Every once in a while generous consumers will “pay it forward” by buying their fellow customers coffee, diapers, lunch, or other items. These feel-good chains usually peter out after a few customers, but not for dozens of customers at one Pennsylvania Starbucks. [More]
generosity
Does Venmo Hold Moochers Accountable, Or Let Cheapskates Show Their True Colors?
By 5.19.16
Between PayPal’s Venmo, Facebook’s Messenger, Chase’s Quickpay, Square’s Cash, and other money-sending services, there’s no shortage of ways for friends to quickly send each other a few dollars to split the check at dinner. But with the convenience of such apps, are we forgetting our manners or just finally holding our friends accountable? [More]
More “Layaway Angels” Pay For $306K In Gifts At Four Walmart Stores
By 12.16.15
Just hours after “Santa B.,” a so-called layaway angel, shelled out $79,000 to pay for toys and other gifts at a Pennsylvania Walmart, another generous person was paying off $106,000 in balances on layaway orders at two Walmart stores just a state away in Ohio. [More]
‘Tis The Season: Secret ‘Santa B’ Pays For $79K In Layaway Gifts At Pennsylvania Walmart
By 12.15.15
Each year, so-called “layaway angels” visit retailers covering the remaining balances of orders that strangers had planned to pay for over time. This year is no different, as one generous person shelled out $79,000 to pay for toys and other gifts on layaway at a Pennsylvania Walmart. [More]
Lottery Winner Grabs Burger In Canadian Midwest, Leaves $10,000 Tip
By 7.1.13
Passing through Saskatchewan, a man from British Columbia, Canada happened to stop in a little restaurant to grab a burger. The visitor wrote a $10,000 check and told the restaurant owner to take his bill out of that and keep the rest. Was it some kind of scam? No, just a very generous lottery winner. [More]
Americans Were More Charitable Last Year Than In 2010
By 1.25.12
In what can be construed as a sign of economic recovery, Americans were in a more giving mood in 2011 than they were in 2010. Donors forked over a collective $347 billion to charities last year, $24.2 billion more than the year before. [More]
Woman Gives Away Free Stuff To 'Mexican Women,' Causes Discount Store Frenzy
By 6.10.11
It’s a scientifically documented fact that the best way to cause a frenzy in a retail store is to give stuff away to everyone in the vicinity. That’s exactly what happened in Oceanside, Calif. recently when a woman shouted in a discount store that she would buy $100 worth of merchandise for each person there. As long as they were Mexican women. The generosity came with a tirade of profanity and a whole lot of questions about the woman’s mental state. [More]
Are You Cutting Back On Tips This Season?
By 11.23.09
The end of the year is usually when you tip service providers, but if you’re on a reduced budget then you’re probably going to want to scale back this year. Here are some suggestions from etiquette experts contacted by Reuters.
Fake Lottery Winner Enrages Burlington Coat Factory Shoppers
By 10.17.09
Earlier this week, a lottery winner pulled up her stretch Hummer in front of a Burlington Coat Factory store near Columbus, Ohio. In an Oprah-esque share of largesse, she promised to buy every shopper in the store $500 worth of merchandise. But she turned out to be no fairy godmother. She wasn’t even a real lottery winner. When customers discovered the lie, they took their frustration out on the store, trashing it.
Grocery Aisle Coupon Fairies: Nuisance Or Nice?
By 10.3.09
You reach for an item at your local grocery store, and notice that on the shelf next to it is a coupon thoughtfully left behind by another shopper. But wait, is this a thoughtful way to keep clipped coupons from going to waste? Or just a way for shoppers to feel good about themselves, but create more litter for grocery store employees to clean up?
