It takes money to make money. That old adage applies even to those on the wrong side of the law.

A robber in Fort Lauderdale, Florida had to buy a pack of gum in order to get a cash register to open when he tried to hold up a discount store earlier this month.

We’re not just telling you about this – we’re also going to show you, since the marvels of modern technology mean the whole escapade was captured on surveillance camera.

In the video, the thief reaches into his pocket to get a buck so the clerk at Family Dollar can open the register. He fled with all the money in the till, although it’s unclear how much that was.

Prior to the purchase, the thug had whipped out a gun and threatened to kill one of the employees.

Apparently, that one dollar hurt the suspect’s profit margin, because the next day he was at it again, knocking over a different store, where he presumably didn’t have to spend any of his own hard-stolen loot.

Authorities have yet to apprehend the man.

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