SALEM – It appears someone has been hiding money in local grocery stores. Shoppers in the Salem area are randomly finding $100 bills stuffed into items they purchased.

At the Fred Meyer store on Commercial Street Southeast, a manager said customers have found $2,000 worth of $100-bills. Several were tucked inside egg cartons, while others were in shopping carts.

Across town at Walmart, some shoppers found money in cookie boxes. One man found a $100 bill, twice.

“I opened it up and a hundred dollar bill fell out, just like that,” said a customer named Phil. Feeling lucky, Phil took a second pass at the cookie section.

“There were 3 boxes left and l turned them over and lo and behold, there was another $100 bill,” he said.

The man said he can use the money.

“My girlfriend is in the hospital with renal failure." Phil said. "I'm driving to OHSU (in Portland) every day. So $20 bucks in gas each way, it's comes at a very opportune time for me.”

Jennifer Smith-Poelz found $100 in a box of ice cream.

“I just think this is the coolest thing ever,” Smith-Poelz said. “Whoever is doing this has brightened so many people's days. I wish I had ample amounts of cash to be able to surprise people like this. I mean, it's fabulous.”

Area store managers all said they did not know where the money was coming from, but they confirmed the bills were authentic.

One woman whose name has been withheld said " I was going to buy some food stamps with $15 dollars that I had, but when I foundt the $100 dollar bill, I went and bought scratch offs instead. I didn't win anything though". "I should a bought the food stamps".

that was stupid
she should
had bought the food

i knew someone
that needed
a crib
this was over 20yrs ago
and she went to
a yard sale
and the people were in need
of food
that was why
they had the yard sale
the girl i knew gave
them $15 in foodstamps
for the crib