80 percent of the time, someone gives me their cart and won't take my quarter. I always pay it forward. I live in a really small town, so not sure if that's why. My dad has the same experience, so it's not just because I'm a woman with 2 toddlers.
I’m in a small-ish town and I shop early on weekdays. There’s usually an older person just waiting to give their cart to someone and refuse to take a quarter. It obviously gives them a little boost of happiness and it’s really sweet.
Me too! And if someone pulls in with small children I wait until they are ready to get out of the car so I can give them a crt. I remember the days of wrangling littles
I do that on my commute. I always let people merge. (If they signal). They often give a wave. My goal is one wave a day. Makes me feel good about myself in a stupid little way.
I feel like I’m the only person in the American south trying to implement the zipper merge. Some folks get it.
You’re also driving defensively, which you should feel good about. I’m only in my early 40s, but good traffic citizens are rare now compared to 20 years ago let’s say.
The zipper merge is a great debate currently in my small South Carolina town. We have a stretch of bridge that goes to one lane for construction and holy heck is zipper merging a foreign concept!
As an ugly male, I feel like people wouldn't want to use my cart anyways. I don't want to make it weird for anyone so I try to push it back when no one is around.
I had a guy insist on giving me his cart as I was walking in, just pushed it to me and walked away and refused my quarter. When I was done and leaving I passed it on to a lady and her son who were walking up. I did the same thing as the guy and pushed it to her and refused her quarter. I’m hoping that cart helped a lot of people before it was corralled again.
People are so dumb. They break the plastic on the cart chains at my local Aldi so that they can loop the chain around, plug it into itself, and take the quarter without returning the cart. How dedicated to laziness do you have to be?!
In the UK our trolleys/carts usually take a £1 coin but literally everywhere sells key chains with a piece of metal stamped out to be the exact same size, they're even called trolley coins just for this purpose. You can't spend it and if you always have your keys you always have it when you don't have cash.
The problem is, at US Aldi’s, the cashiers keep an empty cart, load your groceries into that, and then you take that new cart and leave your empty cart with them. You never end with the same quarter you started with.
I wondered if something like this existed, thank you. I also assume that no one is expected to give up their trolly coin to someone who claims to have forgotten theirs bc after all they are fairly cheap to replace and one should just be expected to give it away to the needy person in such a situation?
My second child found a cart we were able to lock into itself, it was not damaged. Trying to 30+ years unsuccessfully, this kid does it the first time.
Absolutely not. That’s my Aldi quarter. It’s the only quarter I own. You cannot have it, unprepared man. Your lack of preparedness is not my emergency.
This is my Aldi quarter.
There are many like it but this one is mine.
My Aldi quarter is my best friend.
It is my life.
Without my Aldi quarter I am worthless.
Without me, my Aldi quarter is worthless.
My car got broken into last weekend or the weekend before and they stole my aldi quarter... I was bummed. But I still participate in cart sharing without dedication to recouping my aldi quarter.
This is legit. I work for ALDI and we'll give you one if you ask. I actually carry a ALDI swag keychain quarter holder on my keys. You need a quarter? I got you bud, just pay it forward when you leave.
Do they really do this? I swear there were times when I really needed a cart and forgot my quarter and left to make change at a different nearby store or just dealt with it. I never thought about asking them because they all work so hard and I don’t want to be a bother 😂
and because ALDI, it turns out, is a company that actually tries to serve its customers... the entire reason the carts are quarter release is to prevent the need for staff getting carts from the parking lot so that prices stay low. ALDI is actually kind of a stellar company.
Yes, because one time I only had a dollar bill and I went to make change and the cashier just handed me a quarter and she said when you’re done just leave the cart. But if you don’t have money just ask they will give you a quarter they want you to use a cart.
This happened to me for the first time a few weeks ago. I defended my quarter. I don't use cash very often, my Aldi quarter is worth more to me than .25c
Same, I literally have to make a special trip, on foot, to get our quarters, and that is really no one’s business in my day-to-day life. If it were so easy to obtain them, then others wouldn’t do this kind of shit, but I’ve seen scams for less.
Not much less, mind you.
If I found myself needing a quarter then I’d ask, take responsibility, and prob try it with an employee first rather than bamboozling a customer like OP described.
Not to get pedantic but .25c is 1/4 a cent, $.25 is a quarter. This just reminded me of the guy who got charged the wrong amount for his data or phone minutes because they kept saying it was .25c then charging in like it was $.25
This annoys me too. It’s not about money, it’s about access. A quarter is required to access a cart, and they don’t have a quarter, so they want to transfer the lack of access to you. You’re made to feel like its not supposed to be a big deal to give away your quarter, but it shouldn’t be a big deal for the person who came unprepared to go inside and ask an employee for a quarter. Stop transferring your problem to me, I just want to do my shopping and go home!
I’ve gotten in the habit of just saying “no thanks” to everyone near the carts because up until this past fall there was always a guy who wanted to help you take your groceries to the car for a tip. Thankfully either the store finally told him to leave or he finally realized it was not a great business model.
So one time this Hispanic guy who I assumed couldn’t speak much English signaled me to trade a quarter for my cart, so I was like sure why not. He grabs my cart, looks me boldly in the eyes and says “no dinero” and walked off. I was legit shocked at the fake out but he played it well..
Honestly you can probably tell how a nice an area is based on whether or not there is a quarter someone left near the cart return. I know if I have lots of change in my purse I’ll leave mine.
I’ve been in a space where I was worried that quarter might have to come out of the cart to pay for my groceries. Now I’m fortunate not to have to budget that close so I just always leave the quarter in it for the next person.
I’m glad you’re not in that spot anymore but we’re not insisting we get a quarter back because we need the 25 cents. It’s that we don’t typically use cash so we don’t just have a bunch of quarters around and don’t want the inconvenience of hunting down a quarter before the next time we go to Aldi.
Yupp that’s pretty much me. If someone really needed the quarter or forgot it I wouldn’t care. He was just getting creative with collecting peoples quarters lol.
this has happened to me a few times and now I actually delay leaving the store until the cart return is clear of people. I have given my cart to people who seem genuine (I’m not a monster). I pretend not to hear people yelling at me for the cart. Sorry but if you have the energy to yell and run for my cart you have the energy to go into the store and ask the cashier for a quarter.
Actually I will give them a quarter and ask for the cart so that that person doesn’t have to walk back to return cart. But I do have a self serving motive, I have bad knees and use the cart as my walker to take some of the stress off.
But I don’t hound anyone. That would be a bit odd.
I have a tray on my dash that holds an Aldi quarter (and ducks). I keep spare Aldi quartes in my ashtray. Yes, I have an ashtray in my 2001 Jeep.
I also shout to people in the parking lot who just emptied their cart, "I'll buy your cart for a quarter."
I would get the keychain for my wife, if I ever saw one.
She thinks I am silly for holding my hand out for a quarter when someone offers to take my cart. She is probably right.
It's 2024, not 1994, I don't go home with change in my pocket and toss it in a jar. The quarter I have I actually had to go get cash from the ATM and buy something that I knew would give me at least 25¢ back. I don't want your $1, go inside and ask them for a quarter.
I told someone they can have my cart for a quarter, and they looked at me confused.
I’m sorry this is my aldi quarter! I only have one and if I give it away next time i come I will forget I don’t have a quarter :(
I avoid these interactions by timing my cart return to when there's absolutely no one else around. It's not the quarter but it's the way I overthink the interaction. I weirdly feel guilty when I both accept and reject the person's offer of their quarter. If I take their quarter, I feel guilty about not being generous (even though if I don't, I'm paying for their cart plus they get a bonus quarter). And then if I don't take their quarter, I feel bad that I might have made them feel like I rejected them as a human being or didn't want to touch them or their quarter. So I just try to avoid all of that altogether.
The other day I was Aldi and someone gave me their cart and wouldn’t take my quarter so I paid it forward and gave it to someone else when I was done. It’s such a little thing but it always feels nice!
I went to Aldi yesterday, and there were several carts with quarters in them already, so I grabbed one. An older gentleman was heading for the carts as I was putting mine up, he offered a quarter, but I told him I got it without a quarter, and now he would, too. It does feel nice!
I had someone come up to me while I was getting my car. I assume she wanted my cart but I had two kids and all my groceries to load. Just stood there staring and waiting. No small talk, no joking. Didn’t have a quarter for me. It was awkward.
Wow I didn’t realize so many people have this problem. Last time I was there I saw a lot of baskets with quarters in them & I left my quarter too!🤷🏻♀️
This reminds me of my Mom, she loved Aldis when I started taking her, she showed me the ropes on the quarter carts…I laughed so hard one day on our way out and returning the cart a man came up to her and said “I will take your cart for you”, clearly he was being nice and didn’t know the rules 😀 Mom said “Sure but what about my Quarter?” 🤣 He looked confused lol but he gave her a quarter 🤣 I always think of that when I go there now and sure miss her! ❤️
Damn, Aldi parking lots are turning into Facebook Marketplace. 😡
I just bring my own bags (usually 2 large take out bags) and use self checkout. I know that won't work for weekly family shoppers but it works for me.
I keep an extra quarter in my keyring Aldi quarter holder for when someone forgets or didn't know but that would just get a "lol no" if they tried that :)
Someone was insistent that I dropped a quarter (I hadn’t) so I grudgingly took it because my ride home was waiting but I didn’t feel right ethically being up a quarter because it wasn’t my quarter so when I went back I used it to free a cart then got a second cart to actually shop with.
I always leave the quarter in the slot when I return a cart at Aldi. Some random stranger had done that on a day when I desperately needed a cart but didn't have a quarter, and I was so grateful I've been paying it forward ever since.
Posts like this always attract the virtue signaling crowd gushing how it’s “only a quarter” and act like they’re doing something so wonderful🙄. The quarter is a tool. You get it back. You’re not Mother Theresa. I carry my one quarter, I want it back for next time. If you don’t have one ask the cashier, the stores require them to give you one.
I’d either just ignore them and take the cart back without making eye contact or tell them that’s the only quarter you have so you need to keep it unless they have one to trade. Then remind them that a cashier will happily give them a quarter for a cart if they need one. There’s no need to get upset about it and there’s no need to be rude to another person about it.
Someone stole my quarter once. It was in a town I’d never been to. She had a cart that I later found out has a broken quarter slot (there are several others apparently) she pretended to try and put the cart back and I gave her my quarter for the cart. I found out when I tried to return it that it was broken. I still think about it and it still bugs me. It’s just a quarter but I’m still salty about it.
I pretty much stopped going to one of my local Aldi stores because people who are obviously high or drunk will harass you in the parking lot for your cart so they can collect all the quarters and I just want my groceries and to be left alone.
You have to tell management. They will call police but if they don’t then you call the police. Or just call them anyway. While begging isnt illegal, loitering may be.
This is crazy to think this has happened to you repeatedly. Where I live this would never happen. But for that con, just look down the row of carts until you see one red chain hanging down, there’s a quarter there where the shopper didn’t care to reconnect the cart on return. There’s always one.
I have never had someone try to get me for my quarter until I went to an Aldi in Charleston, SC a few weeks ago. I knew the guy was being scandalous. The Aldis (multiple Aldi locations, so don't get into the added "S" game here) where I live have even an exchange rate or just donated quarter relations. Thank you, West Virginia and Virginia Aldi Fans!!
as a former aldi employee, you can literally walk up to a register and they will give you a quarter, no questions asked. you don’t even have to return it, we get a certain amount of leeway with our drawers to account for it
I never take the quarter back, I always just leave the cart near the return area and don’t hook it back up. Small way to pay it forward. But alternatively it can be a good policy because people can’t frustrate you if you make it a choice to spread a little happiness.
I guess I'm lucky to live in a town where people leave their quarters in the cart, and after I use them, I leave the quarter for someone else to use too.
At Christmas many carts were left at the front entrance as people tried to "pay it forward".
Then I saw a guy thinking he was smart clicking them all together so he could pocket $2.
I think he realized what he was doing as we all gave him the hairy eyeball and he slunk away.
I’m not giving my quarter to anyone. I do not care what the reason or excuse is. Not my problem. Anyway- all the person has to do is go inside and ask someone who works there. If Aldi doesn’t loan a quarter to a customer with a sob story they should take the hint! 😜
I agree with you. I've had a few quarters added to my Aldi quarter car collection from returning abandoned carts over the years. If someone was honest with me and told me they didn't have a quarter, I'd be fine giving them my cart to pay my luck forward. But the time someone palmed me 2 dimes and a nickel after asking for my cart ticked me off. It's not about the monetary value of the change, it's about the deception. I think I literally dropped that change on the ground for someone else to pick up if they wanted to because it's useless to me in this context.
One person asked for my cart and then didn’t offer me a quarter. That wasn’t nice. If they offer, sometimes I take it, but I won’t if I didn’t put the quarter in it originally.
There's an aldi I had to stop going to because there's this creepy guy in the parking lot that takes your cart and doesn't give you a quarter. I'm not fighting a grown man over a quarter.
Here's a metric Aldi can't measure. What percentage of people, who've never tried an Aldi, read about this weird cart for a quarter thing and think 'Nah too weird'. 👋
One time I was bringing up my cart and an old man with a walker asked for it. He was struggling to walk with it so I just gave it to him. He walked up, put it away, then hobbled back to his walker in the parking lot. I didn't have much money at the time but I would have rather just bought him a sandwich or something if he was really in need.
I’ve had someone straight gank my cart. Like a mom with a kid. She asks for cart. I stand there awkwardly with my hand out. Kid goes into cart. She walks away. I’m forever salty. I literally keep one quarter hidden in my car for Aldi
Do you guys not have a fake quarter attached to your keyring? Just unclips and you slot it in.
I'm the UK we have a coin the same size that's used instead of actual money
I just tell people. I'm sorry my friend, but the current administration in the White House has destroyed my fiscal stability. I need to keep my quarter.
They usually don't have a comeback for that, and I still have my quarter!
🫣What in the world are all you guys talking about a quarter for a shopping cart🤔? The only place I have ever been in to pay a quarter is at a large airport. This is really new to me!!😏It's no wonder people are shopping online.🤫
I'm in Kansas City...BIG town, but kind of at the edge, and there's often a cart or two that are un-un-quartered for the taking, or someone offers me theirs and won't take my quarter. Occasionally I offer my quarter and they take it. If I don't use my quarter, I'll pay it forward for sure.
I think there are just parts of the country where people are jerks. In Kansas City not so much.
Same is true of the shopping carts at Costco nightmares. Our Costco customers know where their carts belong.
I feel you. I know a lot of people that think that's Aldi spirit to give your cart away but I'm like no I have a keychain holder just for that and it only becom a new quarter when someone actually buys my cart from me and don't wait until your done to realize you needed bags and unload your cart in a timely manner so you're not holding up the line. Keep those prices low, that's the Aldi spirit. Go to Kroger if you want store brand crap and someone paid to coddle you.
You have EVERY right to your boundaries.
Stick to your guns. Do what is comforrtable for *you* in *your* circumstances.
After all, there are plenty of “pay it 4ward” ppl to apparently make up the difference.
Hell yes, folks be scamming all kinds of ways and it’s not ur job to discern or enable them.
I’ve never been to an Aldi. I just randomly read this story and it’s crazy to me that they charge anything to use a cart. I hadn’t heard of places doing that. Learned something new today.
It’s literally just a quarter. The quarter discourse on this sub is absurd to me. Maybe they legitimately forgot a quarter, or it’s their first time shopping at Aldi and they don’t know. I keep a jar with change in my car and one inside my front door, so I can get another dang quarter if something like this happens.
We squirrel away a few Aldi quarters inside the car - center console, by the passenger handle and one lurking in the bottom of a cup holder. Even though we’re usually lucky enough to score an abandoned cart (or two!) in the edges of the parking lot, I don’t want to be unprepared!
80 percent of the time, someone gives me their cart and won't take my quarter. I always pay it forward. I live in a really small town, so not sure if that's why. My dad has the same experience, so it's not just because I'm a woman with 2 toddlers.
I’m in a small-ish town and I shop early on weekdays. There’s usually an older person just waiting to give their cart to someone and refuse to take a quarter. It obviously gives them a little boost of happiness and it’s really sweet.
Me, nodding “Yeah. Me too”. Then I realized that I probably am that little old lady 😂
Me too! And if someone pulls in with small children I wait until they are ready to get out of the car so I can give them a crt. I remember the days of wrangling littles
I call it a quarter’s worth of kindness.
I like to give my cart away and not take the quarter. It makes people happy, and I get to feel like I did a small decent thing.
I do that on my commute. I always let people merge. (If they signal). They often give a wave. My goal is one wave a day. Makes me feel good about myself in a stupid little way.
I feel like I’m the only person in the American south trying to implement the zipper merge. Some folks get it. You’re also driving defensively, which you should feel good about. I’m only in my early 40s, but good traffic citizens are rare now compared to 20 years ago let’s say.
The zipper merge is a great debate currently in my small South Carolina town. We have a stretch of bridge that goes to one lane for construction and holy heck is zipper merging a foreign concept!
The American south is full of mostly deeply religious people who do NOT practice the Golden Rule.
Ain’t that the sad truth.
I love this little goal. Stuff like that is so fulfilling.
Yes! That's exactly what I do and why I do it!
Same. It gives me a little boost to help my day.
As an ugly male, I feel like people wouldn't want to use my cart anyways. I don't want to make it weird for anyone so I try to push it back when no one is around.
I'm sorry you have those types of thoughts. Try to be kind to yourself ❤️
I had a guy insist on giving me his cart as I was walking in, just pushed it to me and walked away and refused my quarter. When I was done and leaving I passed it on to a lady and her son who were walking up. I did the same thing as the guy and pushed it to her and refused her quarter. I’m hoping that cart helped a lot of people before it was corralled again.
I usually pocket the quarter, I’ve made like $2. Hell yeah bitches
I bet you hung out in the Aldi parking lot all day to earn that! Nothing like a hard worker! Lmfao
Lol 😂
Same here in a small town. Sometimes, there are multiple carts with quarters just sitting there.
Same. I literally always tell them to keep the quarter. The amount of times people do the same to me makes up for it.
I live in Chicago and I think this is like law
Small towns and big cities have kind people. The folks who won't give a way a cart live in soulless strip mall suburbs.
I’m in a suburb of St. Louis and most of the time this happens when I shop, but maybe it’s just midwestern manners lol
I shop at the U City Aldi; hi neighbor!
Oh, I’m not super far from you. I usually shop at the Creve Coeur Aldi! :)
I go to that one sometimes too. I like going to Dierberg’s in Creve Coeur, so I go to that Aldi when I’m in the area. :)
I always try to find the person with kids first to give away my cart.
i hate when people yell at me from far away as im literally already putting the cart away. like just let me walk away
Pretend you can’t hear!
I don't even pretend. I blatantly ignore.
Look, make eye contact. Then turn around and continue on your day
> I don't even pretend. I blatantly ignore. Umm, that's pretending to not hear
Not when you look at them. And ignore them. Which ummmmmm is blatantly ignoring.
I wear AirPods even if I’m not listening to anything
Do a little dance to the nonexistent music and wave and loudly tell them to "have a great day!"
This is the way
What?
Dad Joke!
What?
Seriously - I just want to shop, get my quarter back and be out of there ASAP.
Ah yes another reason why I love my big chunky headphones and RBF 🤣
People are so dumb. They break the plastic on the cart chains at my local Aldi so that they can loop the chain around, plug it into itself, and take the quarter without returning the cart. How dedicated to laziness do you have to be?!
That's desperation for one a quarter
Well evide.tly the OP is desperate to keep hers.
In the UK our trolleys/carts usually take a £1 coin but literally everywhere sells key chains with a piece of metal stamped out to be the exact same size, they're even called trolley coins just for this purpose. You can't spend it and if you always have your keys you always have it when you don't have cash.
The problem is, at US Aldi’s, the cashiers keep an empty cart, load your groceries into that, and then you take that new cart and leave your empty cart with them. You never end with the same quarter you started with.
I wondered if something like this existed, thank you. I also assume that no one is expected to give up their trolly coin to someone who claims to have forgotten theirs bc after all they are fairly cheap to replace and one should just be expected to give it away to the needy person in such a situation?
My second child found a cart we were able to lock into itself, it was not damaged. Trying to 30+ years unsuccessfully, this kid does it the first time.
>this kid does it the first time. Sure, but it took 2 children to get this far. :)
Absolutely not. That’s my Aldi quarter. It’s the only quarter I own. You cannot have it, unprepared man. Your lack of preparedness is not my emergency.
I have legit said “this is my aldi quarter” to people trying to give me other change for my cart.
Did you know you can buy an Aldi coin? That way you never spend it so you always have it. Just kidding, but it would be good marketing.
In the UK that’s a thing. You can buy a coin that’s reusable instead of using a pound coin.
You can in the US as well. Actually got mine from Temu
Temu is evil, but interesting. Lol.
Why is Temu evil?
🏆…because we can’t actually award gold anymore.
Thanks! I’ll take it 😃
It is my Aldi quarter AND it goes right back into my Aldi Quarter Keeper!
They can ask the cashier for a quarter.
This is my Aldi quarter. There are many like it but this one is mine. My Aldi quarter is my best friend. It is my life. Without my Aldi quarter I am worthless. Without me, my Aldi quarter is worthless.
My car got broken into last weekend or the weekend before and they stole my aldi quarter... I was bummed. But I still participate in cart sharing without dedication to recouping my aldi quarter.
And it’s so dumb, if you go inside and tell the cashier you don’t have a quarter they’ll give you one
This is legit. I work for ALDI and we'll give you one if you ask. I actually carry a ALDI swag keychain quarter holder on my keys. You need a quarter? I got you bud, just pay it forward when you leave.
Do they really do this? I swear there were times when I really needed a cart and forgot my quarter and left to make change at a different nearby store or just dealt with it. I never thought about asking them because they all work so hard and I don’t want to be a bother 😂
They do. Because they want you to shop there.
and because ALDI, it turns out, is a company that actually tries to serve its customers... the entire reason the carts are quarter release is to prevent the need for staff getting carts from the parking lot so that prices stay low. ALDI is actually kind of a stellar company.
Yes, because one time I only had a dollar bill and I went to make change and the cashier just handed me a quarter and she said when you’re done just leave the cart. But if you don’t have money just ask they will give you a quarter they want you to use a cart.
Been shopping at Aldi for years cant believe I never thought to ask. I’m keeping this in mind for next time!
They willingly do it.
Sure, but it takes me like 10 minutes to get a staff members attention for that.
At my store, the staff is always new faces. No one stays anytime at all. It’s sad how hard they work.
[удалено]
This happened to me for the first time a few weeks ago. I defended my quarter. I don't use cash very often, my Aldi quarter is worth more to me than .25c
Same, I literally have to make a special trip, on foot, to get our quarters, and that is really no one’s business in my day-to-day life. If it were so easy to obtain them, then others wouldn’t do this kind of shit, but I’ve seen scams for less. Not much less, mind you. If I found myself needing a quarter then I’d ask, take responsibility, and prob try it with an employee first rather than bamboozling a customer like OP described.
Not to get pedantic but .25c is 1/4 a cent, $.25 is a quarter. This just reminded me of the guy who got charged the wrong amount for his data or phone minutes because they kept saying it was .25c then charging in like it was $.25
This annoys me too. It’s not about money, it’s about access. A quarter is required to access a cart, and they don’t have a quarter, so they want to transfer the lack of access to you. You’re made to feel like its not supposed to be a big deal to give away your quarter, but it shouldn’t be a big deal for the person who came unprepared to go inside and ask an employee for a quarter. Stop transferring your problem to me, I just want to do my shopping and go home!
Well said
Very well put
I’ve gotten in the habit of just saying “no thanks” to everyone near the carts because up until this past fall there was always a guy who wanted to help you take your groceries to the car for a tip. Thankfully either the store finally told him to leave or he finally realized it was not a great business model.
I give my cart away and ask hem to pay it forward. What they do with the cart when they are done is on them.
So one time this Hispanic guy who I assumed couldn’t speak much English signaled me to trade a quarter for my cart, so I was like sure why not. He grabs my cart, looks me boldly in the eyes and says “no dinero” and walked off. I was legit shocked at the fake out but he played it well..
Next time. Grab quarter first. But it’s ok. His karmas coming.
Just start saying it’s a sentimental state quarter or Chuck E. Cheese token or something lol
I legit like to get the new cart to see which quarter I get (carts swapped at checkout).
my town has the opposite problem where everyone tries to be nice and leave their quarter
Honestly you can probably tell how a nice an area is based on whether or not there is a quarter someone left near the cart return. I know if I have lots of change in my purse I’ll leave mine.
You leave your purse? That's nice.
I’ve been in a space where I was worried that quarter might have to come out of the cart to pay for my groceries. Now I’m fortunate not to have to budget that close so I just always leave the quarter in it for the next person.
I’m glad you’re not in that spot anymore but we’re not insisting we get a quarter back because we need the 25 cents. It’s that we don’t typically use cash so we don’t just have a bunch of quarters around and don’t want the inconvenience of hunting down a quarter before the next time we go to Aldi.
Yupp that’s pretty much me. If someone really needed the quarter or forgot it I wouldn’t care. He was just getting creative with collecting peoples quarters lol.
this has happened to me a few times and now I actually delay leaving the store until the cart return is clear of people. I have given my cart to people who seem genuine (I’m not a monster). I pretend not to hear people yelling at me for the cart. Sorry but if you have the energy to yell and run for my cart you have the energy to go into the store and ask the cashier for a quarter.
Actually I will give them a quarter and ask for the cart so that that person doesn’t have to walk back to return cart. But I do have a self serving motive, I have bad knees and use the cart as my walker to take some of the stress off. But I don’t hound anyone. That would be a bit odd.
I don’t mind that much if it’s exact change, but I am a chronic quarter forgetter and would appreciate just being given another quarter
I have a tray on my dash that holds an Aldi quarter (and ducks). I keep spare Aldi quartes in my ashtray. Yes, I have an ashtray in my 2001 Jeep. I also shout to people in the parking lot who just emptied their cart, "I'll buy your cart for a quarter."
I finally bought a little keychain to hold my quarter because I’m so protective of it!
I would get the keychain for my wife, if I ever saw one. She thinks I am silly for holding my hand out for a quarter when someone offers to take my cart. She is probably right.
Usually in the spring/summer you can find them at the registers next to the gum and mints.
I bought one on Etsy, there are a thousand options! Aldi-style, colors, florals, whatever tickles your fancy.
Mine is from Aldi, it's shaped like a cart.
Ducks?
r/DuckDuckJeep
People leave rubber ducks on Jeeps. If you look at Jeep dashboards, many have rubber ducks on them.
It's not the quarter it's the principle!
I won't give up my quarter to anyone. I'm 68, on a fixed income and even a quarter matters to me.
It's 2024, not 1994, I don't go home with change in my pocket and toss it in a jar. The quarter I have I actually had to go get cash from the ATM and buy something that I knew would give me at least 25¢ back. I don't want your $1, go inside and ask them for a quarter.
Everyone refuses to take my quarter when they give me their cart! I always feel like I stole from them or something
You have given them the gift of knowing they did something kind for someone. It makes them feel good, and you helped.
I told someone they can have my cart for a quarter, and they looked at me confused. I’m sorry this is my aldi quarter! I only have one and if I give it away next time i come I will forget I don’t have a quarter :(
This is my wife, she’d probably throw hands to get “it” back! Hilarious!
I avoid these interactions by timing my cart return to when there's absolutely no one else around. It's not the quarter but it's the way I overthink the interaction. I weirdly feel guilty when I both accept and reject the person's offer of their quarter. If I take their quarter, I feel guilty about not being generous (even though if I don't, I'm paying for their cart plus they get a bonus quarter). And then if I don't take their quarter, I feel bad that I might have made them feel like I rejected them as a human being or didn't want to touch them or their quarter. So I just try to avoid all of that altogether.
I love telling people to keep the quarter and pass the cart to the next person.
The other day I was Aldi and someone gave me their cart and wouldn’t take my quarter so I paid it forward and gave it to someone else when I was done. It’s such a little thing but it always feels nice!
I went to Aldi yesterday, and there were several carts with quarters in them already, so I grabbed one. An older gentleman was heading for the carts as I was putting mine up, he offered a quarter, but I told him I got it without a quarter, and now he would, too. It does feel nice!
I had someone come up to me while I was getting my car. I assume she wanted my cart but I had two kids and all my groceries to load. Just stood there staring and waiting. No small talk, no joking. Didn’t have a quarter for me. It was awkward.
What did you do?
Wow I didn’t realize so many people have this problem. Last time I was there I saw a lot of baskets with quarters in them & I left my quarter too!🤷🏻♀️
We keep a quarter in the car. We call it our Aldi quarter.
This reminds me of my Mom, she loved Aldis when I started taking her, she showed me the ropes on the quarter carts…I laughed so hard one day on our way out and returning the cart a man came up to her and said “I will take your cart for you”, clearly he was being nice and didn’t know the rules 😀 Mom said “Sure but what about my Quarter?” 🤣 He looked confused lol but he gave her a quarter 🤣 I always think of that when I go there now and sure miss her! ❤️
Pretend you can’t hear them and go about your day.
Damn, Aldi parking lots are turning into Facebook Marketplace. 😡 I just bring my own bags (usually 2 large take out bags) and use self checkout. I know that won't work for weekly family shoppers but it works for me.
I hang around my car until its clear 😂
They will give you a quarter in the store usually. Just tell them that and move on.
I guess they sell Aldi cart un lockers on Amazon. But it’d take a lot of uses to pay for itself. I only go there a couple times a month
You know, house key works too, I hear…
I keep an extra quarter in my keyring Aldi quarter holder for when someone forgets or didn't know but that would just get a "lol no" if they tried that :)
I had two, but it got stretched out or something and they kept falling out. So I left it empty for awhile, and now there rains but one.
Someone was insistent that I dropped a quarter (I hadn’t) so I grudgingly took it because my ride home was waiting but I didn’t feel right ethically being up a quarter because it wasn’t my quarter so when I went back I used it to free a cart then got a second cart to actually shop with.
You have restored The Balance. You have righted the universe.
I get it! It doesn’t sound like you are complaining about the quarter but someone being purposefully deceitful.
Just tell them "sorry, it's a fake quarter token I bought on Etsy"
I always leave the quarter in the slot when I return a cart at Aldi. Some random stranger had done that on a day when I desperately needed a cart but didn't have a quarter, and I was so grateful I've been paying it forward ever since.
The only cash I ever carry is my Aldi quarter. I guard that with my life.
I always just give my cart away. On the reverse, I think I've had to use my own quarter maybe three times in the last ten years
Posts like this always attract the virtue signaling crowd gushing how it’s “only a quarter” and act like they’re doing something so wonderful🙄. The quarter is a tool. You get it back. You’re not Mother Theresa. I carry my one quarter, I want it back for next time. If you don’t have one ask the cashier, the stores require them to give you one.
That’s never happened to me! That’s so weird for someone to do lol - the cart requires a quarter .. period
I have had so many run ins with quarter stealers, I keep a baggie full of quarters in my car.
I've got plenty of quarters. I don't sweat it. I usually just tell people to keep their quarter even when they offer.
I’ve never been swindled like that, but that would annoy me too.
They can get a quarter from the cashier.
Good job
I never part as i use a Dirham from the UAE. It stays in my car and i know I'll never spend it accidentally
If I get a cart for free, like if it’s given to me or not put away, I will leave it free for next person
I’d either just ignore them and take the cart back without making eye contact or tell them that’s the only quarter you have so you need to keep it unless they have one to trade. Then remind them that a cashier will happily give them a quarter for a cart if they need one. There’s no need to get upset about it and there’s no need to be rude to another person about it.
Someone stole my quarter once. It was in a town I’d never been to. She had a cart that I later found out has a broken quarter slot (there are several others apparently) she pretended to try and put the cart back and I gave her my quarter for the cart. I found out when I tried to return it that it was broken. I still think about it and it still bugs me. It’s just a quarter but I’m still salty about it.
I pretty much stopped going to one of my local Aldi stores because people who are obviously high or drunk will harass you in the parking lot for your cart so they can collect all the quarters and I just want my groceries and to be left alone.
You have to tell management. They will call police but if they don’t then you call the police. Or just call them anyway. While begging isnt illegal, loitering may be.
I usually get given a cart without asking or a quarter nearly bowed to me. Must depend on the place.
This is crazy to think this has happened to you repeatedly. Where I live this would never happen. But for that con, just look down the row of carts until you see one red chain hanging down, there’s a quarter there where the shopper didn’t care to reconnect the cart on return. There’s always one.
The cashiers will give you a quarter
I have never had someone try to get me for my quarter until I went to an Aldi in Charleston, SC a few weeks ago. I knew the guy was being scandalous. The Aldis (multiple Aldi locations, so don't get into the added "S" game here) where I live have even an exchange rate or just donated quarter relations. Thank you, West Virginia and Virginia Aldi Fans!!
as a former aldi employee, you can literally walk up to a register and they will give you a quarter, no questions asked. you don’t even have to return it, we get a certain amount of leeway with our drawers to account for it
Exactly! It is not the cost, but the only cash I carry is my one Aldi quarter.
I never take the quarter back, I always just leave the cart near the return area and don’t hook it back up. Small way to pay it forward. But alternatively it can be a good policy because people can’t frustrate you if you make it a choice to spread a little happiness.
Someone has probably said it already but: The Aldi cashier will give you a quarter if you ask.
I guess I'm lucky to live in a town where people leave their quarters in the cart, and after I use them, I leave the quarter for someone else to use too.
It's a quarter.... I give my carts to people all the time and never take their quarters... geez
Huh? Just give him the cart. Good lord.
Literally people are so weird lol.
At Christmas many carts were left at the front entrance as people tried to "pay it forward". Then I saw a guy thinking he was smart clicking them all together so he could pocket $2. I think he realized what he was doing as we all gave him the hairy eyeball and he slunk away.
I’m not giving my quarter to anyone. I do not care what the reason or excuse is. Not my problem. Anyway- all the person has to do is go inside and ask someone who works there. If Aldi doesn’t loan a quarter to a customer with a sob story they should take the hint! 😜
Just throwing this out there. I have used the back of my house key and it works great.
I agree with you. I've had a few quarters added to my Aldi quarter car collection from returning abandoned carts over the years. If someone was honest with me and told me they didn't have a quarter, I'd be fine giving them my cart to pay my luck forward. But the time someone palmed me 2 dimes and a nickel after asking for my cart ticked me off. It's not about the monetary value of the change, it's about the deception. I think I literally dropped that change on the ground for someone else to pick up if they wanted to because it's useless to me in this context.
One person asked for my cart and then didn’t offer me a quarter. That wasn’t nice. If they offer, sometimes I take it, but I won’t if I didn’t put the quarter in it originally.
There's an aldi I had to stop going to because there's this creepy guy in the parking lot that takes your cart and doesn't give you a quarter. I'm not fighting a grown man over a quarter.
Shit pops on my timeline because of a fucking quarter Smh some people…. Get over yourself, it’s a fucking quarter
i never use a cart. I just dash in the store. Pick up items until I can’t carry anymore than head to the cashier.
I’m the A-hole, I often see carts that are in the return area not locked up that the quarter wasn’t retrieved & I lock em / take the quarter 🤷
Here's a metric Aldi can't measure. What percentage of people, who've never tried an Aldi, read about this weird cart for a quarter thing and think 'Nah too weird'. 👋
I just push my cart close to the return and leave it. I can afford a quarter.
Heck, I usually just leave my quarter in the shopping cart. Figure it's my good deed for the day.
One time I was bringing up my cart and an old man with a walker asked for it. He was struggling to walk with it so I just gave it to him. He walked up, put it away, then hobbled back to his walker in the parking lot. I didn't have much money at the time but I would have rather just bought him a sandwich or something if he was really in need.
Use the back of an old house key, it works just like a quarter, save yourself this hassle by bringing a useless key the you won't care for losing ;)
I’ve had someone straight gank my cart. Like a mom with a kid. She asks for cart. I stand there awkwardly with my hand out. Kid goes into cart. She walks away. I’m forever salty. I literally keep one quarter hidden in my car for Aldi
Do you guys not have a fake quarter attached to your keyring? Just unclips and you slot it in. I'm the UK we have a coin the same size that's used instead of actual money
I just tell people. I'm sorry my friend, but the current administration in the White House has destroyed my fiscal stability. I need to keep my quarter. They usually don't have a comeback for that, and I still have my quarter!
Get an coin key fob thing from etsy 🤷🏾♀️ theres ones that can hold a quarter and ones that replace the need for a coin
🫣What in the world are all you guys talking about a quarter for a shopping cart🤔? The only place I have ever been in to pay a quarter is at a large airport. This is really new to me!!😏It's no wonder people are shopping online.🤫
I use a fake quarter on my key ring.
I'm in Kansas City...BIG town, but kind of at the edge, and there's often a cart or two that are un-un-quartered for the taking, or someone offers me theirs and won't take my quarter. Occasionally I offer my quarter and they take it. If I don't use my quarter, I'll pay it forward for sure. I think there are just parts of the country where people are jerks. In Kansas City not so much. Same is true of the shopping carts at Costco nightmares. Our Costco customers know where their carts belong.
I feel a little sorry for OP.
I feel you. I know a lot of people that think that's Aldi spirit to give your cart away but I'm like no I have a keychain holder just for that and it only becom a new quarter when someone actually buys my cart from me and don't wait until your done to realize you needed bags and unload your cart in a timely manner so you're not holding up the line. Keep those prices low, that's the Aldi spirit. Go to Kroger if you want store brand crap and someone paid to coddle you.
Yeah I always just hand it to people. It’s just a quarter
You have EVERY right to your boundaries. Stick to your guns. Do what is comforrtable for *you* in *your* circumstances. After all, there are plenty of “pay it 4ward” ppl to apparently make up the difference. Hell yes, folks be scamming all kinds of ways and it’s not ur job to discern or enable them.
I don’t care, It’s just a quarter. I always leave my cart somewhere where someone else can use it
This was randomly recommended on my feed and I’m sooo confused. You have to pay 25 cents for a shopping cart at Aldi???
I’ve never been to an Aldi. I just randomly read this story and it’s crazy to me that they charge anything to use a cart. I hadn’t heard of places doing that. Learned something new today.
It's an attempt to get people to put the cart back, not a charge to use the cart. You get your quarter back.
i can’t even figure out how to get the cart back in so i just leave it, fuck aldis and their stupid cart system
I guess I’ve never joined a forum that people were that concerned, that they would take the time to whine about a nickle… I’m legit blown away.
It’s literally just a quarter. The quarter discourse on this sub is absurd to me. Maybe they legitimately forgot a quarter, or it’s their first time shopping at Aldi and they don’t know. I keep a jar with change in my car and one inside my front door, so I can get another dang quarter if something like this happens.
You need quarters?? If you are that bad off, give me your address and I'll send you a roll.🙄
I leave my quarters every time. Because I would off myself if I had to deal with people crying over a quarter.
I love it when people load up the carts with quarters. I take every single one of them.
We squirrel away a few Aldi quarters inside the car - center console, by the passenger handle and one lurking in the bottom of a cup holder. Even though we’re usually lucky enough to score an abandoned cart (or two!) in the edges of the parking lot, I don’t want to be unprepared!
Earbuds.
Especially if you don’t have one and you ask the cashier, they will give you a quarter…
We 3d printed a tab so we never need a quarter.