Observations from Behind the Cash Register: A Little Bit of THIS can Save You a lot of THAT

How is my bill over $100 every time I come in here?  I only came in here because . . .

I had no idea what I was making for dinner.

I forgot to buy the broth and noodles.

I didn't think about what I would pack for my kids lunches this week.

We needed kitty litter.

I hear these comments all the time from guests who come through my line at work.  People who haven't planned ahead and needed to pop in for one thing and end up with a cart full of snacks, a couple of shirts, a board game and a lamp. They needed a $2 box of butter and left feeling upset, worried or guilty after placing a charge of $120 on their credit card because they don't get paid until Friday and it's Tuesday evening.

I want to grab them by the shoulders, look them square in the eyes and say - IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!  A little bit of PLANNING can save you A LOT of TIME, MONEY and STRESS!

PLAN MY WEEK
Every Saturday morning I spend about 30 minutes looking at the week ahead - sitting at home, sitting in the bleachers at basketball practice or sitting in the car outside of the store.  What are we going to eat?  When am I going to go to the grocery store?  How much money do I have to spend?  Is there anything special going on - a potluck at work?  a friend's birthday?  30 minutes.  That's all. Then I grab my list and head to the store.  Most of the time at that point I'm done.  Of course there are times that I forget to put something on the list or the store doesn't have exactly what I need or we run out of milk mid-week.  But for the most part, I don't need to return to the store until the following Saturday.

PLAN MY ROUTE
When I do have to run into the store for something, I purposefully plan my route.  If I need milk, i head straight for the milk.  If I need a birthday card, I head straight for the cards.  By being purposeful I avoid wandering through the store and picking up random items that I don't need and are not in my budget.

With this little bit of planning, I am saving a lot of . . .

TIME
A "quick trip" into the store is never truly a quick trip.  It is robbing me of time that I can be doing something else.  Time with my family.  Time for me!  And think of how much time is wasted if I'm are making 3-4 "quick trips" a week.  That is a lot of time!

MONEY
Every time I step into the store I am tempted to put something extra in my cart whether I am going into the grocery or a big-box store.  The Oreos from the large colorful display.  The shirts that just went on clearance.  The holiday decorations that I passed by last time, but just HAVE to have for my desk.  It all adds up and often quicker than I expect.

STRESS
Two of the biggest stressors in my life are time and money.  I feel like I never have enough of either and I can't figure out how to manage them.  Anything that I can do to help keep my stress and finances under control is high on my priority list.When I'm working, it breaks my heart to see the guests who are breaking up their purchases between multiple credit cards based on how close they are to the credit limit.  Or the guest who has to put several things back because there is not enough money in their account to cover the purchase.  I feel sad for the tired kids who are being dragged through the store at 10PM being yelled at by their stressed out parents because the parent didn't buy stuff for lunches. 

IT'S A NO-BRAINER 
I've been taking time to plan my week for a couple of years now.  I am happier.  My family is eating healthier.  We have fewer arguments.  We are all on the same page (most of the time!).  We do much better at sticking to our budget.

There are weeks that I don't make planning a priority and I feel it.  I'm stressed.  I'm grouchy.  I'm rushing around.  We're eating take out.

To me it's a no-brainer - making that planning time every Saturday morning a priority makes for a happier, healthier family.  It can also make a happier, healthier YOU!

Observations from Behind the Cash Register: The Power of a Pause

You can change a life by touching someone with

simple, beautiful, kind words and a loving smile.

Dr. Debasish Mridha

I've been MIA from my blog and Facebook page over the past month.  The reason for that is that after years of living paycheck to paycheck and having vehicles all teetering on the verge of a major breakdown, the time I had been dreading arrived.  I needed to get a second job.

I went through a variety of emotions as I began to apply for part-time positions.  Sadness.  Anger.  Frustration.  Fear.  Jealousy.  Embarrassment.  Why does life have to be so hard?

I was able to find a job rather quickly as a cashier in a big-box store for which I am very thankful.  However, having never worked in retail before, I was scared to death!  Many tears were shed leading up to my first day.

Needless to say, I was surprised to find out that I absolutely LOVE being a cashier!  The time goes fast and the people who come through my line are so interesting.   It has only been six weeks that I've been behind the register, but I've already made some observations that have taught me much about life.  The most powerful lesson has been the power of a pause.

Hit the pause button!

My interactions with customers are normally 2-4 minutes long, but it is incredible how much you can learn about a person in those few short minutes.  Is she having a good or bad day?  Is he stressed out about his finances or his kids?  Is she worried out about something?  Is she celebrating a new baby or preparing for a funeral?  Am I the first person he's interacted with in days?

When I greet a new customer I try to pause for a second to make eye contact, smile and ask how his or her day is going before I run the first item over the scanner.  Maybe that's the social worker coming out in me or simply because I'm so nebby (that's means curious for my readers who aren't from Pittsburgh!).  Pausing for that brief second helps me to connect with them in a deeper way than if I kept my head down and grabbed the first item off the belt. 

That pause has led to some deep and significant minute long conversations.  The man who broke into tears because his young daughter had just told him about an unexpected pregnancy.  The woman who was clearly suffering from depression and told me that she hadn't left her apartment in over a week.  The older gentleman who has bed bugs and doesn't know what to do about it.  The woman whose son is struggling to adapt to college. 

I'm learning that there are a lot of people who don't have anyone to talk to about their lives or don't have anyone with whom they can share their true emotions.  That pause seems to lead people to open up to me about what is on their heart - something I absolutely did not expect.  My plan was to go in there, put in my time and get out. 

Dr. Debasish Mridha wrote, "You can change a life by touching someone with simple, beautiful, kind words and a loving smile."  I'm not saying that I am changing people's lives with a smile and a hello, but I certainly have the opportunity to change their day.

This has made me think about all of the people I interact with when I'm not standing behind a cash register - those I interact with on a daily basis for longer than 2-4 minutes.  Am I pausing to make eye contact, smile and ask how their day is going rather than just passing them in the hall with a casual "Hi.  How are you?" or jumping into a conversation about work or a school event.  Is someone having a bad day and simply needs a friendly smile?  Are there people in my life who are struggling and need a friend?  I can be that smile and that friend.

What about you?  Are you rushing through life not connecting with those around you?  I encourage you to pause, make eye contact, smile and ask someone how they are doing.  There is an element of risk as you never know exactly what they are going to say, but you will have the opportunity change someones day . . . or their life by taking a moment to listen.