A loaf of bread...14.97??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well that's what the store thought they were going to charge me for a loaf of garlic bread today! Ahem, let me recount for you what happened.
I try to be a savvy shopper. I clip some coupons, I check sale papers and I have a price book. A price book is where I write down the normal price items I usually purchase from our local stores.It allows me at a glance to see who has the lowest price on that item and when a sale is advertised, if it IS a sale.
By comparison shopping, price book and watching the sale papers, I shop where I can get the best bargain for my buck.
Know in advance...I hate Walmart. But trying to keep my grocery bill low, Walmart is a must. Trust me it's not the only store I shop at and they are not the cheapest on everything by any means. But they do save me money on a good many items.
My goal, 150.00 every other week. I get close.
As I shop and go down my list, I write down everything that I purchase and it's price. I do this so I won't suffer 'price total shock' at the register. Today was no different.
As a norm for me, I always check the 'reduced' isles for bargains. Walmart usually has a reduced section of bakery goods, such as garlic breads, french breads, rolls, etc. I will buy them when I think it's a good deal, they aren't too old and if I know I'm going to be too busy to bake bread that week. So today I'm browsing the reduced bakery goods and low and behold they have already buttered garlic bread ready for heating for 1.50$ Decent deal, so I pick one up.
Mind you, this was one of the last things I purchased before heading to the checkout. I knew my total today should have been right around 140$ give or take a few. (before coupons)
Groceries now on the counter being rung up by the cashier I know I only have one stop left and that's IGA for their truckload sale. 40lbs of chicken leg quarters for 16.95. good deal. I'll can some of it, freeze some of it and chicken won't need to be worried about for another month or two....Coming out of my fog as the cashier announces my total of 160$ and some change. I am a wee bit shocked but think to myself that I must have forgotten to write down a good many items. (this is not normal for me, but hey..schtuff happens) I pay my bill and she hands me my receipt. As I'm walking up the isle I glance at my receipt to see if I can figure out why the overage between it and my calculations.
BAM! Right there in front of my eyes was a $14.95 charge. WHAT? I didn't purchase anything for 14.95$ WTH?? I look over and it says "SHEET CAKE"..now I KNOW something is wrong, I didn't purchase a sheet cake..why in the hell would I do that! I stopped dead in my tracks and the traffic of exiting walmart customers, turn my happy butt around straight back to the cashier I just left. Hand her my receipt and begin questioning.
In my mind I'm thinking, "good gawd, how will we know what rung up at this price, I've got a buggy FULL of groceries". So I looked to the receipt at what was rung up before it and after it. Both items were from the bakery and or the fresh produce, the last two places I stopped before heading to the register.
By pure deduction I knew, it had to be one of the two breads I bought off the reduced rack. The cashier ran the 'scanner' on the garlic bread and lo and behold there was the culprit. It was ringing up as a sheet cake for 14.97! Of course, you know this means I had to go to the customer service desk and do the deal to get my money back. Pain in my ass. Apparently the regular price sticker on the bread was data entered wrong, and it was registering that bread as a sheet cake and at that price. Forget it even recognizing it was on a reduced shelf or that it wasn't really a sheet cake.
Anyway
Problem solved, money refunded and my grocery goal still within a close reach I headed to my last stop.
I got to thinking though. How many people went into Walmart within the last two days, dumped 200$ worth of groceries on the counter and bought a 15$ loaf of bread without even noticing? Without looking at their receipt? Without batting an eye at a 200$ grocery bill? Without double checking anything?

WORD TO THE WISE..write down what you buy as you shop, write down how much money the label SAYS it should be, make sure to check the label carefully ..check the UPC code of the product verses the label on the shelf, read cautiously and finally, MAKE SURE what you put in your buggy is what you're buying, WATCH that register LED as it rings up your purchases. Check your receipts BEFORE you leave the store.
After you do this enough, it will become easier and easier..but START now.
Make a price book. KNOW what is a good deal and isn't a good deal.

I mean, you really don't want to be eating a 15$ loaf of garlic bread do you??