Christmas Shopping Nightmare

Two shopping days left until Christmas. The little designer shoe store window was beautifully decorated; the sign in the window caught Madeline’s attention.

Buy One
Get One Free

The smell of leather overpowered the seasonal scents of pine, cinnamon, and cranberries. A nice young man approached Madeline asking if he could assist her. After trying on a few different shoes, she chose her favorite.

Another display caught Madeline’s attention; she soon made another selection. Knowing how much she saved, she succumbed to temptation and selected a handbag which matched the first pair of shoes she chose. Two pair of leather gloves for gifts, and two pair of the cutest snow boots ever for her nieces, and Madeline was done. Not paying attention, Madeline smiled and handed her credit card to the clerk.

Ch-ching...sale complete.

With a spring in her step, she gathered her bags, walking out the door past the storefront once again. There was the sign—she smiled with delight thinking how much money she saved. There it was…a small note paperclipped to the sign:


Items Priced Separately
All Sales Final

She opened the folded receipt still clutched in her hand; her heart nearly failed—the total was $756.86. Each shoe, boot, and glove was indeed priced separately, not by pairs. All sales were final. And, there was her signature.

The dog began barking at the passing snowplow. Startled, Madeline woke up with the stack of sales ads still in her lap. She breathed a sigh of relief.