Today’s budget tip: Don’t shop with other people!
Social pressure is powerful and often convinces people to buy things that they don’t really need. It’s much easier to say no to something you don’t really need when you’re shopping alone!
How true this is when you’re grocery shopping with kids. I’m sure once Sienna is old enough to talk, my peaceful shopping will turn into me saying quite a few no’s, with some yes’ thrown in, I’m sure!
How often do you shop with others? Do you have any tips on grocery shopping with kids?
we always brought ‘a treat’ with us to the store usually a snack or the special toy kept separate for shopping trips. If we picked them up a plain timbit for the trip they were in heaven! Also from early days we taught them ‘nothing in the store belongs to us, it belongs in the store, the toys live in the store. We are only getting the things on our list, everthing in the cart costs money and we have this much money to spend today’. 2yr olds don’t get budgets or the unexpected vet bill, so lecturing them on family finances won’t stop the smartie melt down, its not ours that it. my kids also loved the power of holding the list and the pen scratching off items i put in the cart and could point out on the list to cross out before they could read. As they got older it mostly got easier and they just didn’t ask for much of the junk food.
Thanks Paula! I’m loving these tips! So smart.
Shopping with children is easier when you have a baggie of their favorite snacks . Kids are easily convinced that they are hungry just by shopping for food. Having them help make the grocery list helps also and giving a one or two item list for them to be responsible for starts them early. Even if the list is done on a scrap piece of paper in the car before going into the store. Hope these work.
These are great tips Lisa! Thanks for sharing!