Oh boy do I remember when my son was younger and accompanied me on my grocery store shopping trips. For the most part, he behaved and didn’t ask for candy or throw a fit when he couldn’t have the cereal with no nutrition but a cool toy. But there were times of course when he was no angel! But I did find, the more he was involved and engaged, helping me “hunt” for an item on the shelf, letting him fill a bag with produce, allowing him to choose a cheese or loaf of bread, the better time we both had.
As he got older, I showed him how I compared prices with store and national brands, and how to figure out which was a better deal. (Which by the way, he’s still a very savvy shopper at age 24.) The following article posted on MomsEverday.com has some really easy but great ideas on how you can turn shopping trips into teachable moments. (Think character traits like friendliness, courtesy, responsibility and self-control.) With these ideas, those grocery treks with the kids might just become easier and more satisfying.
There’s also information on how to save money at the grocery store without extreme couponing with SavingsAngel.com,
http://www.momseveryday.com/southerncolorado/money/headlines/?article=255808641