Her husband was a victim of the unemployment cuts this summer, forcing the Spring Lake family to pinch pennies and make choices with their money.
"I don't go and buy $200 or $300 worth of groceries. I make a menu and buy what I need," Arias said.
That's exactly what she was doing at the Walmart on Highway 210 on New Year's Eve.
She got to the register with her groceries and went to pay her $73 bill with a gift card and her debit card to cover the rest.
"I pulled out my debit card and I swiped it, and it declined it. So I did it as a credit, and it was declined," Arias said.
Embarrassed and humiliated, she was ready to put her items back on the shelves. Then a woman in line behind her walked up and swiped her card and said, 'I got this.'"
"I was like, 'Are you sure, do you see the amount?' And she said, 'Yes, you're good, Merry Christmas.' I was kind of flabbergasted and I thanked her, gave her a hug," Arias said.
Arias only knows the woman as Alicia, but is grateful for her kind-hearted actions that moved her to tears.
"It's very rare that you come across people, especially the younger generation, that is just willing to do something of that sort. It's not like it was for $20. It was for almost $64," Arias said.
Days later when Arias sat down to share her story with ABC11, she still wondered who the mystery woman was.
"I would love to meet you again and get to know you better. Obviously you are someone I would want in my life because you are compassionate and a caring woman, and a lot of people need to know who you are," Arias said.
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