Stores can be strict because of the “rules” they follow.

This boy, along with his friends, was just trying to buy a keg for a party they were throwing.

They pooled their money and came up seven cents short.

But the store manager refused to help and even mocked them, so they made a smart decision.

Check out the full story below for all the details.

Another “Couldn’t let 5 cents slide” story

Actually, it was 7 cents.

This happened almost 50 years ago, when we used to pay for everything with cash.

My friends and I were planning a big party.

My buddy and I went to the local “Big Beer” store to buy a 1/2 keg, as it was the only place in town that sold kegs.

This teenage boy and his friends pooled their money, but they were 7 cents short.

The clerk told us the price.

We pooled our money, and we were 7 cents short on a roughly $50 sale.

We asked if he’d give it to us for 7 cents off. He said no, can’t do it.

We called out the Big Beer store manager and asked him if he’d give us 7 cents off on the price.

Same answer. No, can’t do it.

The manager told them to buy several cases instead.

We went out to the car and searched under the seats for stray coins.

No luck. Still 7 cents short.

We went back into the store to try again.

The manager, with a predatory grin, said:

“Why don’t you boys just buy several cases of beer instead?”

So, they did… but from a different grocery store.

We knew we’d get less beer for the money that way, and the store would make more profit.

That’s why we wanted the keg in the first place.

My buddy said, “Good idea, we’ll just buy several cases… from the little Mom & Pop grocery store across the street.”

And he headed for the door. I’ve never seen a predatory grin disappear from a store manager’s face so quickly.

It was priceless.

Let’s see how others reacted to this story.

This user shares their personal experience.

Short but simple.

The manager probably thought he was clever, says this one.

This kind person would cover for customers who were short.

Indeed!

Sometimes, the smallest change can make the biggest point.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a rude customer who got exactly what they wanted in their pizza.