Nora is perched on the counter top in her pjs. She is systematically removing items from the cabinet and lining them up in orderly rows on the counter.
“Shoppers! I need you!”
“Um, I’ll take some pasta and a can of tuna and — can I buy just one orange or do I need to buy the whole bag?”
“You can buy just one.”
“Okay, I’ll take just one. How much do I owe you?”
“Five dollars.”
I pull an imaginary five dollar bill from my imaginary pocket.
“No, five real dollars,” she insists.
“But I don’t have five dollars.”
“Okay, five coins then.”
I scrounge in my purse and find two quarters and a penny.
“This is all I have, do I need to put something back?”
“No, it’s just three coins now.”
That is a savings of $4.49! Be wary in your negiotiations with me people. I am shrewd.