Have you ever bought a stranger's groceries?

Have you ever bought a stranger's groceries?

  • YES

    Votes: 36 31.3%
  • NO

    Votes: 62 53.9%
  • Thought about it

    Votes: 20 17.4%

  • Total voters
    115
I did pay once. Older lady, may be in her 80s was in front of me, with cane and barely walking. She got just couple items like bread and pack of butter. She was staying at the register already looking distressed, very pale and sweating. Cashier rang her items and voiced amount - lady did not understand at first but then started to search in her purse, her hands were shaking very bad and then she almost fainted. Guy who was packing items got to her really quick and sat her on the chair, while they were trying to decide if they need to call ambulance or not I just gave my card to pay for her purchase and cashier brought it her.
 
Never groceries.
Although we have on occasion paid for another table’s meal at restaurants.
Once a mother on her own with two kids (quite the handful;)).
Other times, just because it is a random nice thing to do:)
 
Once. Young woman didn't have change for her purchase. I just offered to pay it. She softly said thanks. I think she was embarrassed.

I gave a homeless guy a Subway one and only time. He was very thankful. I walked away and looked back and he chucked it in the trash.

Also, I was at dinner date at fancy restaurant with an ex. She was breaking up with me. It was an amicable breakup. Some guy paid for our $200+ meal. He couldn't have heard what was going on as he was several tables away. He had been long gone when it was time for me to get the bill.
 
Also, I was at dinner date at fancy restaurant with an ex. She was breaking up with me. It was an amicable breakup. Some guy paid for our $200+ meal. He couldn't have heard what was going on as he was several tables away. He had been long gone when it was time for me to get the bill.
Probably it was her new boyfriend who paid for it. ;)
 
I have thought about it but not done it, so far.
I did try to help an older lady jump start her car at the grocery store, but it needed more than a jump.
The tow truck she called pulled up as I was leaving.
 
I stopped in a local dollar store to pick up a couple of things. When I finished my purchase, the woman behind me wanted to pay for some toiletry items (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.) that were set aside that she said her husband did not have the money to pay for. I suspected they were migrant farm workers. She was slowly counting money out of a little coin purse. I handed her the cash that I just got back from my purchase. Told her to have a nice day.
 
No, but I've bought people dinner anonomously on several occasions. We always try and get the staff in on it too. It's a good way to share and stay humble. How do we pick? Not sure-just go with my gut. It makes life fun!
 
I did pay once. Older lady, may be in her 80s was in front of me, with cane and barely walking. She got just couple items like bread and pack of butter. She was staying at the register already looking distressed,
Could have been the same Lady.... bread and butter were 2 of 4
 
I guess I should have added more to this.... We randomly by meals for Service folks... LEO, Military Fire ... Of course EMS. Have had it done countless times to me... I'm the type of person that has turned around at the next exit to go help someone change a tire on the other side of the interstate.
LOL... Once we stopped at a store coming home from a trip, had a guy asking for cash to get something to eat.... I offered to make him a sandwich... he then said he wanted money for beer....
So I opened the cooler and handed him one....
 
I donate each year to several food banks, but have never found the opportunity to pay for someone’s groceries. But when I was standing in line at a busy grocery store during the holiday rush, a person came running in, saying, “Call 911, someone just collapsed in the parking lot!” The customer whose groceries were being checked through, a woman about 40, said, “I’m a nurse!” and ran out the store to assist. The cashier stood there for a few moments, waiting and not sure what to do. The next person in line, a man, said to the cashier to put her groceries on his tab. Cashier rang up her groceries, bagged them in 3 bags, and placed them in her cart. The man picked up his grocery bag and left. When the good samaritan returned, she looked confused at first when she saw her bagged groceries, and completely guffawed when she learned someone else paid for hers. A very kind man who didn’t even see her reaction.
 
I went grocery shopping late in the evening during the pandemic. During checkout there was a homeless guy checking out in front of me who was about 5 dollars short. He was looking at his groceries trying to decide what to cut from his purchase while I gave the clerk the amount he needed. The homeless guy started thanking me and said that he would remember me and he would pay me back. We were both wearing masks. I couldn't help but laugh!
 
Yes, several times. Most recently a mom with 2 young kids and a very full cart was ahead of me. Wait was long, we got to talking. She said groceries were her biggest expense. Her two oldest boys recently moved into an apartment, her husband was in construction and packed a big lunch. The older boys always seemed to be around at supper time.

After her groceries rang up, she used a card and maxed it out before full payment. Second card covered some but wasn’t enough. She dug out a gift card but it didn’t work at all. I stepped over and said, “ let’s see if my card works.” It did and the last of the $ was taken care of: over $200. She tried to give me her gift card. I told her to save it for next time. With tears in her eyes she asked if she could at least give me a hug.

Another time a homeless guy asked me for $ for food when I got out of my car in a shopping center parking lot. I told him I was headed to Starbucks for coffee and asked if he likes their food. He said he’d never eaten there so I invited him to join me. He picked out something from the counter, I urged him to get a drink, I ordered the grande size and then suggested we add a sandwich for later. As we were leaving, he kept saying what he really needed was cash for the grocery store. I said I hope he enjoys his sandwich and bade him goodbye.

I’ll pay for food no problem. But just can’t bring myself to fund drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
 
Quite a few times. It's usually a single mother with a few kids waiting outside the supermarket so I would buy them a bag of groceries with all the basic staples like bread, PB&J, some fruits, milk, pasta and deli meats. Sometimes if they have a dog, I'll pick up a bag of dog food and doggy treats. I don't like to give cash but I will buy any hungry person food and as my mom always complains, I'll feed any hungry animal.
 
For those that donate goods to food pantries, heres a nugget. I worked with a big food pantry as a volunteer during a shortterm relcoation for DHs job. I found out there that although they do appreciate the radnom mixed donations it was easier for them from a logistics standpoint if people would donate cash and certian items. (IMagine the time and handling it took to sort huge heavy bins of random stuff vice a palelt they could drive in of 1 thing). The exanple they used was they can get a much better price on bulk canned corn than you can, so your dollar donated can buy them more corn. BUT they pay what you pay for peanut butter and tuna, so please donate that. They also simplified for churches that wanted to help. There was a church that donated only peas. They watched for sales and brought in only peas. Another did another spcific item I dont recall. Maybe jelly. SO maybe ask if youre new to a food pantry
 
Quite a few times. It's usually a single mother with a few kids waiting outside the supermarket so I would buy them a bag of groceries with all the basic staples like bread, PB&J, some fruits, milk, pasta and deli meats. Sometimes if they have a dog, I'll pick up a bag of dog food and doggy treats. I don't like to give cash but I will buy any hungry person food and as my mom always complains, I'll feed any hungry animal.
When I was in Las Vegas, I saw a whole family standing outside a casino with a sign saying that they lost their life savings, and could somebody help them. They looked in good spirits. Not sure if it was some kind of a scam.
 
First, the bad news: When I was younger the new spouse and I were at a local supermarket. A young guy asked for help ($) to buy diapers for his new baby. So we bought them (the diapers) and handed them to the guy. Found out later it was a scam as they were easily returnable/sellable for drug money. Lesson learned.

I have on a some occasions instead bought meals for for someone asking for money. One time was in Penn Station where a women with two kids was trying to get money "to buy food at subway+. So I took them (w/my young son in tow) to the subway shop and bought them subs.

The most recent: I've been making multi-state trips to slowly move some things from my old place to my new place. I'm in the Panera "Sip Club" so I frequently stop en-route for a "free" coffee. On my last trip, about 8 pm, a guy was begging for money in the parking lot. I told him I didn't have cash, but would buy him a meal at Panera (which I did).
 
Dad died in May. In the ensuing ceremonies, someone informed me he did this on a regular basis.
I just remembered a Dad story that’s sorta the other side of the coin, with a dash of caution about assumptions:

Dad lived in my small hometown. He owned a farm and had a liquid net worth comfortably in seven figures. He was also perfectly satisfied with his 20-year old Toyota pickup and maybe two pairs of overalls in rotation at any given time, which were clean but “experienced.” One day he took his 20-year old pickup and holy overalls up to the Hardee’s at the Interstate. He went in and ordered a biscuit with nothing to drink (he was one of those people who could do that- not me) and declined a free water. He sat down and started eating his biscuit and reading the paper. A few minutes later the manager walked up to him with a cup and said, “Sir, here’s a coffee. There’s no charge, we just want you to have it.”

He got a kick out of that.
 
We help in a variety of ways, but my favorite was a couple of months ago at a Ross store. I had noticed a young couple with a newborn shopping for lots of baby items and some clothes for the mom. I got in line behind them at the cashier and said “congratulations” to them. I got a huge smile from them. The mother to the baby out to their car while the young father unloaded their merchandise for the cashier. The cashier read the total. I asked if I could pay for him and he didn’t know what to say. I said I was a young father once. I put my card into the reader and paid for it. He shook my hand and thanked me. He still looked dumbfounded. The cashier had a huge smile on her face.
A different time, my wife is part of a group from our church who visit those who are homebound and brings them communion. When she came home she told me about a woman living alone that didn’t have hot water and didn’t have any money. I called our plumber and asked them to contact this woman so they could come out and fix the problem with her water heater. I told them we’d pay the bill. They were excited to help and called her right away. The door covering where her water heater was was broken and the wind was blowing out the pilot. The plumber relit the pilot and called me to tell me about the door that he couldn’t fix. I called a retired construction guy from our church, who went out to fix the utility door at no charge. She never realized all this happened from her telling DW.
 
Two of my favorites. One - driving to Disney with big bag of food we planned to eat before going into the parks (fresh, healthy top-shelf stuff). Homeless guy on median. Asked him if he wanted food. Strong yes, "starving". Hubs hands entire bag to him, says "hope you like it, it's all organic". Drives away, turns to me sheepishly with "He's starving, doesn't care if it's organic". We have no idea what the man thought but it felt good to share a small meal. #2 Taco Bell pass it on. Stranger in car ahead buys my meal, I pay for the stranger(s) in car behind me. Been going on over a decade, happens several times per year at 1 specific Taco Bell drive through. Feels good.
 
My wife and I keep $50 Kroger gift cards on us at all times. Twice we happened to be behind someone that was having to put grocery items to the side they were not going to be able to afford. The first time we bought the groceries, the second time we just handed a gift card to them and said, this should cover it.

By keeping a card on us like that, we can more easily step into those situations without even thinking about it.
 
I haven't ever bought groceries for someone, but one time we anonymously paid for dinner for another family at a sit-down restaurant. Our young kids got to watch the parents' surprised faces as the waiter told them their check was already paid.
Many times I've been approached for money (which I don't give). But a few times it's been close enough to a fast food restaurant that we've walked over and I've bought their meal. One appreciative man told me he'd just been released from prison that morning. We also keep granola bars and oranges in the car and offer them when someone is panhandling. (People are almost always accepting and gracious.)

One time a guy who was probably a druggie was broken down at an exit near our home with a blown-out tire. I called ahead to Walmart, bought a tire and service, then called a tow-truck and paid for it to take him and his car to Walmart. He was in a bad place and seemed very appreciative.
 
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