
The most heartbreaking part of this job isn't the affluent suburbanite ignoring a messy fifty-cent coupon. It’s seeing the people who genuinely need every penny.
I process a significant number of transactions involving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and EBT cards. These are folks for whom the grocery budget isn't just tight; it's a lifeline.
Yet, surprisingly, this demographic is often the least likely to utilize loyalty programs or digital coupons.
I see carts full of staple items—diapers, laundry detergent, cereal—that almost always have high-value digital coupons available in the app. Yet, the phone number isn't entered. The savings aren't triggered. The EBT balance takes a harder hit than it needed to.
Why is this? It’s certainly not laziness. It's something deeper and sadder.
My anecdotal observations at register 4 align with broader economic data. We are leaving billions on the table.
According to data from Inmar Intelligence, digital coupon redemption rates hover tragically low. While millions of coupons are "clipped" digitally, only a tiny fraction are actually redeemed at checkout.
Why do we do this? Why do we ignore free money?
1. The Cognitive Load of Poverty This explains the SNAP observation. Researchers, including behavioral economist Sendhil Mullainathan, have studied the concept of "scarcity." When you are constantly worried about money, housing, or your job, your mental bandwidth is taxed to the limit.
Remembering to download an app, create a password, navigate a digital flyer, and clip a virtual coupon for $1.00 off toilet paper requires mental energy that someone in crisis mode simply doesn't have. The convenience of just paying and leaving outweighs the financial benefit in that moment of exhaustion.
2. Friction and "Deal Fatigue" For the average consumer, retailers have made saving money annoying. It used to be cutting a piece of paper. Now, it’s: Download the app. Consent to tracking. Remember your password. Clip the specific coupon. Ensure you bought the exact right size and scent to trigger the deal. Scan the barcode at the right time.
The friction is high. Many people decide that their time and sanity are worth more than the $4.50 they might save.
3. The Illusion of Affordability We are a culture addicted to convenience. Tapping an Apple Pay watch is frictionless. Stopping to engage with a savings program is a speedbump. If the total on the screen doesn't immediately cause a heart attack, many just pay it to keep the line moving.
Every day, I watch a slow-motion financial tragedy.
I see the struggling parent pay $25 for diapers when I know there’s a "$5 gift card when you buy two" deal they missed. I see the college student buying ramen at full price when it’s on a "buy one get one 50% off" sale that requires the app.
It’s frustrating because as the cashier, I can't force the savings on you. I can prompt you, but I can’t make you care.
If you are reading this and feeling the pinch of inflation, I implore you: stop ignoring the tools right in front of your face. The retailers are counting on your exhaustion. They are banking on your apathy.
Don't let them win. It takes five minutes to save 20%. Do the math on what that adds up to over a year. I guarantee you, it's worth the hassle.
