I never leave WalMart without checking my receipt. They are notorious for pricing something on the shelf and then scanning a different price when you check out.

Several year ago I was taking one of my boys to school one day. He was probably 13 or so at the time. We stopped for some small item at a Walgreens. The clerk could not make change with a $5.00 bill. After we left I looked at my son and said now do you know why you are in school!!!

I work at a University. One day I went to the Bakery to get a drink - after tax, it came to 79 cents. The student worker assumed I would give her $1, so entered that into the computer. Well, I added a 4 pennies, so I would get back a quarter.

Well, she was thoroughly confused, kept staring at the coins in her hand, looking at me, looking at the register. Finally she got out her calculator, punched away, stared some more. Repunched on the calculator, etc, etc, etc.

I stood there (seemingly) patiently, and just smiled, not offering the answer at all as to how much change I should have. I figured if she was in college, she should be able to do it. Almost 5 minutes later, and several calculations of the calculator, she did finally come up with the right answer!

My grandkids are being taught how to count money. And I refuse to let the default to a calculator to get answers. It is OK to double check with a calculator, but it first has to be figured manually!

I never would let my kids (daughter and son) use a calculator to do t heir homework..just to check it. What really makes the clerk give me a dumb look is when I give them the extra change..say the bill is $20.35..I give them $25.35...they are really dumb founded if they can't use the registers that tell them how much change to give back.

When a customer hands me cash for their purchase, I state the purchase amount and the amount of cash, ie: $24.95 out of $30.00. This way the customer knows I'm paying attention and I have impressed my mind with the amount. Then I count the change due back. When I'm the customer, I count my change if the clerk doesn't. As others pointed out, many young people aren't being taught to think, just look at what the register says.

We ran a concession stand at the swim invitational this weekend. Three young (freshman or 8th grade girls) showed up to help. It was very quickly that we discovered that the young girls could not make change...no cash register. Not one of them knew what to do..no calculator either. The adults had to count back change. So-----I am going to make sure that my children are able to do this...(whether they like it or not).
Someday they will need to know this.

I'm a cashier and count change back the right way (old school) and they stand there and look at me funny or tell me I gave them too much so I start over it was 18.00 from 50 so 19 -20 etc. . the young and some old look at me funny but computers make mistakes too. not just me........ oh and after they enter the amount do not give them the change you'll be there a while teaching them what is the right amount to give you lol

Been there and done that too. Makes you wonder if suddenly our technology for short cuts was gone, what would happened to business.

Yes, watch Walmart, as their excuse is "must not have made the correction yet in the computer system". I'll stand there until they find out what is wrong and correct the problem. I'm retired and I got the time to stand there holding up the line. No wonder Walmart makes big profit$.

Amen to finding enough slide rules! They are no longer manufactured anywhere, I understand. When we have to learn those skills again, who will teach us and where will we get the slide rules. We will be back in the stone age where elders were greatly respected for their great accumulated knowledge.