The thing I like most about getting older is learning from my mistakes. I don’t know a greater feeling in the world than confronting a situation you have previously faced and being able to say, “Aha! I know how to deal with this because I did it the wrong way the last time and I have learned and grown since then.”
This grocery trip took place right before I left for my Girls Trip to Disney and would mark the second time in three months where I left Mr. B to fend for himself and the girls. Last time was when I went to church camp with my high school girls and that went… a certain kinda way. I busted my butt making dishes they could rotate through only to return home to piles (piles!) of leftovers.
This time, I was not staying up until 2 in the morning cooking enchiladas just to return home to those same enchiladas in the fridge, untouched, taunting me. This time I was going to learn from my mistake and show how much I have grown in adulting.
“Mr. B, my beloved,” I said, “I am buying you a bunch of fruits, sandwich things, and assorted easy foods for the few days I am gone.” To which he said, “Great.” A man of few words and gets straight to the point.
What that created was a grocery trip where I didn’t have to worry about what meals to make, so I wasn’t picking, planning, and couponing all at once. I just needed to keep everyone fed, in the healthiest way possible, hopefully from a variety of food groups. No planning, just picking, and some light couponing. So I did something I never, ever do grocery shopping.
I asked my children their opinions.
Like many young children, my girls tastes tend toward sugar and immediate gratification. Every time we go shopping, their request is that we buy the first four things they see and a sheet cake. “Oh, look bananas! Can we get them?” “Oh look, pineapples! Can we get them?” “Oh look a big fruit I don’t know the name of! Can we get them?” “Oh, look, balloons! Can we get them?” “Mom, can we get cakes?”
This is tricky for me, since I so often like to buy foods according to the sale, or in rare cases, meal needs. Especially my big two, protein and produce. Some weeks we’ll get berries and clementines, some weeks it’s mangos and peaches. Some weeks, no chicken. Others? All the chicken. The winning picks are determined by a simple criteria: 1) tastes we like 2) on sale. This does not jive with my children’s “oh look can we get this” shopping style.
But since I was going to be gone and there was wiggle room in the budget, I took a chance. After explaining that Daddy was going to be in charge of meals and it would look a little different than when Mama was in charge, I asked them if there was anything they could like me to get. I was pleasantly surprised at their requests. Yogurt, applesauce, and ham were high on their lists of priorities. No cake demands at all!
And for real, this was the one trip they could probably have gotten cake out of me. I was so jazzed to be leaving for Disney but also just a teensy bit guilty for leaving them behind, so I felt especially inclined to grant their wishes. Turns out their wishes were yogurt.
- Bananas, 3.76 lb -$2.22.
- Blueberries, pint: $3.99.
- Boar’s Head Honey Ham, .5 lb-$5.79.
- Chobani Yogurt (11)-$9. Stacked Free Friday *Digital Coupon* for one free Chobani with the in-store deal of 4 for $5, but then another *Digital Coupon* for $1 off Chobani somewhere appeared on my receipt, so I don’t know, but I could it all joy.
- Gala Apples, 2.61 lb-$3.63.
- Haagen Dazs Ice Cream, pint-$1.49. *Digital Coupon* for $1.50 the $3.99 Haagen Dasz pint, but then also another random *Digital Coupon* showed up for $1 off Ice Cream, soooo. Winning!
- Kroger Milk, .5 gal-$.99.
- Mangoes (2)-$1.76.
- Private Selection Angus Beef Steak, .90 lb-$5.43.
- Private Selection Wheat Bread-$1.99. Two breads. Kids bread and adult bread.
- Private Selection Honey Turkey, .25lb -$2.08.
- Private Selection Pepperoni, .5 lb-$3.43.
- Red Grapes, 2.05 lb-$3.67.
- Roma Tomatoes, .75 lb-$.74.
- Simple Truth Organic Applesauce Cups-$1.99. *Digital Coupon* for $.50 off.
- Simple Truth Organic Baby Food Pouches (12)-$14.28. Mr. B was skeptical when I told him he would have to make the baby food himself. For $1.19, this is a decent alternative.
- Simple Truth Organic Teething Rusks-$2.49.
- Simple Truth Organic Puffs-$2.39.
- Swordfish Steak, .6 lb-$4.20. Manager’s Special!
- Thomas’s English Muffins (2)-$2.04. In store BOGO sale stacked with a *Digital Coupon* for $.75 off made each of these $1.02.
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ($.20 Off Any Item), CoinOut
Total Budget: $75.69
Total Spent: $73.60
Total Saved: $21.05
Rolled Over to Next Week: $2.09
As my girls are exposed to different foods, through school and new friends, I find their tastes are changing. It’s that fine line we’ve talked about between trying new things and not trying new things, weighed down by the concern of wasting money on things no one eats.
How do you balance your kids’ requests, budgets, and parenting sense of what’s good for them (ie, not cake every week)? How often do you buy the food your kids ask for? What’s the craziest thing your child has asked you to buy at the grocery store? Teach me more adulting in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!