Being Cheap aint easy

Being cheap isn't easy..

I'm not talking about being monumentally cheap like separating double-plied toilet paper or not flushing your toilet to save on water-costs.   What I'm talking about is the little things you need to do to basically not be taken advantage of.    See if you feel like you have been wronged on a $6 credit-card charge you have to go through and dispute the charge and spend hours fighting it or if you find out after you walk out of a store you were given incorrect change but the difference is less than a dollar you may just eat it knowing the rise in your bloodpressure isn't worth the $0.60.   

There is a break-point where you may think it is worth the dispute see the other day I bought two items in a big department store (we'll keep the name of the store out of this blog to protect the innocent).   I found a coupon for  15% off any single item so obviously I used it to take the discount off the more expensive one ($85 turned into $72.25). I was happy and left with a big stupid grin on my face realizing that without much effort I just got a free lunch.

 The issue is that after bringing it home I realize that the item I got the discount on isn't something I will be able to use and am planning on returning it and here comes my dillema (Anybody who has the cheap-bone will see the issue.)   The problem is that I'm sure they will only give me a credit for the amount I paid ($72.25) which means I will have spent full price on the other item insteady of shiftin the coupon to item#2 and giving me the 15% off on that one.   There is no way their CPU scanner is sophisticated enough to give me a discount on the $50 item ($8.50) and credit that to me.

So this is my dilemma; do I bring back both items.. return them both and then repurchase the $50 item using the 15% coupon OR do I just return the one item and basically 'lose" $8.50?   I know this math is complicated and I'm happy to explain it to you later.

Now if both items were still in the box then I'd probably do this but the $50 has already been installed in my house which means I'd have to un-install it and put it back in the box..return it..buy it back and reinstall it in my house?