I live alone now so my buying habits for everything are different than when I had a family to cook for etc. My daughter is grown up and on her own and my husband has passed on. But when we were all together I used to coupon and often get items for free. I don't think I ever had a wad of coupons more than an inch thick, and if a person is organized it really doesn't go nearly as long as when a price check is required.
One night I was trying to get through the express lane. I had no coupons, but there were 3 people ahead of me. The first 2 went smoothly, but the the 3rd lady in line was short just one single penny to pay for her purchase. She was elderly and carrying a huge purse. The checker told her to forget about the penny, but she would not. I offered her a penny, but no, she would not take from another person because she had a penny in the bottom of that huge bag she had with her and she was determined she would find it. She searched and searched for that penny while we all waited and the line got longer. She finally found it at least 5 minutes later.
Another time around 8 PM I was standing in another long line at Walmart and there was a young man questioning the checker about a product he was buying. She was patiently answering his questions as best she could. This went on for 20 minutes!! And yes, it was the express lane again, and there weren't enough lanes open and every one had long lines, so there was nothing to do but wait and wait and wait some more.
I could give you oodles of stories of when I have had to wait for people for one reason or another at the check out over my life.
No one will complain to me about having to wait for me because if they do they will hear about all the times I have had to wait for other people, very probably themselves once or twice. I don't complain and huff and puff when I must wait in the check out lane, and when someone has to wait for me, I look at it as the law of averages. On several yesterdays I had to wait for other people -- today it's someone's turn to wait for me
No one seems to give a damn when they are the ones holding everyone up, but when they have to wait, oh my they have a time because the grim reaper is waiting and they have places to go and people to meet before that reaper catches up with them. Well, so do I. What goes around comes around.
Do your best to be organized with your coupons when you get to the checkout, and forget about what other people think. When you try to please everyone you end up pleasing no one. I'm sure you don't want to spend any more time in the check out than necessary either.
