I can't remember the last time I had to prioritize my shopping cart to weed out the least necessary things, so that I'd have enough money to pay the cashier. So today, having to choose between the bottled water and the pore strips because I was $0.11 short, brought back memories from my Berkeley days. I had some coins in my car, but didn't feel like making the trip out to get them. So when the cashier held up the pore strips and asked me "Should I take these out?", I told her "No, no. Take the water out." That's right, I chose pore strips over water. It didn't feel right, but Target didn't have the water that I like anyway. I had to pick the bottled tap water that just happen to taste better than my own tap water. I can live without it for another day. The pore strips - different story. My facial is still a few weeks away, I am too lazy to use the mask regularly, and now I'm desperate.
I would have had enough for both the water and the strips if I hadn't given some money away to the lady in the van. I was driving back to my office from a meeting when I decided to grab some lunch. I couldn't decide what to eat, so I headed to Target instead. I parked my car, and then realized that I didn't have my wallet. But I figured I have enough cash. I was walking into the store, counting my $1 bills, when this lady in a van stopped me (note to self: do not count money, $1 or larger, in public). The lady said her mother is ill, and they were driving up to Santa Rosa to see her when they discovered that her husband left his wallet at home. Now they don't have enough money for gas.
I looked at the lady, trying to see whether she is just taking me for a sucker, or if she really needed the money. Her husband behind the wheel, and her two teenage kids in the back seat looked away when I looked at them. The lady said she would give me her address if I wanted her to pay me back. (Now that I think about it, I wouldn't know what to do with it even if I had taken her address. Shouldn't she be taking my address instead, so she can mail the money?) I couldn't tell whether she was sincere, but figured that I would give her some of my $1's, just in case she was telling the truth. After all, I've had to ask money from strangers before. Once when I didn't have enough for my Bart ticket, and another time when I didn't have change for the bus. The ding-dong bus driver told me to just get on even though I didn't have exact change, since someone on the bus must have some. Well nobody had enough change, and in the end this nice Chinese lady gave me $1 for the fare. Anyway, my point is, it is possible that her husband forgot his wallet, and she really needed the money for gas. So I gave some of my money to her, and immediately, her husband became engaged in the conversation and thanked me profusely. I'll just assume she was telling the truth. Even if it's mostly to not feel like I've been had.
Driving back to the office, I thought that perhaps I should have asked to look at her fuel gauge, and if it was empty, I should've told her to wait for me at the gas station while I go back and get my wallet. If she trusted that I would come back and waited for me, I'd buy her some gas in return.
Oh well, maybe next time.
I would have had enough for both the water and the strips if I hadn't given some money away to the lady in the van. I was driving back to my office from a meeting when I decided to grab some lunch. I couldn't decide what to eat, so I headed to Target instead. I parked my car, and then realized that I didn't have my wallet. But I figured I have enough cash. I was walking into the store, counting my $1 bills, when this lady in a van stopped me (note to self: do not count money, $1 or larger, in public). The lady said her mother is ill, and they were driving up to Santa Rosa to see her when they discovered that her husband left his wallet at home. Now they don't have enough money for gas.
I looked at the lady, trying to see whether she is just taking me for a sucker, or if she really needed the money. Her husband behind the wheel, and her two teenage kids in the back seat looked away when I looked at them. The lady said she would give me her address if I wanted her to pay me back. (Now that I think about it, I wouldn't know what to do with it even if I had taken her address. Shouldn't she be taking my address instead, so she can mail the money?) I couldn't tell whether she was sincere, but figured that I would give her some of my $1's, just in case she was telling the truth. After all, I've had to ask money from strangers before. Once when I didn't have enough for my Bart ticket, and another time when I didn't have change for the bus. The ding-dong bus driver told me to just get on even though I didn't have exact change, since someone on the bus must have some. Well nobody had enough change, and in the end this nice Chinese lady gave me $1 for the fare. Anyway, my point is, it is possible that her husband forgot his wallet, and she really needed the money for gas. So I gave some of my money to her, and immediately, her husband became engaged in the conversation and thanked me profusely. I'll just assume she was telling the truth. Even if it's mostly to not feel like I've been had.
Driving back to the office, I thought that perhaps I should have asked to look at her fuel gauge, and if it was empty, I should've told her to wait for me at the gas station while I go back and get my wallet. If she trusted that I would come back and waited for me, I'd buy her some gas in return.
Oh well, maybe next time.
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