My Mother-in-Law Has a "Trick" for Saving Money on Groceries. It's Mortifying!

"Sometimes when people have lived through financial hardship or felt squeezed by unfair systems, their sense of right and wrong can get recalibrated. They start seeing small acts of defiance, like gaming the self-checkout, as ways to reclaim a little fairness or even justice from a system that rarely gives them any. That doesn't make it okay, but it might help explain why she and your husband don't see it the way you do."

"I'm not trying to excuse her behavior - it's totally shoplifting. But the point is that it's clashing with your own moral compass, and she needs to know this bothers you. When you talk to your mother-in-law about this, focus on your concern for her well-being, rather than your own moral judgment. You might say something like, "I know you've been doing this for a long time, but I'd"

A person reports a mother-in-law who intentionally punches in cheaper codes at self-checkout to pay less for produce. The behavior feels like stealing to the reporter while the husband minimizes it as a long-standing habit. The action is technically theft even if many people treat it as commonplace. Financial hardship can shift moral judgments and make small acts of cheating feel like reclaiming fairness. The behavior clashes with the reporter's moral compass and could lead to trouble. The recommended approach is to express concern for the relative's well-being and to avoid moralizing while explaining potential consequences.

Read at Slate Magazine