Buying sugar

[jb-texshine]

Depending on my mood I just tell any cashier that asks one of two things:
#1 I'm diabetic and suicidal which makes them look very uncomfortable and break eye contact and check you out as fast as possible, or,they try giving you the number of the national suicide hotline.
#2 Look them in the eyes and say" that seems just like its some of your business to me too.
Both work.
Buying 25 two pound bags of brown sugar (every three months) gets me questioned every time.

[raketemensch]

Bake sale. Works for molasses too, "I use my grandma's recipe."

[RedwoodHillBilly]

I buy 40# at a time. No one even blinks an eye. Maybe you need a different store (if possible). Or just tell them (politely) to F*ck off, it's none of their business.

[Cashjon]

Bulk food outlet They are not cheap, at least the ones around here, went to bulk food store for sugar, corn sugar, corn meal etc, thought prices were high so I passed. 4kg sugar in Ontario Canada at grocery store is about 45-55 cents/pound bulk food was .59 . Corn meal at bulk was 1.49/pound , grocery store a 2kg-4.4lbs is 2.49 , that's about .56/pound . So long story short, shop around, Bulk food outlets are a ripoff.

[Tumbleweed71]

Amish bulk store. 50# $24. Or my sister has a bakery and will order extra. No questions...ever.

[rubber duck]

Lol if your using 45 pounds a week you had better go to a different store every time, it's going to cost you way more then 55 dollars in the long run you knuckle head.

That's a response to the original poster, I'm pretty sure he was trolling but it sure is entertaining.

[psycosteve]

Had an interesting conversation with a gentleman in line at the local Wally world when I picked up a #25 bag of sugar. The man asked me what kind of weather was I expecting ? I thought it was kind of odd so I asked him what did he mean ? his response was I expecting to hear the thunder ? Looking at his cart he had a case of Ball mason jars qt size and 4 #25 bags of sugar. I responded nah but I am hoping for lightning to strike near by. The man smiles and while I got checked out I thought to myself that buying that much at one time and one place is a bit hot for what we do. If at all possible we do have to understand that while our hobby is not currently a must for the police we should all exercise caution and not buy everything at one place and at one time. All it would take for the police to look into home distilling is to have the right political motivation. Look at allergy medications that can be used as precursor to make meth. You have to sign away your life to get a box of sudafed which led to meth heads smirfing to get what they needed. Be cool and be discrete. I do not believe that sugar would ever become like this but who knows what is going to happen ? With what we do, the Feds tolerate us for not paying them taxes on our hooch. The fact that we keep things small and do not make waves is the key to all of this. Do not sell, offer, trade or let it be known we do what we do and everyone stays safe.

[pfshine]

With what we do, the Feds tolerate us for not paying them taxes on our hooch.

We do pay tax on it. Let's start with grain. In order for you to buy grain you have to earn money right. The gov taxes you on your check. They tax the company that employ's you. It keeps going up but let's get back to you. You drive your vehicle which you paid ungodly tax on then had to register it for insane amounts of money all tax. But you also have to buy gas which is taxed to high heaven. When you get to the store you buy grain and pay tax on them. They tax the employee checking you out and the store. Back to the grain, they tax the land they tax the water they tax the farmer they tax the pesticides they tax the seeds they tax farm hands they tax and they tax and they tax. I'm not even getting into buying parts and pieces and propane and electricity. Tax tax tax

[muscashine]

Had an interesting conversation with a gentleman in line at the local Wally world when I picked up a #25 bag of sugar. The man asked me what kind of weather was I expecting ? I thought it was kind of odd so I asked him what did he mean ? his response was I expecting to hear the thunder ? Looking at his cart he had a case of Ball mason jars qt size and 4 #25 bags of sugar. I responded nah but I am hoping for lightning to strike near by.

I went to walmart last spring for my regular grocery shopping. Almost all the sugar was gone, I guess the truck was late. They were down to just a row of five pound bags. This guy was putting 4 of them in his cart. I looked at my wife and jokingly said, "Wow, all the sugar's gone. It must be moonshine season". Dude with the 4 bags of sugar smiled.

I decided to try some rum a few months back. I went to another store and bought 8 of the 2 pound bags of dark brown sugar. The cashier was running them through and looked at me. "I don't even want to KNOW what you gone' be coin' with all dat stuff" she says. I told her it was on sale and my wife cooks a lot for the church bake sales. The look she gave me implied something more kinky and weird than "he's making liquor". Next time I'm going to spread my brown sugar purchases out a bit.

[heartcut]

Costco, $19USD for 50#, everyone there buys bulk so I don't stand out at all.

[res]

The cashier's your likely to deal with couldn't give two hoots about what your buying, if they ask at all it's because it's an easy bit of small talk, "wow that's a lot of sugar" could just as easily be "that's a lot of carrots" or "cute kid". In Aus at least there is no way they rush off to tell the manager about the guy who bought a lot of sugar.

[CROW-EATER]

Your shop keepers must be a suspicious bunch, either that or your local cop is working at the shop on weekends.
I recon I could empty the shelvs of sugar every week and no one would bat an eyelid....
"Yes I'll have a box of cornflakes with that, thanks."

That elevated level of suspicion is normally reserved for people filling their shopping trolleys with cough medicine, and cold & flue tables.

[CROW-EATER]

The cashier's your likely to deal with couldn't give two hoots about what your buying, if they ask at all it's because it's an easy bit of small talk, "wow that's a lot of sugar" could just as easily be "that's a lot of carrots" or "cute kid". In Aus at least there is no way they rush off to tell the manager about the guy who bought a lot of sugar.

Check out chick : "gee thats a lot of sugar! "

Me : "yeah, I'm making a comercial quantity of moonshine, don't tell anyone . .. here's my business card ... have you got any specials on cough medicine or cold & flue tables this week ? "

[sungazer]

I buy sugar in bulk but it doesn't stand out as I buy a lot of things in bulk when they are on special. Rice is a big specials item it is normally $24 for a 10kg bag on special it goes to around $13 per 10kg bag. I buy the store out if I can never been stopped. I also get a rain check for as many as they will let me sometimes they limit it to 6 per person so I get six on rain check and my wife gets 6 on rain check. We do eat a lot of rice

I often buy 10 3kg bags of sugar never even a comment.

[steelmb]

Costco, $19USD for 50#, everyone there buys bulk so I don't stand out at all.

The trouble with Costco is you have to show your membership card so all your purchases are tracked that way. I like to buy most of my sugar cash and spread the purchases around to different locations.

[masonsjax]

Sugar is legal. Nobody is tracking sugar purchases, and there are a million and one uses for sugar with only one being a temporarily illegal activity. A technicality that will hopefully be remedied shortly. There's a lot of paranoia here. I guess there's nothing wrong with being overly cautious, but it seems unnecessary when buying common household ingredients that are stocked specifically to be purchased in bulk.

[steelmb]

I'm not thinking that they may be tracking sugar purchases but if people do something else stupid and end up getting caught and charged then they could go back and get a good idea of how much you were making.

[Aussiedownunder01]

The cute little girl at the Aldi cashout normally says whats on the go this time and smiles

[Badmotivator]

Funny, I got more nervous buying canning jars for spirit collection than I ever have buying sugar. I think I was buying two boxes in December and the lady arched her eyebrows at me and asked, "Doing a lot of canning?"

Sure lady. Canning in December. Yup. Nothing shady going on here.


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[still_stirrin]

This is a funny thread to follow. The discussions are diverse, to say the least.

Around here, at least 75% of the grocery shopping is done by women, or at least couples. So when only men go to the checkout counter it is notable. And if more than 1 or 2 men make larger than average sugar purchases on a frequent basis, along with Mason jars and/or baking yeast, it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something is being fermented. Notable enough.

But would it warrant a call to security? No, because it is not illegal to buy these items at the grocery, or they wouldn't be able to stock, sell, and profit from them. It's a business, you see, one that collects sales taxes (in most regions). So, the merchandise generates a revenue stream for the economy.

Does the clerk have a "right" to comment? Sure, in this country at least. Many clerks are bored by ringing up sales all day (or night) and conversation is the "lifeblood" of the job. They note much diversity in the customers' purchases and establish a "personality" in the people by the products they purchase. So, if you look like a distiller, dress like a distiller, make purchases like a distiller, and even make your purchases with cash...guess what they'll think you're doing? So a comment is not unexpected at all.

If you're paranoid about this, or the encounter, then don't "play the part". Make other household purchases when you buy your sugar. Add your wife's necessary items to the basket. Try distracting the clerk with a big box of condoms and personal body lubricant purchases. Throw in some panty hose while you're at it.

Make a game out of it to see what items spark a conversation with the clerk. Soon, you'll look forward to the checkout line. What about those other ladies in front or behind you in the line. What are they thinking? What are they going to say, and to whom? Still paranoid?

See how much fun this is?
ss

[CROW-EATER]

Try distracting the clerk with a big box of condoms and personal body lubricant purchases.

" I see the biggest on the shelf is only 2xl ... do you have anything bigger out the back ? ... got anything more slippery than this stuff ? "

[T-Pee]

Try distracting the clerk with a big box of condoms and personal body lubricant purchases.

" I see the biggest on the shelf is only 2xl ... do you have anything bigger out the back ? ... got anything more slippery than this stuff ? "

Hell, she might ask you for a date.

tp

[pfshine]

Sure lady. Canning in December. Yup. Nothing shady going on here.

I can alot and I mean alot in December. You never canned deer or elk or duck? Only time around here you can hunt is winter. You can can alot more than fruits and vegetables. Canned meat doesn't need refrigeration.

[pfshine]

Try distracting the clerk with a big box of condoms and personal body lubricant purchases.

" I see the biggest on the shelf is only 2xl ... do you have anything bigger out the back ? ... got anything more slippery than this stuff ? "

Hell, she might ask you for a date.

tp

Or he. You never know.

[bitter]

LOL I just say wife doing bake sale for the kids lol... Or "it takes a lot of calories to maintain a figure like this..." That shocks and distracts most people big time..

Last bit of sugar my wife picked up also lol... I say if in doubt and shopping pickup 2 2kg bags each trip.. It eventually gets used..

B

[Swedish Pride]

don't really buy lots of sugar and on the occasion I do I just get it with the rest of the groceries, so far no questions or raised eyebrows.
But if you are asked about it why not just say you keep bees?
Logical need for it and most wouldn't have an educated follow up question on bees.

[masonsjax]

What's with all the sugar?
Oh, I keep bees.
Cool. What do you do with the honey?
I make moonshine out of it

[Swedish Pride]

What's with all the sugar?
Oh, I keep bees.
Cool. What do you do with the honey?
I make moonshine out of it

hahahaha

[okie]

I came from a small town of 5000 people where everyone knew your business. I know if I had this hobby there everyone would be suspicious and talking. I live in a major metropolis of over 12 million and nobody gives a crap if I buy 200 pounds of whatever.

People are funny. I loved this thread. This brings to mind what a wise Indian told me. Know your environment (enemies) and blend in so they don't know you.

[muscashine]

Costco, $19USD for 50#, everyone there buys bulk so I don't stand out at all.

The trouble with Costco is you have to show your membership card so all your purchases are tracked that way. I like to buy most of my sugar cash and spread the purchases around to different locations.

A lot of the tracking the stores do has to do with targeted advertising. The wife bought some baby stuff (like diapers and bottle liners or something) for a friend's shower, from a local grocery store and used her store savings card. Of course, our address is on file for the card. The next month we started getting pampers ads and even a few sample things in the mail. We got pampers ads for a year...