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50 Receipts That Prove Even A Tiny Slip Of Paper Can Be Funny And Interesting
The written word has the uncanny power to either make or break your day. And all of us have experienced it, whether we’re aware of it or not. Even a small compliment or quality quip can raise your spirits. Meanwhile, a nasty opinion or cruel comment that you read might sour your mood for the entire day. In short, what someone writes can influence others quite a bit.
You probably wouldn’t expect to find a lot of creativity, imagination, and wit in the humble receipt. However, in between the boring lines of black ink, you might stumble upon some truly stunning gems. But it takes a keen eye to spot them, as well as a server, retail worker, or shop owner with a spark of imagination to craft them.
Our team here at Bored Panda has collected some of the most interesting receipts and bills that people have had the pleasure of seeing with their own two eyes. So much so that they just had to snap a picture and share it with everyone online.
As you’re scrolling down, remember to upvote your favorite pics, and let us know in the comments which of these impressed you the most. Don't forget to tip your server!
We reached out to British comedy writer Ariane Sherine, who used to work in retail before, to get her thoughts on editing and how to deal with rude customers. She told Bored Panda why it's far easier to write more than it is to write less, how to self-edit to fit a limited format, and how aspiring writers can find the motivation to create when they're exhausted from their day jobs. You'll find our full interview below. Ariane is the author of 'The How of Happy' and a range of other books. She also shares her witty insights about daily life on Twitter.
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A Message On The Bottom Of The Receipt From My Local Peruvian Restaurant
Bored Panda was interested in getting comedy writer Ariane's opinion as to why it's far easier for most people to write more than to write concisely. After all, editing your work and cutting out anything unnecessary can be incredibly hard!
"It's easy to write more because most people have trouble formulating their ideas into a concise sentence. I'd say the punchier, the better—so think about how you can get across an idea using fewer words," she said.
"Are there any words which essentially mean the same thing and are therefore superfluous? Are there any which don't add to the meaning but which just make the sentence wordier? Take a red pen to them all! (This is why Twitter is great—it demands brevity.)" It's true: having clear limitations to how much you can write can be a blessing. It forces you to self-edit, by necessity.
My Library Receipt Gives Recommendations Based On My Reading History
The Ink Stains On My Wet Receipt Look Like A Fantasy Map
We also asked writer Ariane about the advice that she'd give aspiring writers who are stuck in exhausting service and retail jobs. She said that this is tough to answer.
"I know that when I collapsed in the evenings after a long day on my feet working retail, I didn't want to have to do anything else. I just wanted to zone out and watch telly," she shared her personal experience with Bored Panda.
"I guess the impetus to create is that it's a potential way out of retail if you're successful. Alternatively, make sure you write on your days off."
My Receipt Came With A Cat Typed Onto It
The Bottom Of My Rainbow Receipt Says "Pot Of Gold!" In Binary
This Restaurant Has A “Today In History” Section On The Receipt
The comedy writer said that "it was horrendous" to work in retail before. She revealed how workers can keep customers happy, and spilled the beans about how common it was to deal with rude people while on the clock.
"The secret to making a customer happy is generally to be friendly, efficient and good at your job. I was friendly but fell down on the last two requirements," she said.
"Rude customers were very common," Ariane told Bored Panda. "A lot of people assume retail workers are stupid and were incredibly dismissive towards me. Amusingly, I was likely better educated than them and a higher achiever—I'd just fallen on hard times."
Found A Receipt For A Boeing 737 Purchase At Work Today
To Prevent Stores From Evading Tax, Every Receipt In Taiwan Is Automatically A Lottery Ticket, Which Can Win Up To 10 Million Dollars. 360,000 USD
Perfectly Straight Receipt At Self Service Check Out
Any server, retail worker, or other member of staff who has the energy and optimism to make jokes and boost their customers’ mood is to be commended. Working in the service industry is incredibly tough. You’re exhausted. You have to deal with rude and tired clients on a nearly daily basis.
And that’s not to mention that the pay often isn’t very fair, considering you have to spend hours and hours on your feet. So to have that drive to push past all of the negatives and craft unique receipts is really marvelous. It might not seem like much, but it can really make your customers’ day. Jokes and silly cartoons? Yes, please, more of those!
It’s honestly great to see servers and shop owners reward their customers for treating them well. Though we’d like to think that most people are nice and kind, the sad reality is that a small number of rude interactions can outweigh the good.
How My Grocery Store Itemizes Their Receipts
This Restaurant Bill Is Automatically Split
My Library Receipt Shows How Much Money I’ve Saved By Using The Library
At the core of it all, it’s essential to remember that the person serving your food and bagging your groceries is a living, breathing human being. They’ve got goals, dreams, ambitions, and fears—just like you. But it’s easy to forget that when cash transactions are involved.
You can get customers to return to your cafe, restaurant, or shop by providing them with a positive experience. How your staff behaves, and how good the food, products, or services are, will either drive them away or impress them so much, they’ll visit you again.
It’s going that extra mile when you don’t necessarily have to that really makes the difference. (And it works in all aspects of life.)
My Supermarket Prints Brain Teasers On The Back Of Its Receipts
Asked For No Tomato, They Took It Off My Bill
My Coworker Got A Receipt Of Exactly $7.11 On 7/11 At 7 11
“The essence of being a good server is making sure everyone leaves the meal having had a nice time. The essence of being a great server is making sure everyone leaves the meal having had a memorable time. I’m always on the lookout for anything extra I can do to make the night special for our guests. If I overhear a birthday mentioned, we bring out a piece of cake. If someone comes in wearing a Dolphins jersey, we’ll turn on that game if they’re playing. We take pride in our work,” a server working at a fancy restaurant shared with Bored Panda some time ago.
My Grandma's 1956 Polio Vaccine Receipt. It Wasn't Even Free
I remember a church had vaccine's. I remember I didn't need a shot just had to drink the poilo cup! I was happy. My sister moved to Florida because she won't do the Covid shot's. I've had five and my flu shot!! I feel good. My son has a liver disease he was born with called Biliary Atresia and I asked his doctor's if it was safe for him. They said it was and it was recommended. I believe everyone should do themselves. Whatever you choose to do is up to you. I don't get angry if someone doesn't want it.
Cashier Accidentally Prints Buyer's Entire Purchase History
Crossed The International Dateline Today. My First Lunch Receipt In Sydney Is Timestamped 1 Minute Before My Lunch In Los Angeles
Meanwhile, when it comes to dealing with rude customers, most servers will pretend that everything’s all right. But beneath that stoic facade, they might feel upset or be full of anger.
Nobody enjoys being looked down on. Nobody wants to be treated like they’re beneath someone else. Nobody deserves it.
My Dad Had A Stroke 2 Years Ago. These Are The Receipts From His Last Ride: 3000+ Miles
A Short, Sad Story On A Library Book Receipt
Saddest Receipt
One way to solve this issue is for the server to get their manager. It’s important to try not to take a customer’s critiques personally.
They most likely have an issue with the establishment as a whole, not you as a person. Getting a higher-up to handle delicate situations can help prevent them from escalating.
Double Sided Receipt
My Receipt Came With A Nutritional Breakdown
Going Through My Grandfather's Belongings, We Found A Receipt For A Semester Of College
He paid $407.50 for tuition, room and board, and an "athletic fee" at Gettysburg College. Today, tuition at Gettysburg costs over $47,000 per year. Not including accommodations.
But it’s not just the staff who can defuse tense situations with rude and entitled people. Other customers can step in as well. For instance, if you see a server being badgered and harassed, consider stepping in and saying something. Or if you’d like to take a more subtle approach, get a hold of the manager and inform them of what’s going on.
My Grandma’s Hospital Bill In 1951 To Give Birth To My Mom. She Spent 4 Nights There
My Burger King Order Printed On A Subway Receipt Roll
When I worked at Waitrose during college (UK supermarket) the supermarket next door called Iceland ran out of till receipt rolls and came and asked if they could borrow some of ours as their delivery was delayed, thankfully the tills both used the same size. I'm guessing that's what could have happened here?
We Had To Hard Reset A Receipt Printer At My Job, And This Is What It Prints Out To Confirm Everything Is Back In Order
Some staff members might be too scared to ask for help. Odds are that the staff will remember your kindness and support if you step in. Heck, you might even get a surprise discount on your food. Or a witty quip and a lovely ‘thank you’ on your receipt.
My Great Grandfather's Receipt For His Wife's Tiffany Engagement Ring Back In 1909
Ordered A Beer With My Dinner Called Lucifer And The Bill Came To $666
My B&N Receipt Gave Me Book Recommendations Based On My Purchase
What’s the most creative, funniest, or peculiar receipt that you’ve ever gotten, dear Pandas? Have you ever received a bill that genuinely made you laugh? What's the secret to a witty joke on a receipt, and the way to make a server's day? Don’t be shy, share your thoughts in the comment section.
This Extra Detail On My Receipt
What, got umpteen women pregnant, left its wife for its assistant, made all its receipt friends rich with under the counter public money then refused to leave the filling station until other receipts contemplated the Brutus solution? Seems a lot for a receipt :)
Load More Replies...I didn't know as well so I had to look it up. Here what I found: 'Hands. Face. Space' emphasises important elements of the guidance we want everybody to remember: wash your hands regularly, use a face covering when social distancing is not possible and try to keep your distance from those not in your household.
Load More Replies...My Receipt From The Supermarket Has Advice On The Bottom For Domestic Abuse Victims
During the pandemic, lots of supermarkets in our region started to display texts like these in the isles. As lockdown measures were increasing domestic violence, the reasoning behind it was that while most victims, usually women, might be tightly supervised, they usually do their shopping alone.
I Received A Regular-Sized Receipt From CVS Today
This Restaurant Rounded Down My Bill
Amazon Package (Guitar Plectrums) Used The Order Receipt As The Goods Packaging
A Collogue Recently Shared The Oldest Bill He Has In His Possession: The Bill For His Own Birth
Olive Garden Gave Me A Daily Sales Report Instead Of A Receipt
My Receipt Has My Car On It
I want to bring the most crazy car ever and see what would happen
My Walmart Receipt Was Printed On Target Paper
This Bill In Turkey Tells You How Much Each Person Would Need To Pay If You Split It Equally
I Closed A Large Toy Store Today, Here's What Most Receipts Looked Like On The Final Day Of Business
My Receipt From Breakfast Came With News Headlines
My Popeyes' Receipt Has A Burger King Logo On It
I Got My Receipt In Finnish And My Sister Got Hers In Dutch From The Same Restaurant In Amsterdam
Furniture We Bought From A Yard Sale Still Had The Original Receipt From 1966
My Receipt From JustEat Shows JustEat’s Account Balance
Found My Grandfather's Tuition Receipt For His First Semester In College In 1925
In today's money with the inflation calculated, $227.5 amounts to $3,874.16
My Local Restaurant Provides A Handy Receipt For Splitting The Bill
I've Been Using This Library Receipt As A Bookmark, Just Noticed The Checkout Date And Time
The Cafeteria Receipt At The VA Hospital Included And Summed Up The Dietary Facts Of My Breakfast
Once had a receipt for a muffin with just 'M**f' and the price listed...glad I didn't by a magazine about diving that day too.
Bored Panda I read to lighten up and have a relaxed time but lately there are so many articles with negativity that it's become depressive. Come up with something fresh and uplifting you t***s.
I'm struggling to see how this one could be seen as negative/depressing.
Load More Replies...My wife and I once went grocery shopping and one of the item she picked up was a ream of A4 sized printer paper. The brand was "Paper One.
Bored Panda! Why can't I edit my own comment? I accidentally hit enter while typing. Anyway back to the story.. After paying, she argued with the cashier as we never buy pepperoni; only to be told later to look closely at the spelling. The itemized receipt printed that A4 paper as paperone.
Load More Replies...Once had a receipt for a muffin with just 'M**f' and the price listed...glad I didn't by a magazine about diving that day too.
Bored Panda I read to lighten up and have a relaxed time but lately there are so many articles with negativity that it's become depressive. Come up with something fresh and uplifting you t***s.
I'm struggling to see how this one could be seen as negative/depressing.
Load More Replies...My wife and I once went grocery shopping and one of the item she picked up was a ream of A4 sized printer paper. The brand was "Paper One.
Bored Panda! Why can't I edit my own comment? I accidentally hit enter while typing. Anyway back to the story.. After paying, she argued with the cashier as we never buy pepperoni; only to be told later to look closely at the spelling. The itemized receipt printed that A4 paper as paperone.
Load More Replies...