A young man who stepped in to pay for a woman's groceries when her card was declined at the supermarket has been left questioning his good deed – after her reaction took him by surprise. The woman, who was alone with "two young kids," was about to leave her items behind when he offered to pay for them.
Sharing his experience on Reddit, he said: "When it was her turn to pay, her card declined. The cashier tried it twice, but it still declined, and when she asked the woman if she had cash instead, the woman said that she didn't. She was about to leave her things, but as it was only one loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, I offered to pay for them."
However, the situation took a turn when the woman asked if she could grab a few more items. Taken aback, the man agreed, only for her to return with a carton of eggs, women's sanitary towels, milk and toilet paper.
"By this point, my brain just couldn't compute, and I just smiled and proceeded to pay for everything," he continued. After thanking him, the woman left, leaving the man to ponder over his unexpected grocery bill.
He finished his post saying: "I am still trying to process what happened. It's not like she got luxuries, those were literally basic necessities, and if I were well off, I definitely wouldn't have batted an eye, but I am just a poor college freshman who was just trying to do something nice with the little that I have"
Online commenters praised the man's act of kindness, suggesting it may have helped the woman survive for another week. They encouraged him to embrace the good karma and not overthink the event.
One commenter said: "You did a nice thing and also learned about boundaries, probably for less than a therapist would charge you. Win-win!".
Another noted: "You're a good person, but also remember that if you help a drowning person they can drown you too. When conducting a rescue, ensure to take steps to protect yourself. Put on your oxygen mask first before you help someone else, then help everyone you can."
One person observed: "Also, she is clearly one notch away from being homeless if she can't afford pads with bread and peanut butter. You probably saved her life for a week."
Adding to the conversation, someone remarked: "You do get one million karma points for your bank. Sorry, it won't pay your bills, but I promise it will pay dividends down the road. You're a good person".
A commenter reflected: "It wasn't a bottle of wine and fillet steak. She added some key essentials. Yes, it took advantage and the original poster needs to set boundaries, but, I believe you made a huge difference in this woman's week. Thank you for your kindness".
Another added: "I would have been confused and done the same. At least you know for next time. I think she genuinely didn't pick up the other things she needed because she knew her card was getting close to being declined."
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