Money Expert Tells Why You Should Never “Round Up” At Stores
Round up or not to round up?
It’s happening more and more these days. Here’s the scenario you are wrapping up your purchase, the cashier or the pay station will ask you after you either tap or insert your credit card “would you like to round up for charity?” With the need for more help for all sorts of charities more than ever, we are being asked to donate or round up more than ever. Mrs. Dow Jones a Money Expert Tells Why You Should Never “Round Up” At Stores
Do you feel “round up shamed?”
For a lot of people (me included sometimes) we feel a certain sense of guilt or shame for not opting to round up. It’s designed to make you feel a little bit of guilt for refusing to do it. So, should you feel a pang of guilt? That’s the question.
There are times when you are asked to round up the bill when it’s only a few cents. In these times it’s an easy thing to do, but when you’re bill is already large (and all grocery bills are high these days) it makes it a bit more difficult to be the good person and say yes.
Counting your pennies
When the round up option is say something close to a dollar it gets a little harder to do it. Let’s say you’re being asked to round up on a grocery bill that would mean a donation of 99 cents, then it gets easier to say no. No judging here, you may need that money yourself and are not in the position to make a donation at the time. Don’t feel guilty about that.
An expert weighs in
An economist who calls herself “Mrs. Dow Jones” has a few reasons why you should say no.
For one, you have no idea where the money’s going. That charity might have affiliations you don’t support, or a track record of NOT using donations responsibly. And, the cashier won’t have answers to those questions.
Instead of giving money through a third party, she recommends donating directly to a charity that aligns with your goals.
Plus, charitable donations are tax deductible. If you’re giving money at the register, you might miss out on that.