Don’t walk, run to Dollar General.

According to TikToker Ivan (@ivangtv), as of Nov. 21, “Dollar General is about to mark down thousands of items to just one penny.”

Ivan explains that when “items have made it all the way through their clearance cycle and still haven't sold, … employees need to go take them off the shelf, but if you get to them first before they take them down, you can get them for one penny.”

Ivan shares his tips and tricks for finding these deals before they are removed from the shelf. His first tip is to download the Dollar General app, and have the app handy as you shop. “The only way you're gonna be able to check if these items are exactly one penny is to scan them on the Dollar General app first,” he says.

For his second tip, he suggests you shouldn’t mention the penny deal to the sales associates.  “It's technically their fault that they haven't gotten them off the shelf yet, so you're not really supposed to call them out on it,” he shares.

He lets viewers know how to identify these penny deals in the store. “You're supposed to look for ones that have the green dot on them,” he shares. The green dot typically lives on the item’s price tag. “If they have the green dot, that means they've gotten to the end of their clearance life and they're about to be taken off the shelf,” he shares.

To make things easier, he even shares a rough estimate of items that are potentially included in this penny deal. His list includes some items in these categories: back to school, home, Halloween, apparel, candy, Fourth of July, patriotic party, dinnerware, as well as spring and summer.  

@ivangtv Dollar general penny day starts tomorrow #dollargeneral #couponing #foryou #clearance ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) - CKay

This viral video has over 1.7 million views and hundreds of comments. Many viewers shared their experiences trying to find these dollar deals. “Omg, it’s been crazy this week already. I went in today to get an aluminum pan and there was a man with 4 buggies packed!!! His total was $1.27,” one viewer commented. 

Others shared that their local Dollar General wouldn’t let them purchase the 1-cent deals. “My dollar general told me that they won’t be able to sell them to me,” one commented. A Dollar General employee chimed in, confirming this viewer experience, “I work at Dollar General. My store personally won’t even allow people to buy penny items.” 

The Daily Dot reached out to @ivangtv and Dollar General for comment via email. 

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The post ‘You’re not supposed to mention the deal to the associates’: Man shares how to find penny deals at Dollar General appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In a viral video, TikToker Ella (@shesmytranquility1) recounted how a Cheesecake Factory server confronted her about not tipping. 

She says she ate at the restaurant’s bar with her niece, and at the end of their meal, they ordered cheesecake to go. After placing their to-go order of cheesecake, she says their server gave them the bill with a QR code to scan and pay. “I pay for everything and just hit ‘no’ on the tip 'cause I have cash,” she explains. 

She says she then headed over to the cheesecake bar to pick up her cheesecake. While picking up the to-go order, she says she realized she forgot to give her cash tip to the server. She says that when she turned around to make her way back to the bar to leave her tip, she found her server behind her. She says he asked, “Why didn't you tip us today?” 

“He was like, ‘What did we do wrong today because you didn’t give us a tip?’” she recalls.

She says she then explained to him that nothing was wrong and that she just forgot to leave her cash tip. “He then was like, ‘Oh, OK. So you are going to tip us 20%, right?’ and I was like ‘Yeah,’” she says. 

“I know it seems dramatic, but it was so uncomfortable,” she says, explaining that this interaction happened in front of a crowd of people waiting to be seated and waiting for their to-go orders. 

“It just felt like a really awkward thing to do. … When I walked out, I was saying to my niece, ‘Is that real?’ It just felt like it wasn’t real,” she shares. “Even if it was the worst or best service, if he deserved a tip or not, I just feel like you don’t ask someone that.” 

@mytranquility_ #stitch with @Welcome to funny tiktok am i being dramatic lol #cheesecake #cheesecakefactory #tipping ♬ original sound - bitch

This video has 69,000 views and hundreds of comments. Many viewers were appalled by the server's behavior and validated Ella’s feelings about the interaction. 

“They should not be asking about a tip. tips are appreciated but should not be expected. That is ridiculous. at that point, I would have said I was going” a viewer commented. 

Viewers working in the service industry also weighed in. “As a restaurant owner…he should be fired. You’re correct!” Another shared, “As a server NEVER would I do that.”  

The Daily Dot reached out to Ella via TikTok for comment and to The Cheesecake Factory via email for comment. 

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The post ‘You’re going to tip us 20% today, right?’: Cheesecake Factory server demands to know why customer didn’t tip after ordering cheesecake to-go appeared first on The Daily Dot.

TikToker Drake Pooley (@drakepooley) is judging you! 

In a viral video, he shares a list of popular home decor items he deems worth judging you for. He claims that many of the “monoculture” items he highlights are devoid of personality and don’t tell your guest much about who you are.

“I want to know something about you when I enter your home,” he says. 

He starts his list with the Tom Ford coffee table book, a catalog of Tom Ford's design work for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004. This coffee table book has been seen in many influencers' and lifestyle bloggers' homes. “I think this coffee table book may have made Tom Ford more money than he’s ever done in his fashion career,” Pooley comments. 

He argues no more Amazon Wall Art, which typically includes colorless reproductions of Henri Matise and Picasso artworks. Pooley says “I have zero qualms about cheap art,” and offers an alternative to finding fun affordable art. “Go to the National Gallery of Art and find something that doesn’t have any royalties on it and go print it out.” 

If you have “Aesop everything” Pooley says he’s also judging you. Aesop is a luxury cosmetics brand known for its high price points and aesthetically pleasing branding. Aesop soaps can be found in the bathrooms of fancy restaurants and celebrity homes. 

Pooley argues, “If literally everything that could be in your home is Aesop you just fell straight for the marketing.” He claims that Aesop is “not the best,” and warns viewers, “Don’t just buy it because the stores are really aesthetic.” 

He explains the same can be said for the popular Diptyque’s Baies candle. The Baies candle is Lebron James’s favorite scent, the candle burning in Ritz-Carlton’s lobby and was Harry and Meghan’s wedding scent, according to Mecca. Pooley says “Diptyque has so many good candles, if this is the only one you are buying, I am wondering why?” 

This video has 1.9 million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers agreed with Pooley’s claims and even added to his list. “That Tom Ford coffee table book makes me sick,” one viewer commented. Another added, “You forgot the Hermes throw.” To which Pooley responded, “I almost included this.” While some viewers felt Pooley’s words hit close to home. 

@drakepooley #greenscreen Down with the monoculture #nyc #apartmenttherapy ♬ original sound - Drake Pooley

“Wow, I feel judged. I own the Tom Ford book and Diptyque candles,” one shared. 

The Daily Dot reached out to Drake Pooley for comment via email. 

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The post ‘I want to know something about you when I enter your home’: Man calls out Diptyque candles and other ‘monoculture’ apartment items he judges you for appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In a viral video, ex-Walmart worker and TikToker Emma (@emma.4212) shares that she quit her new job at Walmart during orientation. 

In the 11-second video, Emma is lip-syncing a piece of audio that goes, “I don't know. I just don't think this is, like, great for me. I don't wanna do it. I wanna go home. Like, I can't take the pressure off it.” As she’s lip-syncing, she takes off her blue Walmart vest and turns her back to the camera, before walking out of frame.

The audio that she is lip-syncing is from America's Next Top Model, a reality television series where aspiring models compete for the title of "top model." The audio is from a contestant who decided to quit the competition before even advancing past the auditions. 

This America’s Next Top Model contestant justified herself quitting with “I just don’t think this is great for me.” Similar to Emma, who left Walmart before actually starting the job, because she also felt the closing shift they assigned her was just not “great” for her. 

Emma claims the reason why she left the job during orientation is because “they wouldn’t let me switch departments and wanted me to be on cashier 2-11 5x a week.” However, “I offered to bring the vest back,” she says. 

This video has 615,400 and hundreds of comments. Many viewers defend Emma’s decision to quit, sharing their own experiences at Walmart working the closing shift as a cashier. 

“Girl, I quit the first week. 2-11 is basically your whole day and not only that, I wake up going straight to the next shift,” a viewer shared.

 “Working the closing shift is terrible…I have no time for anything other than work when working 1-10,” a viewer explained. One viewer even claimed they did the same thing as Emma, “I went to a Walmart orientation and never went back.” 

@emmaa.4212

I offered to bring the vest back

♬ original sound - Crackingupp || 200K

Other viewers shared how in general working closing shifts anywhere can be difficult, and advocated quitting. “I quit every job immediately [when] they tried to put me on nights. I will never work a 2-10 or 11 ever again. I will be home no later than 5,” one shared. 

The Daily Dot reached out to Emma for comment via TikTok and to Walmart for comment via email.

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The post ‘I quit every job immediately’: Viewers defend ex-Walmart worker who quit during orientation appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In a viral video, Tiktoker and avid baker Malina Lee (@sweetgrace.sa) exposes Betty Crocker for reducing the amount of dry mix in its Super Moist Cake Mix. 

Malina Lee alleges that the original cake mix was "16.25 ounces or 460 grams," but the new mix is "14.25 ounces or 403 grams," a 60-gram difference.

"If you are a baker, you know this is absolutely huge," she says. Baking is a science that requires accurate measurements and close attention to detail. Any recipe change can alter the final product's taste, texture, and quality. 

Malina Lee argues the reduction of dry mix is not even the most alarming part of this change. She alleges that Betty Crocker also neglected to adjust the measurements of the wet ingredients to match the new amount of dry mix. 

"They did not reduce the liquid, the fat, or the egg amount," she explains. "They just reduced the dry ingredients, which is insane, and is absolutely, 100 percent gonna change the texture of these box cake mixes."

She suspects that Betty Crocker "slowly reduced the amount of dry ingredients … without having to have to change the wet ingredients and the egg amount because they didn't really want people to pick up on the fact that they changed the amount of cake mix in the box." She calls this change "unacceptable" and "unethical." 

@sweetgrace.sa #greenscreen anyone else noticed this about their cake mixes? 🤯🤯🤯 #sweetgracesa #fyp #viral #cakemix #bettycrocker ♬ original sound - Malina Lee || Sweet Grace

This video has 3.3 million views and over 11,000 comments. Many viewers also noticed the change and shared Malina Lee's feelings. "I used to be able to make 24 cupcakes out of one box now I'm lucky if I get 18," one viewer commented. Another shared, "I made a cake this weekend and it felt like it was way oiler than usual I always follow the instructions and the cake came out wrong." 

Others suggested the change is a result of "shrinkflation," which one viewer explains as "during inflationary times companies reduce their product a little so they don't have to change their price as much." Another viewer agreed, sharing, "Every company is doing this now — shrinkflation is what people are calling it." 

The Daily Dot reached out to Malina Lee and Betty Crocker for comment via email.

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The post ‘This is why I started making things from scratch. Not gonna bother with this craziness’: Betty Crocker customer reveals ‘secret’ change in their white cake mix appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In a viral video, a mom shared that she and her child contracted hand-foot-and-mouth disease from a shopping cart.

TikToker Syd (@thesydney_grant), who often shares lifestyle and motherhood content, uploaded a video that showed her son sitting in a shopping cart, followed by photos of rashes and sores on her hands and around her mouth. The text over the video reads: “puts baby in the shopping cart for the first time, gets a horrible case of hand-foot-and-mouth.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a contagious yet mild viral infection. Symptoms “usually include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash. The rash is commonly found on the hands and feet.” While not a deadly disease, symptoms can last 10 - 12 days. 

The viral video has over 13 million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers expressed questions, wondering if Syd used sanitizer or if her son contracted the disease, too, asking, “Wait, did the baby get it or just you?” 

@thesydney_grant When you put your baby in the shopping cart for the first time #momsoftiktok #momtok #firsttimemom #hfm #handfootandmouthdisease ♬ original sound - Jo Wuensche

In a follow-up video, she addresses their questions. “Yes, my baby did get it. That's how I got it. So he got it from the grocery cart,” she explains. “He touched it and then put his hands in his mouth, like all babies do.” 

She stresses that she sanitized her hands after the grocery trip, as she always does, and also sanitized her child's hands. "But it was already too late. He started showing symptoms a couple of days later,” she says.  

Her follow-up video has 465,000 views. Many viewers shared their newfound fear after witnessing what happened to her and her child. “So you’re telling me even wiping down the cart doesn’t prevent this,” one commented. 

Others stressed the importance of a cart cover, which provides complete cart coverage and protection from germs. “This is why we use a cart cover and clean after every use,” one viewer shared.

Another shared, “I’m going to be a new mom in February and wasn’t really sure if a cart cover would be a necessity, this has changed my mind."

While the disease has symptoms, Syd assures her followers that it did not have deadly effects on her and her child. “Thankfully, he didn't have too bad of symptoms. He had a slight fever and a little bit of a rash was uncomfortable for a couple of days, but he's recovered now, thankfully, and didn't get it as bad as I did,” she says.  

The Daily Dot reached out to Syd for comment via email.

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The post ‘So you’re telling me even wiping down the cart doesn’t prevent this?’: Mom says she contracted an illness from a shopping cart appeared first on The Daily Dot.

An Airbnb guest exposes the many ways the San Diego home he rented is not worth its $1,250 nightly rate.

In a viral video, Tiktoker Nick Doty (@nldoty) gives viewers a tour of the five-bedroom rental home he deems "the most pathetic excuse for a house." He shares a laundry list of things wrong with the home, making the listing far from a luxury unit. 

He starts the tour in the home's garage. This is where he identifies the first problem. "The first bedroom's in the garage. I'm not kidding," he says. He opens a door in the garage, which leads to a small windowless room fitting solely a twin-size bed and a lamp that cannot be plugged in because the room has no outlets. 

"It smells like gasoline. There's no air vent. The smoke detectors expired. Actually, they're all expired. And this is not legally a bedroom," he shares. "I could probably make an hourlong video with all the things that are wrong with this house."

While his viral video is not an hour long, he uses the next six minutes to share and show viewers all the nightmarish horrors in the home. 

In the bathrooms, viewers see toilets that are not attached to the wall or floor, allowing them to be rocked back and forth. The shower handle in one of the bathrooms has completely fallen off. The air conditioning units throughout the home are locked up and controlled by the host. "[We] can't turn on the AC unless we Venmo him $25 a day—luxury," Doty shares. 

Rather than five bedrooms, there are five twin beds and a futon in the basement. One of the bed stations has the luxurious added element of a modesty curtain.

@nldoty Replying to @laminatedbears #landlord #landlordspecial #airbnb #airbnbfinds #airbnbexperience #airbnbhost #landlords #landlordsfromhell #fyp #fypage ♬ original sound - nldoty

In addition to sleeping quarters, the basement is equipped with an especially confusing bathroom. "So this entire hallway is our bathroom," Doty explains. He shows viewers a long hallway with several rooms, each of which is a different part of the "bathroom." One room holds the shower, another holds the toilet, and the last room has the sink. The rooms do not seem to have doors, and only the shower room is equipped with a curtain.

"There's no air vent down here. There's also no air conditioning. But we have a dehumidifier. At least, it makes the lights flicker when you turn it on," Doty shares. 

In another bathroom in the home, he shows a light fixture that is balanced on top of drywall screws rather than being secured to the wall. "There is no ventilation in the shower … which explains all the mold on the ceiling," he adds. 

"All this could be yours for $5 million and a lifetime supply of antidepressants," he shares. 

Doty's video has over a million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers shared Doty's frustration. "$1250/night?! You could stay at a 5-star hotel for that," one commented. 

Others shared similar experiences and provided tips on how to get refunded. "Call local code compliance and file a complaint and get your Airbnb refunded," one suggested. "Contact Airbnb and submit a code claimant and contact the fire marshal. Had to do that when I stayed [at one] with a crumbling basement foundation," another shared. 

The Daily Dot reached out to Nick Doty via Instagram direct message and Airbnb via email.

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The post ‘It smells like gasoline’: Airbnb guest paid $1,250 for 5 bedroom house. One of the rooms is in the garage appeared first on The Daily Dot.

TikToker and grocery store worker Garret (@himbough) shared his tips and tricks for not having to bag customers' items. 

He begins his viral video by stating, “I work at a grocery store, and here’s a few small things that I do to try to slightly manipulate customers into letting me not bag things 'cause I don’t want to bag it.” 

He reveals his first trick by acting out a scenario in which a customer he’s checking out has purchased apples that are in a produce bag, to which he asks, “Do you need that bag in a bag?” 

He then presents a second scenario. A customer steps into his aisle with one item, to which he says, “All right, you got one thing here, do you need a bag?”

In the video, he puts a lot of emphasis on the words “one thing,” as if trying to convince customers that they do not need a bag for one item. 

@himbough Its only half because of laziness #fyp #work #bags #cc #grocerystore #foryou #bag #customer ♬ original sound - Garet

In a third scenario, he puts customers' items into one bag. “I just realized I put all your stuff in one bag. Is that OK, or did you need me to split it up?” he questions in the hopes that they won’t request another bag. 

He shares his last trick, which involves determination and force. “Beep, just scanned some milk,” he says, which he places into the cart. “No, I am not going to ask you. It goes … in the cart,” he adds. 

Garret’s video has 259,000 views and around 400 comments. His viral video has sparked discourse, with viewers sharing their various experiences and opinions about bagging. 

“No, one time a cashier asked if I needed a bag and I said 'yeah if you don’t mind' They said 'I’d rather not' I didn’t get the bag,” one commented.

Some viewers resonated with Garret's video, expressing their lack of desire for multiple bags. 

“My dream cashier. I always say I want as few bags as possible and they never listen,” one shared.

Another added, “I use self-check [out] mainly so I can shove as much into as few bags as possible. Also to avoid conversation."

Some grocery store workers also chimed in about their work experiences bagging. “I cashier at Walmart and most people literally want every single item in bags. Milk, ice cream, and 2-liter sodas must be double-bagged. It's the worst,” a viewer commented. 

The Daily Dot reached out to Garret via TikTok comment.

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The post ‘Cause I don’t want to bag it’: Grocery store worker shares how he ‘manipulates’ customers so that he doesn’t have to bag their items appeared first on The Daily Dot.

In a viral video, TikToker Lizzie Dushaj (@lizziedushaj) recounts her experience visiting Trashy Lingerie, the infamous Halloween store where influencers and celebrities buy their costumes.

Trashy Lingerie piqued Dushaj's interest after learning that singer Madison Beer shops there, but the experience and seeing the price tags of Trashy Lingeries’s items left Dushaj feeling “physically sick.” 

She says the first red flag is that “you have to pay $2 to get into the store. Which isn't a lot of money, but like why do you have to pay money to go into a Halloween store?” 

Once entering the store and paying the $2 fee, she says her initial impression was that “these costumes are really cute, [but they look] like a glorified version of Party City costumes.” She says she was drawn to a Harry Potter costume. Her first instinct was to check the price tag, she recalls. 

“I gasped,” she says. “I had to make sure it was in USD. The skirt alone was $300. You then also had to purchase the $300 corset. Then also had to purchase the $200 cardigan,” she continues. 

She says she then checked the price tags of multiple costumes. “Every single costume was in the $500 to $1,000 range,” she explains. 

@lizziedushaj

i recognized half the costumes from seeing people post in them

♬ original sound - lizzie dushaj

Trashy Lingerie is a long-standing Hollywood fixture that has been dressing celebrities such as Madonna, Katy Perry, Stevie Nicks, Playboy bunnies, and Ariana Grande since the 1970s. For years, it has charged shoppers a $2 annual membership fee to access its famous costumes and handmade goods. 

According to Vogue, Trashy Lingerie's owner Randy Shrier says that “always focusing on the product—and never compromising on quality” is the key to their success, and potentially the reasoning behind their high price points. “We’re going to design something that looks good and fits well, and whatever it costs [to make it], that’s what it costs,” Shrier shares. 

Yet, TikToker Dushaj disagrees. “Personally, I don't care how much money you have, I don't think that anyone should be spending that much money on a costume that you wear for approximately one hour to go to a crowded Halloween party,” she argues. 

Dushaj’s viral video has over a million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers shared Dushaj's shock at Trashy Lingerie’s 2-dollar membership fee and high price points. “Entrance fee for a store I never heard about in my life,” one commented. 

While others defend Trashy Lingerie’s prices, citing its status as an iconic Hollywood fixture. “Yo, this place..is ICONIC… they alter it to you too usually,” a viewer shared. 

Viewers cited their custom high-quality garments as a justification for their prices. “I bought a corset from them almost 20 years ago, and have a few second-hand prices from thrifting, their stuff is amazing,” a viewer commented. While another shared, “These pieces are handmade by someone, I understand that it’s expensive for normal people but for celebrities, I feel like it’s nothing.” 

The Daily Dot reached out to Lizzie Dushaj and Trashy Lingerie via email.

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The post ‘Every single costume was in the $500 to $1,000 range’: Woman says she had to pay $2 ‘entrance fee’ just to get into Halloween store influencers shop at appeared first on The Daily Dot.

A restaurant worker was fired on her first day after she used her phone to film TikTok dances while on the clock.

In the 13-second clip, which received 3.8 million views, TikToker Ashley Barnes (@ashleyb4253) is dressed in the uniform of her workplace—a pink t-shirt and black pants. She places her phone on a kitchen counter at her job and begins to record herself dancing a typical TikTok dance.

Seconds into the dance, Ashley's supervisor walks into the frame, and while viewers can’t see or hear what he is saying, the drastic change in Ashley's demeanor tells the audience everything they need to know.

In the caption of the video, the creator writes, “Sigh, I didn't know the boss would come in the kitchen.” Ashley's boss allegedly fired her because of the offense, as indicated in the video's text overlay which reads, “POV: I literally already got fired (I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to film).” 

Just hours before she was fired for making TikTok dances on the clock, Ashley, a creator known for documenting her life for over 1.1 million followers, had uploaded another video sharing that she had got a new job.

In that clip, the worker is wearing the same pink and black uniform as she pours coffee. The text overlay on this video reads, “POV, Ashley Barnes finally got a real job.” But if her subsequent post is to be believed, Ashley appears to have been fired from that same job mere hours after she began.

Many viewers expressed their surprise at the fact that Ashley thought it would be okay to film herself dancing and be on her TikTok while at work since most companies, especially those in the service industry, have a strict no-phones on-the-floor policy. 

@ashleyb4253

sigh i didnt know the boss would come in the kicthen

♬ Epiphany (I'm Leaving) - Loog & ProdByAbnormal Remix ft. Ziahfyah - Chrisette Michele

“Wdym you didn’t know it wouldn’t be okay to start tik tok dancin on the clock,” one viewer exclaimed.

“Generally, at jobs, you’re supposed to work & stay off your phone. Hope this helps,” others sarcastically added.

One person suggested, “Not when you are clocked in…on [your] break maybe?” 

Viewers who had seen Ashley's prior TikTok post also shared their concerns about the fact that the worker lost her job for dancing just hours after she got the job.

“ASHLEY ITS BEEN AN HOUR,” one wrote, to which Ashley cheerily responded, “It’s okay ... It was like day one like testing day and i failed but bigger better things now.” 

The Daily Dot reached out to Ashley via email.

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The post ‘Wdym you didn’t know it wouldn’t be okay?’: Restaurant worker gets fired after filming TikTok dances on the clock appeared first on The Daily Dot.