The Best Type of Shopping

I call it shopping with "fake" money or buying things for "free."

Sounds good, doesn't it?  How could anyone imagine anything better?  Free shopping.  That's better than collecting coupons form the newspapers or magazines.

During my high school teaching days I became a member of the "Irgun Morim," Teacher's Union, and we get a special "charge card" filled with a bit of money to be used only in certain stores (chains to be found all over the country.)  Also, my husband gets a type of "gift certificate" for holidays and his birthday, also good in certain stores.

Especially now, with money rather "tight" I use them to buy gifts and other items.  Of course, if I used them for food they'd be gone immediately.

Not all chains accept them and the list changes from year to year.  Hamashbir, Israel's big department store accepts them, which is convenient, especially for wedding gifts.  I'm sure I had bought things with them in Office Depot, so I went to the one in Malcha Mall yesterday.  My friend helped me pick out all sorts of things I needed.  We really spent a lot of time on it.  At the cash register, I was surprised when they refused the Irgun Morim one, so I pulled out the second type. That, too, was refused.  So I dumped everything and left.  I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for the staff, but I had no choice. 

My friend and I checked the hard to read list on the coupons and double-checked that Home Center was listed.  We went right next door to Home Center and found some of the exact same products for less money.  That's right, less.  And then we found some other things I had needed.  Within a very short time I bought almost everything on my list at very reasonable prices.  All I couldn't find were colored pens.  They let me pay with the Irgun Morim card and I managed to fit it all in my backpack.  Then I found some simple colored pens in Graphos.  They wouldn't take my "fake money," but considering that it would only cost me ns10, I paid cash. 

I hope to remember not to bother even walking into Office Depot.  That's right, even if they're on next year's lists.