Kohl's cash

The problem?  I pay cash.

Specifically, I tried to pay with cash at Kohl's.

Kohl's is close to my house.  I avoid shopping there whenever possible.  Last week I needed a particular jacket, in a particular color, for a particular project.  In a particular hurry.  I found EXACTLY what I needed at Kohl's.  What I did not find out - EXACTLY - was the price. 

black quilted jacket

Sure the coat had a price tag but, because I was at Kohl's, this was NOT EXACTLY the price.  There were signs everywhere with lists of prices and discounts.  Sometimes, the price on an item was listed on one of these signs.  Sometimes not.  There were numerous options: 30% off, buy 2 get 1 free, buy 1 get 1 50% off...But, even if I found the right sign, this was still NOT EXACTLY the price. 

At the REGISTER there were more options dependent upon the day of the week, my age, the method of payment, coupons, etc...

But wait, there was more...

The price on the register screen in BOLD TYPE circled in red - was still NOT ACTUALLY the price.

I, however, read the price on the screen in BOLD TYPE circled in red as the ACTUAL price and handed my cash to the cashier.  It turned out the price on the screen  in BOLD TYPE CIRCLED IN RED was the AMOUNT OF MONEY I SAVED.  

At that point, I still did not even know the ACTUAL price.   

But I could tell you how much I didn't pay.

 

(Which was a different amount than the price the person in front of me would not have paid because she was a senior, used her Kohl's charge card, and she had some sort of coupon.)  

At that point, I felt like a guest on the Kohl's Riverboat Casino.  I put out money, but didn't lose too big.  The guest in front of me won more, so I was a little jealous.  Now, I wanted to stay.  See how the next player's cherries lined up.  I felt the desire to play again.  Try my luck.  That's when it happened...

 

The dealer handed me $10 dollars worth of Kohl's Cash for next time.

  Putting it all on black.

UPDATE 5/2/11:  Spent the $10 Kohl's cash on a pair of cargo pants from a 70% off clearance rack.  I did NOT pay $40.  The pants were marked, $8.00, so I exchanged the Kohl's cash and still have $2.00 left.  So...how much did I pay for the coat if I got a "$40" pair of pants for nothing?

Jackpot.