I don’t take my kids or my husband with me to the grocery store 95% of the time. I am lucky that both my kids are now in school and that my husband has a good work schedule that makes it possible to go shopping without them. I find that when they do go, my grocery bill increases by 10-15% because of all the things they ‘want’ and ‘need’. By leaving them at home, I automatically cut my bill by 1/10th (or more!).
Do you leave the hubby and kids at home when you shop? If you do take them to the store with you, do you have any tips on how to lower the bill even when they tag along?
If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series. It will teach you how to coupon like I do!
I would SOOOOOOOOOOO love to go ALONE!!!! My husband insists on coming with me and of course that entails our 2 year old little girl. She tends to get impatient and it is constantly in the cart, out of the cart, I want to push the cart, I want to stand on the end of the cart, I want to climb on the bottom shelves behind all the merchandise, or play run away from daddy. If I had it my way, she would be strapped in the cart and NEVER out, but he sets her free every time which only encourages her. Or, he sometimes will tell her to run to the end of the aisle and come back, I can’t tell you how much it infuriates me. I am so with you guys, it is the only “me time” I would get and I don’t even get that. Not only does it make my shopping trip more expensive (he adds useless, non-list things into the cart), but it more than doubles the time I would have spent in the store when I could be doing laundry or cleaning or playing with my little one and spending some quality time. I have asked him a MILLION times to stay home, and they they both drive me nuts when I am trying to concentrate, he just shrugs his shoulders and says, I just don’t understand what you are talking about….ARGH!
I usually have my kiddo (now kiddos!) with me when I go to the store. Usually because he just needs to get out of the house! But because he’s so young, he’s satisfied just looking at the toys for a few minutes without having to buy anything extra! Every couple of weeks I set aside a few dollars extra to buy him something small (a new car, new coloring supplies, etc.) and let him be super excited to buy something he’s been looking at for awhile.
My husband on the other hand is a pain to take shopping!! He is a huge impulse buyer, and loves to get all the extras…even without coupons! If I can, I leave him at home, but sometimes I don’t feel like going out alone and take him along just for the adult company. Our newest budget plan includes personal spending money for he and I, so if he wants the extras they aren’t coming out of our food budget (or clothing or whatever). It helps!
If you continue that, and not let him get in the habit of asking for things he will be a great help to you. I am a minority here I love taking all 3 of my children to the store and always have!
I try as hard as possible NEVER to take my husband or step-daughters with me. They want things that are not on the list and only make me CRAZY! My husband insists that we go down every aisle and that leads to problems
I think we are the minority here, we go as a family every time. We do major shopping every two weeks. My husband is a big help. We bring our 3 kids, ages 6, 3 and 8 months. We go early on Saturday morning before the store gets crazy. They know we don’t buy extras and they don’t ask for things. We have been doing it this way for as long as I can remember. It probably helps me save money by having everyone with me, I don’t want to take time to look at extras. I have a list organized by department and just mark off as we go. It takes us about an hour and a half to get everything we need. We get two carts and we keep the kids in them until there isn’t room then the big girls are allowed to walk next the cart if they keep one hand on the cart at all times. At checkout, my husband loads the groceries on the belt then loads them in the carts while I get my coupons in order and price matching ready. He also loads and unloads the car and puts most of them away when we get home. We have a little system that works well for us. I ask him from time to time if he wants to change the way we shop and he says he likes doing it all together. I feel blessed to have him help me.
I am like this to. I was actually amazed at all the people complaining about taking their kids. If you teach them from the beginning not to ask for things, they learn rather quickly. I have always taken my kids with me and believe it or not I enjoy taking them. Now at 9, 12, and 13 they are very helpful. I can show them the sales and coupons and they help get the items. They all are very good at looking in my binder and figuring out a great deal on an item I didnt plan on getting. And occassionally, but not always I’ll have a coupon for buy one get one candy bars or some other treat and get that for them. We homeschool so we do get to go at less crowded times. The kids really have seemed to learn alot grocery shopping and it is a skill they will need as they enter adulthood. I really am amazed at some of these readers attitudes towards their children.
( It occurs to me that some of your readers might actually *be* hubbies themselves. :-) )
My husband and used to go shopping together, but now, we are so busy that we prefer the efficiency of one person shopping while the other person gets something else done. We may stop at a store together if we’re out anyway, but otherwise, we go separately.
When we go, and whether we take our toddler along, depends on the circumstances. If one of us will be driving past a grocery store and we need something, or there is a good deal, then we will go ahead and stop and get it.
For a big couponing trip, I prefer to go alone. I can’t send my husband, as I am the one who keeps up with the coupons/sales, so to explain all that isn’t worth it. For one or two items, I will ask him to do it if he’s driving by.
My husband takes care of my daughter during the week part-time while I work, so I do not think it is fair to ask him to watch her on the weekend as well, especially sine he does have work to do as well. So I will usually take her with me. However, for a really big couponing trip, I will sometimes leave her with my parents … or if she is at my parents anyway, I will take advantage of that time to do some shopping.
As for buying extra things, well, my daughter is only 2, and I absolutely do not buy extra things for her unless I wanted to buy them anyway. We will see if I can keep the willpower up when she gets older. As for my husband, well, he believes in frugality as well, plus he is fully capable of stopping at the store and buying something himself … and if he wants something, he will ask me to get it, so he doesn’t have to actually *be* there to add to the bill … so I don’t see that as an issue at all.
As much as I like the company when hubby comes along (not so much the kids), I prefer to shop alone! This way, I’m less likely to forget something and won’t over spend. Hubby likes to throw more than we need in the carriage and get stuff I wouldn’t normally buy and of course the kids always act up and want things I don’t want to get. I save money by keeping them at home!
I leave them at home and shop early morning on Sunday before anyone gets up. If I take them it does increase the bill for sure. I also find on sunday morning more cashiers are agreeable with coupons especially target and at target you seem to be the first to get clearanced items or find out about them. I have found some great repacked items.
My husband loves the savings I get at the grocery, but gets impatient with the two to three hours I spend getting those deals. We have a great compromise:
He drops me off at the store, then takes our two boys to the park. I call him when I am almost finished and he is able to show up for grand finale at checkout.
I don’t mind my husband going with me. I mostly go by myself because of his work hours but when he comes he is a fabulous shopper! Sometimes I even send him out by himself (I know several of you just shuttered LOL) and he always comes back with great deals. I would never have let him do this a few years ago but going to the store and watching me has taught him how to be a savvy shopper. It helps me when he can go too. :D
Awww my husband and I go shopping together pretty much every time. Sometimes he even searches out the deals for me while I work on other ones :).
I don’t spend much more monetarily, but do spend much more time when kids are with me during the shopping. If I’m going into another town, I have to plan for all the bathroom breaks, getting in/out of the carseats, some playtime, and feedings in addition to what shopping I hope to accomplish. On weekends, I try to shop with just the infant.
I’m learning some tricks to help me get throught the stores. If I get the preschooler active by price scanning and helping load/unload the cart, the trip generally goes much smoother because it’s not boring for her. She’s also quite helpful in spotting coupons in the store. The infant needs to be fed before and soon after shopping, unless I can stop by a mothering room for feedings..
I usually have to take my 4 year old and almost 3 year old with me to the store due to my husband’s work schedule. Yes- there are trying days where I swear I will never take them again. But- I’ve learned some tricks along the way:
– publix- free cookies! I make them wait till the last minute possible to get it.
-shorter trips- our publix is literally within walking distance to our house. I usually don’t get to just shop once during the week- I split it up into 2 or 3 trips. I have all my coupons ready and stay as long as they will let me. Then come back if I have to.
– bring in toys- i usually let my kids bring in a toy to the store that they pick. sometimes i will “surprise” them with a toy that i got for free, or one they have forgotten about that they can play with
-go with a buddy- i have several friends who have small kids like me. we will go together sometimes and the kids like to talk between the carts. they know if they get too rowdy- us moms will split up! it usually keeps them sane. and it lets us moms have a few “adult” conversations and even share coupons! I usually save more with a friend- remind me of sales I forgot about or have a coupon I forgot to bring or don’t have.
-Lastly- look for pre-teens to teens DYING to get out of the house. I have several friends who have girls between the ages of 10-14 who are homeschooled and are sometimes just DYING to get out of the house and be a “babysitter”. They go with me to the store and try to keep the children occupied while I shop. It works for both of us- I am getting them out of the house and they are helping me while getting “supervised” babysitting practice. I leave them in charge of the kids but am still there to “help” when needed- and they think it’s fun. I usually reward them with a soda or candy as reward. The extra $2 is worth my sanity.
Hope this helps
I would rather take my child than my hubby, but prefer not to take either. It is the only “me time” I get usually. My little girl (8) is not bad about the “I wants” but she gets bored and hates that I take so long. She is a little better when they have the free samples out though, she acts like she never gets fed or something!!
I agree! Sadly, that’s my only “me” time, too! I enjoy shopping though,even if it is only for groceries. It’s quiet time for me.
I’m jealous you’re all able to shop without your kids! : ) Due to my husband’s work, I have to take my two boys (2 & 3) with me every week. I love them but it can be such a stress sometimes! To the point where my husband wants me to quit couponing just because it was less stressful to stop at one store,just throw what we needed in the cart and not even think about the cost – just get out the door! But now that I know I can save money, I just HAVE to…even if it isn’t “extreme”.
My oldest starts preschool next week so I’m looking forward to having just one while doing the shopping :)
Once you start, it’s hard to quit.. and I wouldn’t recommend it! I hate sending my fiancee to the store. I asked him to stop and get some BOGO bread the other day and he came home with 3 things that he spent over $15 on. I was like.. “I told you to get bread, this is why you don’t get to do the shopping!”. The day before, I had come home from Publix with $60 of groceries for around $7 and he had just spent twice that on three items!
When I have both my kids with me, forget it. There’s too much going on between me trying to figure out which product size/flavor I’m supposed to get for which deal, and one kid asking for this and that, and then the two fighting with each other about anything and everything. I inevitably leave the store having forgotten something, overpaid for something, and/or with a new gray hair! I’m a bit too ADD to deal with having the kids with!
Any chance I get, I go without the kids! I’ve seen those people with the coupon binder open on the shopping cart, an infant in Baby Bjorn, a small child in the cart, and a few slightly older children hanging around too. I don’t know how they do it! Maybe they just have children that are more into helping mommy than competing with their siblings? I don’t know…
But the few times I have just one child with me, it’s doable – I just have to keep him focused. I’ll give him the list to read off what we need to find next, or he’ll hold a calculator to calculate our running total. And when we get to the register, he’ll help me put groceries on the counter for the cashier to scan.
I hate taking the kids but don’t have much choice. I have twin 11 month olds that go with me. Now that my older one is in school its easier. My husband makes me crazy and doesn’t understand couponing. I leave him home.
I leave my kids at home but take my husband with me he grounds me at the stores he helps me find deals and likes shopping with me. Sometimes we find even better deals than what we thought we could
Most of the time I leave my fiancee home, but sometimes I have no choice but to bring my 11 month old. He gets impatient sometimes, but if I bring snacks he usually does well. The hard part is getting him and my coupon binder in the cart! I take a basket and put it on the end of my cart and put my binder on top of it, then I take a second basket and put it underneath to put groceries in and the baby goes in the front! I have a funny looking buggy, but it saves me some money!
I take my girls (2 and 4) every week. I have never given them the option of asking for food at the grocery store, so they don’t ask. This makes sticking to my grocery list easier- the only person I have to say “no” to is myself!
It’s hard to say no to yourself sometimes, too! :)
I prefer to go alone. It is so easy to get in and out without the hassle of dealing with the kids. Plus, you don’t have them asking every two seconds for something or running off when you’re trying to look at something. My husband sometimes goes to help me with the couponing and the deals, which I don’t mind. But, definitely must do while the kids are at school.
I dont take the family…too much impluse buying.
My husband won’t go with me-he is NOT a shopper. :)
I take the kids with me because they have an allowance program and they know that if they ask for a toy or other item we don’t need than I won’t get it. Plus, we already have a large stash of cookies and candy bars at home so they realize they don’t need it.
I do not like to take them. My husband always puts more in the cart and always something i do not have a coupon for. The kids dont like to go, too much nagging about “are we almost done? and How much longer?” Drives me nutts!
i leave the hubby at home, no kiddos yet. if hubby came to the store i would have way too many extras in the cart!!
I leave my two younger kids at home. They are very distracting when I shop and I always forget something. My oldest son likes to go shopping with. He thinking the coupons are cool and wants to help.
I’m like you, I leave them at home 95% of the time. My oldest son likes to go with me (he’s 13) because he likes to see the deals I get with the coupons and he knows that I don’t buy extras.
That’s awesome that he likes to see you save!
I like that he wants to see me save. He’s very loose with his money but watching me save money has gotten him to rethink things.
I take my two toddler girls because they love going to publix and scoring the free cookies but when at all possible I leave my wife at home because she drives me nuts with the impulse diet coke purchase in the checkout lane