Grocery store customer’s child drops $100 into donation bin, parents 'ask for it back'

Children often lack a clear understanding of the value of money, and their well-meaning actions can lead to surprising outcomes. While made with the best intentions, their innocent decisions can sometimes result in unexpected challenges for parents. For one mother, a routine grocery store visit turned into an unexpected lesson in financial literacy when her daughter made a surprising decision. Julie, who goes by @jujumaddison on TikTok, captured the entire incident and shared it on the platform.

The video begins with Julie’s eight-year-old daughter and her grandfather strolling through the grocery store. When they reach the checkout counter, the grandfather hands the child a $100 bill for groceries. Without hesitation, she drops the entire bill into the store’s donation bin. Surprised by her daughter's decision, Julie apologizes to the cashier and explains the situation. The cashier, understanding the predicament, retrieves the bill with a plexiglass cutter, allowing Julie to get the money back. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Julie acknowledges her daughter’s kind intentions.

“We love the trust and intention,” she wrote, appreciating her daughter’s thoughtfulness. The video quickly gained traction online, amassing over 14.1 million views and sparking debate while generating various reactions in the comments section. While many found the incident amusing, some criticized Julie for asking to retrieve the money. 

@willarocha713 wrote, “That’s crazy to ask for it back,” suggesting that the donation should have been left untouched. @kaylinelle33 said, "Maybe teach them the value of $100 and give her a shopping list. Not just the money bc then she doesn’t have a goal in mind to accomplish." 

However, others defended Julie, pointing out that the $100 was meant for groceries, not as a donation. “To the people mad they got their money back… please donate $100 right now cause HUH?” @o0wisp0o commented, offering a humorous rebuttal to critics. @unowen417 shared their own experience, saying, “I had to break into the donation bin so many times as a manager. My favorite was when a kid put in 200, he was 5. The dad was defeated and said, ‘Son, we are the poor.’”

The relatable story resonated with many others who chimed in with similar anecdotes about children’s innocent mishaps. Some commenters emphasized the practical side of the story, pointing out that the situation was misunderstood by those who criticized Julie. @di.ianaa noted, “Why are people upset that he got it back? Not everyone can afford to donate 100 bucks?? Plus most companies already paid they do this to get their money back.”

Others praised Julie for addressing the situation calmly while also appreciating her daughter’s generosity. "This is really sweet actually. Her heart was in a wonderful place, a child doesn't understand the true value of a dollar but mommy does and I would absolutely be getting that back thank you," @qbgemini96 said.

@ms.joywachira added, "I would have praised my child and told her what she did was a good thing. Then I would’ve looked at the cashier and the cashier would’ve looked at me and we would’ve known, I’m getting my money back."

(You can follow Julie (@jujumaddison) on TikTok for more such relatable content.)