• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Stranger pays off $8,300 in checks for customers at toy shop

Home> News> Money

Published 17:35 14 Dec 2023 GMT

Stranger pays off $8,300 in checks for customers at toy shop

Owners of the Western Australia toyshop were delighted to break the news to parents visiting the store

Rhianna Benson

Rhianna Benson

They say the Christmas period is a time for joy, and nothing could be truer for customers at a toy shop in Western Australia.

That's because a very secret Santa has this week surprised shoppers at Toyworld in Bunbury - 170km south of Perth - by paying off $8,300 of their checks.

News of the anonymous benefactor first broke on social media after the store's two owners - brothers Rick and Harvey Baker - revealed that the donor was a local businessman.

Other than this one key detail, the duo have kept tight-lipped about his identity.

Advert

"It has been truly amazing being able to share this news with our customers and see their joy ... upon collecting their lay-bys," the brothers wrote in an online post.

"What a wonderful Christmas gesture to share some joy among the Bunbury community."

In conversation with 7NEWS.com.au, Rick and Harvey revealed that the generous individual in question had told them he'd enjoyed a good year financially, and that he wanted to pass on some of his success.

Parents were delighted by the news.
Google Maps

Advert

Harvey confessed: "I was gobsmacked, over the moon and all the emotions that come with it.

"We kept it in-house for about two weeks and then broke the news to customers as they came in."

The toyshop owner added that is had been a particularly overwhelming few weeks, after witnessing first-hand how the world's ongoing cost of living and houses crises had affected the wellbeing of some parents during the run up to Christmas.

Harvey went on to explain how delighted he was to have the honour of telling mums and dads visiting the store the incredible news.

Advert

One specific tale summarised just how much the generous donation meant to him, after a single father - who'd recently lost his job - bursting into tears when told his $275 toy bill was accounted for.

The donor anonymously donated over $8,000.
Getty/Burak Karademir

As mentioned, the global cost of living crisis is affecting citizens of almost every country around the world, last month, one US man shocked his followers by revealing how little groceries he was able to purchase with $100 during a recent food shopping trip.

TikToker Carenstino decided to show his followers exactly how hard the crisis has got by showing his purchases online.

Advert

He captioned the clip: “I’m literally shaking from shock… something needs to change.”

After shopping for ‘very basic’ items, he says: “This is getting out of hand. It’s to a point where people can’t live.”

Carenstino panned over to his his $100 grocery shop, which looked like a very tiny pile.

One TikTok star emphasised how little you can buy at grocery stores during the cost of living crisis.

Advert

“You’re telling me this is $100? This isn’t even barely anything to feed me for a couple of days," he adds.

He then reveals a small pack of chicken, a dozen eggs, rice, juices, body wash, deodorant, English muffins, stationery and canned energy drinks.

"$100 for this? Excuse me?" he says in utter disbelief.

One person wrote in the video's comment section: "I used to make family dinner 6 years ago for $40. The same exact dinner cost $90 now."

Advert

Another added: "Grocery prices have become absurdly high.”

And one user even claimed: “We’ve literally hit the point where it’s now cheaper to eat out.”

Featured Image Credit: John Lamb/Google Maps

Topics: Money, Shopping, Christmas, Australia

Rhianna Benson
Rhianna Benson

Rhianna is an Entertainment Journalist at LADbible Group, working across LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She has a Masters in News Journalism from the University of Salford and a Masters in Ancient History from the University of Edinburgh. She previously worked as a Celebrity Reporter for OK! and New Magazines, and as a TV Writer for Reach PLC.

X

@rhiannaBjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Woman so shocked by 'disgusting' Secret Santa gift at work she had to get HR involved
  • Collector unknowingly bought Declaration of Independence for $4 at thrift shop and sold it for more than $7,000,000
  • Man who discovered ATM ‘loophole’ that gave him millions in cash for four months reveals why he handed himself in
  • Man's hack for buying more expensive steak leaves people questioning if it's actually legal

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Trump makes surprising demand on Epstein files after alleged birthday letter he sent sex offender revealed

    Donald Trump took to Truth Social to issue a message to the US attorney general

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Woman waiting to be executed by firing squad in Bali makes shocking move as she 'expects to be freed'

    British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has been on death row since 2012

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Trump’s chronic vein condition explained after recent photos sparked health concerns

    The president has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner’s tragic final posts before death during stunt aged 56

    Felix Baumgartner died at the age of 56 on Thursday

    News