"I can live without 3 cents, but not 7 cents"

[BowserKoopa1]

The other day I was making change for a customer and was about to hand him 3 pennies. But then I quickly realized my mistake.
Customer: Did you make the wrong amount of change?
Me: Yes, sir. You get 7 cents back, not 3.
Customer: Really? Well, I could've lived without the 3 cents, but I need that nickel.

Me: Ok, here is your correct change, sir. Have a nice day.
Ok, will someone please tell me the difference between 3 cents and 7 cents without saying, "Its 4 cents difference"? I know times are very rough right now, but how does this guy figure that a difference of 4 cents is going to make any small amount of impact on his budget? I mean, you can find pennies and sometimes other silver coins on the ground all the time.
This stupid little fiasco cost me a 3 cent tip too!

[It's me]

I know times are very rough right now, but how does this guy figure that a difference of 4 cents is going to make any small amount of impact on his budget? I mean, you can find pennies and sometimes other silver coins on the ground all the time.

Well, for me I have an allowance that I use to pay for my coffees. When it is gone it is gone, and that's it until next week. Maybe he needed the extra four cents for something like that?

[Soulstealer]

In all fairness he might be using the nickel later in the day for a vending machine, parking meter, or some other device that takes change. They don't usually take pennies.

[Cat]

Or nickel slots

(then again, there are penny and 1/2 penny slots now..)

[prb]

It's that when people say $0.01 isn't much, when does that become something after a few times? at $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $1.00, etc? For me it's $0.05 when I start caring and $0.10 when I'll say something though

[Shpepper]

It would matter to me because I am saving all my change to buy something fun at the end of the year and that few cents could be the difference between getting what I want or not. Those pennies add up over the course of a year.

[Pedersen]

A different take on the matter: I could easily see myself saying something like that while smiling. Why? Because I'm trying to make a joke. It matters, yes, but in the big scheme of things, not much. And one thing it's not going to do is break my bank.

So, maybe a poor joke, but one I'd still make.

[Shpepper]

Do you know what you're wanting to buy, or is it a more 'toss it all in a jar and count in at the end of a year' approach? I'm nosy!

I used to 'discard' all my loose change into a jar. One for $1 and $2 coins, one for quarters (which I did not save but used for laundry money), one for silver money, and one for pennies. Man, those loonies and toonies were a lovely surprise all counted up when the big jar got full!

Actually I do have two things for which I am saving. One is a leather dress from a place called Ravenswood Leather. it's for my Renaissance Faire garb.

The other is for the tattoo that I have spent about 6 years designing. It's to go on my back but I have to find an artist that can do all the Celtic work in it.

[Sheldonrs]

If I had a nickel for everytime I was shorted .05 cents... Oh! Wait a minute...

[Ironclad Alibi]

A penny may not be much for a lot of people, but I will still pick one up when I see it on the ground. I found a dime yesterday.

[BowserKoopa1]

I myself actually save change too. I will try to get as much change back as possible whenever I pay in cash. If I buy a combo meal and the total comes to $5.83, I may tell them to supersize it so that the total will be $6.15, and I get more change back. I save it all and never spend it, because I am alot more likely to spend cash in my wallet, but I will save change.
One time my total was $4.02 and I gave the cashier a 5. He was going to give me back a dollar, and I asked him politely to please give me back 98 cents. When he looked at me like I was crazy, I told him I like to collect and save the change. I applaud any of you who do the same, because its actually a pretty good way to save a little extra cash. Lots of people who give away their change don't realize just how quickly it adds up.
I can totally understand the guy wanting all his change back. But the point I was trying to make is this.... If he feels he can sacrifice the 3 cents and do without it, then what's an extra 4 cents going to do? If he needed the nickel later, then why would he not want to hang on to the pennies and wait til he collects 5 and then asks a cashier to convert it into a nickel?

[Sir Spaniard the 12th]

Maybe this isn't much, but I'll always remember the time I was in town, and stopped by to renew the yearly dog registration on my (mum's/ours) silky terrier pup. it was an 'on the whim' decision, but at the time, I had the exact change to pay it. No more, no less. You never know when that 5 cents will make or break something...

Having said that.. To me it sounds like he didn't know what amount of change he was going to get back.

And would have been willing to ignore the 3 cents. (3+3=6 though. So i don't understand why he wouldn't care when it all adds up.)