Today’s question is from Story:
I used to have a good plan for my drug store and grocery shopping, but since I had my second baby (5 months; I also have a 2.5 year old), I haven’t been able to get back into a good routine. I’d love to know how other moms manage to get to multiple stores each week.
Do you do it all in one day, or do you do it throughout the week? Do you take your kids with you?
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I too have a 6 month old and a 2.5 year old. Some weeks are better than others. Some weeks I’m only able to devote enough time to couponing to make it to the grocery store, but on a good week, I plan to hit the grocery store, Target and CVS. I usually try to go during the day when the crowds are lighter, so I have both girls with me most of the time. Based on nap schedules, I try not to do more than 2 stores in a day (unless they are all quick trips).
I usually wear my 6 month old in the front carrier/sling and have my oldest sit in the seat of the cart. My oldest is my little helper – she puts things in the cart for me and then puts them on the belt at the register when we check out. It makes her feel important to have a job. As other moms have mentioned, I always have a snack and toys (or my phone) to distract my oldest if needed. And, there have been many days that either we’ve had a meltdown or one of them has fallen asleep so I don’t make it to my second stop.
It’s been hard for me, but I’m trying to adjust to the fact that not everything on my list will get done or purchased when I want it. Life will go on, I suppose. 🙂
I like to get the deals but I don’t like to go to all the stores. What I do is I price match at walmart. It is alot easier for me. Then I don’t have to travel all over. I get our local Wednesday paper and clip out things on sale that I use and I also get the Sunday paper. I also try and pick certain meals to cook and stick to my list. I am in and out in no time.
I shop once a week or less.It’s a 40 minute drive to town. I did not put the children and groceries in the same cart. I pushed the stroller or cart with children and hung my purse (long straps) on that carts handle. I pulled the grocery behind me. That way I did not have to walk away from the children, and if I had to go into the bathroom, I just took the cart with me. If I had cold or frozen foods that needed to stay in the car I wrapped them in polarfleece remnants…it kept them colder then anything else I used!
Oh, this is a good one for me, I think. I have a five-year-old and a 15 month old. After #2 was born, I did not go shopping for the first 2 or 3 months. Thereafter, I slowly picked up the pace, starting with my favorite drugstore. Mine is CVS, which is close to home, and a comfortable shopping environment with a baby. After you can balance your drugstore for a while, add to that ending with grocery stores, which are the most complicated and time consuming.
I also have a toddler and another one on the way and have been thinking about the same thing. I’ve already streamlined as I discovered my toddler did NOT have the attention span for marathon shopping trips and I didn’t have the energy to drag her out for daily shopping trips. Not to mention, is it worth all the time, energy and gas? Each week I look through all of the ads and pick 2 stores to go to that are having the best deals on our designated shopping day. I have a very detailed and organized list and coupons ready. And I bribe my toddler. She gets to pick out a donut at the bakery (not the healthiest I know, but it’s only once a week) and if she is a good shopper she gets to eat it when we get home… otherwise mom gets to eat it. I’ve only ever had one donut and it was a good consolation prize 🙂 I was already planning on putting toddler in a preschool for fall, so I think I will start shopping with just the baby between dropping her off and picking her up from pre-school.
My kids are older (7 and 15) but it’s still a pain to have to drag them along, during the school year I just go during the week while everyone is gone but in the summer I plan out all my shopping and leave early Sunday morning to get everything done.
I shop for my items all on the same day. Sometimes I take my three boys ages 4,3, and 1.5, with me. Sometimes I leave them with my husband and do it in half the time. Sometimes we both go and take turns going in, and have each other to chat with between stores. I begin making my lists as my items are running out. I look for coupons and print them off for items I know I will use them for. Then, the day before shopping day, I take note of everything we will run out of, and complete my lists by the store I will buy the items at. We mainly shop at Aldi, Sam’s Club, and Kroger, with a few items from Trader Joe’s or Kroger, so I have a list for each one. This makes it easy to grab just the one I need for each store, and not lose/rip/crumple the rest of the stuff we need.
We pay cash for our food and miscellaneous items/toiletries, so I always go to the bank first.
I always keep these things in mind as I plan my shopping day:
– Going in the morning right after breakfast is always best for my little guys. They are fed and happy.
– I take coolers with me to keep food cold/frozen, and I always shop at the stores I’m getting those items last.
– I take along drinks and snacks for myself, too, not just the kids
I have three stores I usually shop at; two grocers and Costco. We’ve been meal planning on a two-week basis and doing the most of our shopping every two weeks, with a smaller trip in the in-between weeks to grab things like milk, bread, and any produce that goes bad fast. Shopping happens on the weekends, since that’s the only time I really have off to do it, and I’m too lazy in the evenings (let’s be honest here). This month, however, we switched to a monthly meal plan. So after I make up the list of meals, I write down all the ingredients for them and cross off what’s we already have. Then I look through the ads for the two grocers and see who’s having a sale on what. If there are sales on my list items, I put the store name next to that item. If there are good sales on non-perishable items that we use fairly often or meats that I can freeze, I make a note of those as well. I have not yet taken the time to figure out sale cycles of those stores so I can anticipate when things are going to be on sale… I’m not sure I have the commitment to do that! Ha
Costco is where we get all our bulk staples like pasta, canned ingredients, chicken and fish (other meats are too expensive), eggs, and non-food items (diapers, TP, etc.) and that’s just an “as needed” trip. Usually about every other month, depending on when we run out of things – TP lasts us 6 months, but a pack of chicken thighs only makes it through about 2 and 5 dozen eggs gets us through about a month and a half (our main grocer usually has a great egg sale once a month, so I grab another dozen or so at that point).
The main grocery I go to – I just switched to it as our main one because it’s cheaper and the discounts I get easily outweigh the extra 5 minute drive and gas costs – is, well, where I get the bulk of our shopping done. Any items on my grocery list that aren’t on sale (as well as any that are on sale at this particular store) are bought here because they’re generally cheaper than surrounding stores. So a once-a-month large trip to get everything that will last the whole month, then a much shorter weekly trip for produce, bread, and milk. I could go to the store closer to us, except that their milk is a whole dollar more per gallon and their produce is more expensive and generally of a lesser quality (bread is basically the same everywhere, IMO).
The second store I most often go to used to be our main grocery, and it’s about a mile from where we live and directly on my way home from work, which was the main reason it was our primary grocer. They often have good meat sales, so I keep an eye out for those, and since it is still very convenient I don’t feel like it’s a waste of my time to go there. If there’s just one or two things I need from there though, I won’t hit it on my shopping day, I’ll do it on my way home from work one day during the week instead, which means it’s not at all out of my way or an inconvenience for me.
I do often take my one-year-old with me. He really likes being out and about though, so it’s not a big deal. When he was itty bitty I wore him in the store in a wrap or mei tai and he really liked it, now he rides in the cart and plays with my purse. I just make sure he has a good nap before we go so he doesn’t get cranky, and I usually throw a toy in my purse (although he has way more fun taking everything out of my purse and tossing it in the basket than he does playing with any toy). With two, if your oldest can be entertained in other ways, wearing the little one is probably the easiest thing. I remember my son slept through almost every shopping trip, all snug in his wrap.
Unless you’ve got five stores that you can hit all in a row and aren’t out of your way, I think it’s really worth looking at the number of stores you’re hitting and whether the time spent driving and getting in and out of the car (especially with kids) and all that is really worth it. I probably could spend a dollar or two less if I went across town to a different store for those one or two items, but the gas and time spent would off set the savings, so I keep myself to Costco and two grocers for all our needs.
I’m a working single mom now, and haven’t couponed in 2 years, but when my kids were little, I would plan out my trips and usually shopped after they were in bed and my husband was home, or I would leave them with my parents and do some shopping, or only take the baby who didn’t cause trouble when he was tiny! My route to my folks house covered Dillon’s, Target, & Walgreen’s, which were my main coupon stops, so it worked well for me!
My kids are 3, 2, and 1 (for the next 8 weeks, anyway, until the oldest turns 4) and I’m pregnant with #4. When #3 came along before my oldest was 3, I gave up multiple stores. We rarely, rarely buy things that come with coupons (mostly whole foods, bulk purchases, etc.) so it was more trouble than it was worth to go other places. I know I could save money on things like razors (we even use natural shampoo and toothpaste), but it’s just not worth the stress! We do a whole-family (Daddy included) Costco trip about once a month on Saturday mornings (hello, free samples!) and buy a lot of things from Azure Standard or another local co-op. Occasionally, if I’m feeling extremely scattered and I know I’ll never get everything correct (even with a list!) with the kids along, I’ll go on a Saturday afternoon when my husband is home to monitor nap time. But he works too many evenings for me to want to go out after bedtime when he is home.
So, I guess I’m siding with everyone who suggested that it’s okay to keep your sanity, if your budget can handle it. I won’t sacrifice naps for anything, not even a good coupon deal. 🙂
I’m pregnant and have a just-turned 3 year-old and an almost 5 year-old. I began couponing and multiple store shopping when I was pregnant with my second son. It allowed me to save tons on groceries and diapers. This pregnancy was more difficult and I cut way back on couponing and shopping for about 4 mos when my nausea was bad. My stockpile shrunk and my grocery bill jumped $20-30 per week. I see some posts where people say they didn’t really save by mulitple store shopping when they factored in time and gas. I did not find this to be the case at all. I am a teacher so during the school year, I would try to shop after work and before picking the boys up from daycare. Now that we are all home for the summer, I take advantage of shopping when my husband is home or can come with us. For example, I did multiple GM promotion transactions which required matching coupons and adding products accurately to get the savings. I couldn’t completely plan ahead since I didn’t know exactly which cereals were included. My husband took the kids to look at the lobster tank while I reorganized coupons in the store. I also make quick trips when I am already out. For example, a quick trip to the store and then we go to the park or shop after story time at the library. The more organized I am ahead of time, the better. I make a list and have my coupons together before I enter the store. I pack drinks and snacks for the kids. I assign them a job (hold the nonessential coupon or a product). I pack a cooler for cold items when we’re making more than one stop. When I am home with kids, I try to shop after breakfast so we can fit in one fun activity after shopping and before lunch and naps. I hope this helps.
I swing by after work before getting the kids from daycare, or I go in the evenings after they are asleep. Sometimes I take my 4 year old with me. I skip the stores that aren’t conveniently located, unless the items are free or better, or it is something we really need at that time. I do lots of freezer cooking and shop for groceries once a month. I usually have one big week of cooking 3 batches of each meal every night so that cuts down on the other trips to the store, making a quick CVS or Target run more manageable.
Remember that it’s all about making it work for you and your family – not what works for everyone else! 🙂
We are a family of 4 – two adults and twins that are now 8-years-old. When the children were babies and toddlers we did our shopping on Sunday right after church before we went home – each store was 2 carts, one for each child plus one adult and we’d split up the grocery list, with each cart taking half.
Then one of our grocery stores started doubling 5 coupons twice a week and we switched to Saturday morning. Currently, we drop the children off at dance lessons and hit the two stores that are within walking distance and then stop at the last two on the way home – they’re between dance and our house. We usually only go to 2 stores and sometimes only the one, but if we need to we can do all 4 in about an hour to an hour and half. All four of us will go in and split into teams with whoever is getting the larger items taking the cart. We meet up throughout the trip to deposit the “goods” in the cart.
Our dance studio is moving to a different location so we’ll need to do something different this next year but for now it works for us!
I guess I would say figure out what is most important to you about the shopping, what works for you and what is available in your area and then plan accordingly.
Hope you find something helpful from all the suggestions – I love reading the ideas!
Lea
On my blog we have a $10 per week stockpiling challenge where we hit the drug stores and take advantage of the best deals. Some folks opt to use $40 on one drug store trip per month to do their stockpiling and it generally works out very well. If you have limited time, you could plan one drug store trip per month and concentrate on stocking up on a specific list of personal care, cleaning and shelf-stable items. Just be sure that you use any store rewards on the same visit (ECBs, Register Rewards, etc.). It’s pretty surprising what you can pull off with one well-planned trip.
Personally, I do my “coupon shopping” one day every week but there are times when I miss lots of good deals because I only have $10 (instead of one big $40 trip) so I think it is very do-able. With some planning I think you could do some serious stockpiling with one drug store trip per month, and then one grocery store trip per week for food items. You can see our success here: http://momsbyheart.net/category/stockpiling
My boys are now 3 and 6. If I have both, I won’t shop unless I’m picking up a gallon of milk or loaf of bread. I can coupon successfully with one (I usually have the just turned 3 year old and he is my more difficult child). I wanted to be able to do this with them but it stressed me out too much. Now, I typically wait till one night after dinner and let my husband deal with cleaning up and the nighttime bath and bed routine and then I hit all the stores in one night with my Southern Savers shopping list and coupons stapled to it. Obviously this works better in cooler months than in hotter, if not I just plan my non-cold food stores first then if I need, take a cooler too. I literally have a Target, Bi lo, Publix and Ingles within a mile about 5 minutes from my house. Half of the time I don’t go to Ingles as they typically don’t have what I need or I can find it cheaper at one of the other three listed. I typically do buy most of my chicken and beef from Ingles though on sale weeks.
I also RARELY do drugstores anymore….I work from home for my husband almost full time with only 15 hours childcare a week…I don’t have time to deal with drugstores any more unless it is VERY easy. I did the B1G1 CVS Culturelle Probiotics deal last week since i had 2 coupons too. We use that stuff like crazy when we travel or are on antibiotics.
I have a 4 year old and 17 month old. Since my second child was born I stopped going to drugstores weekly except when they have a phenomenal deal on diapers.
When I first started couponing I went overboard, I realized how much gas, time, and energy I was wasting! Now that I have 3 kids (1, 4 & 7) and work full time, I usually only shop at CVS, Target, Fry’s (Kroger affiliate) and/or Bashas (when they have great meat and produce sales). Every 3 months or so I go to Costco for bulk purchase. I go during my lunch hour to CVS when they have great deals, maybe twice a month. Then Target or Fry’s on weekends when my husband is home, usually alone or with one child, usually my 4 year old, its her alone time with mommy. Like other mom’s have mentioned, I can’t take all my children, I become too distracted and stressed, and I end up making mistakes. That’s what works for us.
I shop 2 grocery stores and Walmart on Saturday afternoons, usually without children. I look at ads for the groceries on-line and make my list, and clip my coupons to that. I make my list in order of the aisles at the grocery store. I then check another grocery store that is a little farther away and then price match those prices at Walmart. I buy most of my groceries at the grocery stores and then health/beauty and paper products at Walmart. I find I can do this all in about 2 hours. My Walmart list is by department. I do Walmart and one store, stop at home, unload perishables and head to the other store.
Many times I also use the branch of my bank that is in the grocery store as well.
I have 2 kids, 5 1/2 and 2. This year my daughter was in pre-k every morning, so I was able to go to multiple stores and just take my 2 year old. But this summer I have both, so I just focus on 3 stores, I do the majority of grocery shopping at Kroger, which I find to have good prices if you buy on sale and with coupons. Their full price stuff is more expensive though. I also get a lot from target, although I try to only go twice a month because I tend to ten go over budget there (I love Target!). I decided trying to keep up with 2 or 3 drugstores was too much for me so now I just focus on CVS. I do usually end up going to Walmart with my mom a few times a month but I rarely buy any thing from there. I find there are times in life when it’s nessecary to simplify, and while I may miss a few deals, I get very overwhelmed trying to coupon several stores and end up giving up, so I find that by only focusing on 3 stores I don’t burn out and stick with it.
It’s definitely harder when they are younger. I have three kids and have managed to do it a variety of ways. I have left them at home with Daddy in the evenings and run to town and done a mega-shopping-spree stopping at every store possible in one night. I have also made multiple stops during the week. I am fortunate now that my older ones are in school so I run them in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. This allows me two opportunities to do my shopping–after dropping them off or before picking them up. But if you don’t have any other reason to run to town, that probably isn’t your best bet. Another thing I learned when I had an infant was to use a carrier of some sort (Ergo, Bjorn, whatever) when they got old enough. It allowed them to see things (once they were facing out), allowed the older one to sit in the cart, and also allowed my hands to be free to push the cart, etc. Remember, though, that this is a phase and you will adjust as you go. You may need to let some deals slide if possible. Do whatever makes your life easiest and don’t feel guilty about it! 🙂
I only have one child, so have it a lot easier than most of the people that have posted already! 🙂
But, one thing I found very helpful is to know which stores have certain staples the cheapest. For example, there are some things that Walmart always has cheaper than other stores, but other things that a local grocery store has cheapest. I keep a list on the refrigerator with columns for Walmart and the three grocery stores in town and when I run out of something (or use the second-to-last if it’s a pantry staple) I write it down under the store that I normally buy it at – or on the bottom of the list if it doesn’t matter what store to buy it (for example, all stores sell bananas for the same price) I also usually go through the sales fliers and clip coupons on Sunday night so write down the good sales for each store and pull coupons that match up with the sales and paperclip the coupons to the list.
Then, for example, if we’re going to the library I grab the list and stop at the store that’s on the way home from the library and pick up what’s on the list for that store. With the exception of Walmart all of the stores I shop at are near or on-the-way to places we go to at least once a week (library, a favorite park, church) so I typically can get to each store weekly.
With four little ones (ages 8, 6, 5 &3), I take turns with them. It makes for extra special one on one time with mommy. There are times, when I’m planning on multiple stores, that I go alone (hubby watches them) which gives me some time alone and daddy time for the kids.
PLEASE REMEMER that while this can be done with two (and more children), by some moms with ease (how my mother handled 5 children I can not fathom) – NOT ALL OF US (put myself at the top of the list), feel that we can do it well. AND THAT IS PERFECTLY OKAY!!!!!! Don’t compare yourself to other moms. They are different, their kids are different, there husbands schedule is different etc….. I tried to do everything that I used to do. I swear that it was easier when my 2 kids were a toddler and infant (one strapped onto me and one in the cart), and I swear that complete strangers helped me out then (reaching something from the shelf for me, picking up what we dropped). Now that they are 6 & 8 the whine like the dickens (I don’t wanna be here, can’t we go home nowwwwwwwwwwwww). They tolerate one stop easily, second stop the whining/bickering begins. I’ve had to tell myself that to keep my sanity, I just can’t do more than that right now. In the fall, they will both be full time in school, hopefully I can be more productive. GOOD LUCK -we all get through these different stages, and figure out what works for us.
I used to be the queen of coupon clipping, and deal/multiple store shopping before the kid. I still shop at multiple stores but to a much lesser extent. As a working mom, I tend to shop at stores that are between work and home and fortunately that leaves me with a lot of decent options. During the winter I can do this in the morning and store things in the car. In the warmer months I stop at the store on my way home. I cut out most of my drugstore shopping and confine most of my shopping to Wegmans (usually has a $ off $$ coupon every week), Costco, Walmart, or Aldis where I can count on deals without the extra work of a lot of couponing.
I also purchase quite a few home household items like coffee, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, popchips, snack items, coconut oil, feminine pads, cleaning supplies, etc., online from places like Amazon (subscribe & save) & Staples when I get alerts from a deal site.
Most of the coupons I do use are deals I’m alerted to for free items by blogs or coupons for products I like that tend to be expensive where I’m willing to spend time visiting product website, like for pistachios.
My husband usually stays home in the evening while I shop but on crunched weeks I usually shop at Kroger, Wal-Mart and one drugstore (Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens). I’ll pick the one drugstore based on expiring coupons (ECBs, +Ups, RRs) and deals. Keep it simple and do what works for you. Sometimes you need to take a break from couponing. 🙂
I hadn’t really put too much thought into what it will be like to shop when baby number 2 comes. I will have a 2 yr. old and a new baby! I may be able to finally justify purchasing an ergo baby carrier! lol We are fortunate to live extremely close to most of the stores we shop at and they are all in the same area! I can hit up Target, Walgreens, Pick N Save, Aldi’s and Kohl’s all at the same time if I’m feeling really ambitious and my daughter has just napped/been fed/changed, etc. Typically I don’t go to all of them in the same week though. I definitely agree w/ parking near the cart corral. That helps! I try to make sure I have my list and coupons ready to go. I do prefer to go grocery shopping on Saturday mornings when coupons double, the store is not yet busy, and my husband can stay home w/ my daughter. It just goes faster when I don’t bring her and I get the best savings because I’m more focused, but my husband will be working every Sat. next month so I will have to develop a new strategy. Wed. coupons usually double as well so I think I will probably be taking my daughter and going on Wednesdays then. We will bring lots of snacks and talk about all the things we are putting in the cart. I don’t give her toys/books because I spend half the shopping trip picking them up off the floor, sometimes she holds the list, but she rips it up too so that’s not always the greatest idea either! I might try a dry erase board and a marker, but I don’t know that she is ready for that yet.
I have a 2 1/2 year old and a nine month old. I am also very lucky to have both set of grandparents living nearby. I plan to do all my errands and grocery shopping on one morning, then I have one of the grandmothers come over to spend time with the kids. It’s a perfect solution because the grandmothers get time with the kids, and I get to run my errands much quicker than if I would have both kids with me.
If you don’t have family near by, maybe there is another mom who is in a similar situation and you could swap childcare with each other.
I often shop with at least 2 of my 5 kids in tow. I will admit that when I had a newborn a year ago I did cut back on drug store shopping. This was mainly because I didn’t like taking her in and out of the car in the winter.
Here are some more of my tips for shopping with the kiddos: http://www.thecouponhigh.net/2012/06/couponing-with-kids-in-tow/
I had 3kids in 4yrs so it was truly impossible to shop in any meaningful way unless I was alone. Typically I did the shopping in 3hrs on tuesdays while a babysitter stayed home with the kids.
It was a nice little break and I got so much accomplished in a short time!
We’re blessed to live within 5 minutes of each of our favorite stores.
I just began staying at home with our son about six months ago. I find that if I don’t get out of the house at least once a day, I go crazy!
I coupon at CVS mostly to get the good deals on the diapers. Otherwise, it really wouldn’t be worth my time and/or energy for the few cosmetics and shampoo products we use. I had tried to do more drugstores, but CVS is what works for me. I’ll only stop at Walmart or Target if there’s a killer deal I happen to notice.
That being said, I do shop at 3 grocery stores in town. Each week, I look at the ads when they come and make my menu and my grocery list for each store (and stick to). Typically, I’ll do my “large run” at my main grocery store one morning and take along a toy or two or a small snack. I’ll stop at the other stores for their sale items when I happen to be out and about, or my husband and I will take our son out on errands on Saturday morning so just one of us can quickly run into the store while the other stays with our son if we only need 2-3 items. Our local hardware store gives out free hotdogs on Saturday morning, so sometimes we plan our trip around that for an extra-special treat.
I usually do a little shopping a couple of nights a week. I wait until the kids are in bed, 8 pm, and then I head out. This works really well for me but maybe this isn’t practical for everyone.
I have three kids;12,8,& soon to be 7. I take them all with me. I plan my trip a day or two ahead of time for things to be “somewhat” easier. I seperate each stores coupons in a ziploc bag and label it and when I go in, I take all three binders I have JUST IN CASE something is on clearance. To make things smoother at the store between isles, each kid has a job to do. One pushes the cart,one counts the items and the third reads me what I need. OF COURSE, most of the times things go out of hand and they start playing around, but a treat helps me manage to put them back on track. I always shopped with them,even when they were younger. There is no way out for me rather than taking t hem with me. But I love every second they drive me crazy cause couponing is topping it like a cherry on my favorite ice cream!
I have a 1 1/2 yr. old and a 4 1/2 yr. old. I typically go to at least 3 stores each week and almost always take my children with me. Most times this isn’t too big of a deal. I’ve taken both my children shopping with me since they day they were born and they are used to it. If we are in a store like CVS where my 41/2 yr. old can’t be in the cart too then I try to have him hang onto the side. It’s not perfect and but most times they do well.
Sometimes I do my trips in one day and sometimes it works best to do it over two days. I kind of use my kid’s happiness/grumpiness as a gauge and also whether I can conveniently go out a second time.
I’ve found it helps immensely to have my trip totally planned out ahead of time- all my coupons together, all my deals written out etc. Once I’m in the store it can sometimes be hard to keep my head together and the more organized I am the better the trip goes. 🙂
I should mention that we live in the city and within 10 minutes of most of the stores I typically shop at. If I had further than that I’m not sure if I would do multiple stores each week, or at least not every week!
I plan out one day a month to go “big shopping.” I take some of my children with me. They help load conveyor belt and help find items it keeps them busy.
I plan the day before by scouring ads for the best deals. Whatever is not on sale that I need I go to the off brand store to buy. I drive my most cost effective vehicle and fill it up.
I do my shopping throughout the week. I try to do the stores when I am doing other errands so I don’t have to make a special trip for a store. I feel like this saves gas money.
I have two small children, ages 1 and 3, so I understand how difficult it can be to get the shopping done. Its a rare occasion that I don’t have both children with me, so here are my tips:
1. Choose ONE day to do shopping and try to go earlier in the day (before school lets out during the school year-I find that the sweet spot for minimal traffic and lines is usually 9am-11am).
2.Make sure your kids are fed and have clean diapers before you leave. Try to avoid shopping during times they would normally nap.
3. Have an itemized list of stores you are going to go to with a list of all items you need to purchase, and have your coupons organized before you leave. I have one of those small coupon organizers with tabs I marked for each store. I make my list for that store and put it with the corresponding coupons in that section. It minimizes digging through the diaper bag (where did I put that?) and forgetting items.
4. Park right next to a cart corral if at all possible. You can grab a cart, load your kids into it and proceed into the store-much safer for them than navigating the parking lot. When you are done, you can easily put them back in the car and unload your things without leaving them unsupervised
5. Always have an extra change of clothes for both you and your kids in the car at all times. If a diaper blowout or vomit incident happens, you won’t have to immediately go home if you live a distance from the stores.
Great tips. I do most of these. I left a comment but forgot to mention the one about parking by the cart corral. That is a huge help.
I think the parking spot closest to the cart corral is every mother’s favorite parking spot! 🙂
Most of the time, I use my work lunch hour to shop because it’s so much easier to shop alone than with 2 children 4 and under.
I don’t go to multiple stores anymore. My kids are 6, 4 and 19 months so I feel like a barely have time to get stuff done around the house and enjoy my kids, let alone chasing deals at multiple stores. To save my sanity I shop at one store for groceries and then buy as much as I can online (Amazon rocks!).
I may spend a little more but the time I save can’t be counted in dollars- I am less stressed which makes me a better mom.
You may not be able to go to multiple stores. I use to go to all 3 drug stores plus target and a local grocery store every week to get the deals. Now that I have 3 kids and work full-time, I only shop at CVS (when there are deals), Costco, and Aldi. I feel this is the best use of my time and money at this stage of my life!
i shop at appx 6-8 different stores.. i will go to 2 or so each week and just rotate around depending on the sales.
Once I had 3 children, I stopped taking my children with me to the store. They took up all the room in the cart! I tried for a while, until the youngest decided to open up the carton of eggs while I was paying, and drop them one by one 🙂 After that, I went alone.
I will occasionally take 1 child with me; it’s time alone with mom.
We are a one-car family, so I am already wokring around my husband’s schedule with the car. Having him home to take care of the children makes it easier to pay attention to deals.
I prefer to go shopping alone at night after the children are in bed. I will sometimes go in the morning before he leaves for work, but it depends on if I can leave early enough.
To hit multiple stores in the heat of summer, it is helpful to have a cooler in the car. My grandmother always did this; all of her stores were on the same street, and she would load cold foods into the cooler as she went. I usually use insulated bags (Sam’s Club sells some huge ones) but I have used the cooler if I will hit multiple stores instead of just one in the summer.
Sometimes I’ll hit two stores the same day, and sometimes it means one store one night and another store another night. I don’t go shopping real often (I don’t go every week; I’ve been once in the last 5 weeks) but when I do go it’s usually a couple of short trips two nights in one week.
It may also be helpful to you to make a list for each store, with items that you usually purchase at that store. You can then highlight the items you need. I have each store’s list in order of the way I walk around the store. If you want to send your husband to stop by a store on the way home, you can highlight your items and give him any coupons. My husband works in the same parking lot as one grocery store, so if I need something from that store, I will send him there before he comes home.
I will add that with a nursing baby, going at night after the baby is tucked in is a huge help.
I agree with a lot of what you said! It is tough to fit them all in the cart and I can focus and do the trip in at least half of the time as if I take them all with me. 🙂 I love the cooler idea, though….I never thought of that, and it’s so logical. Thanks. 🙂
If I am shopping at multiple stores during the week, depending on sales; I try to go on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Simply because we have 3 stores that run their ads from Wednesday to Tuesday and one grocery store and drug stores that run Sunday to Saturday. I do usually have our 4yr old son with me because I *try* to do my shopping in the morning. We do the cash envelopes, so shopping wednesday or thursday lets me know the weeks.
I shop in the mornings so I can spend the afternoons doing my college work and spend time with my husband when he gets home from work. Plus it helps wear our son down so its easier for him to take an afternoon nap or stay quiet during that time. I have gotten off this routine several times and slowly work my way back into it due to things that come up with school or my husband’s job; but this is what works for us.
I’ve been considering the same for when baby #2 comes along. I’m planning on wearing baby and letting my two year old sit in the cart like normal. I’ll probably shop on two days instead of one to be sure I can be home for baby’s feedings. I’ll also probably cut back on the number of deals I do just to keep things simpler for awhile. If necessary, I can always run out alone one evening when my husband is home. Once my older child is in preschool, I plan to shop on preschool days so that I can only have one child with me. Now this is just a plan and I have no idea how it will work, but maybe some of my ideas will inspire you 🙂
I think your plan sounds perfect! I have three kids and our plans are similar 🙂
I do grocery shopping 2x a month. The closest stores are 30 min away. I take all 3 kids with me (ages 7, 5, & 2). It takes me the majority of a day (from around 10-4) and I stop at 3-4 places. A couple of the places aren’t in the town I shop in so that adds to my time, but it’s worth it to get the quality, whole foods I can get at those places. All in all I probably travel around 80+ miles by the time I get home. I usually pack a picnic lunch and make sure the kids have books and the nook to entertain themselves. It’s a chore but now that I’ve done it for so long, it’s like 2nd nature. The kids are used to it, too. It’s still a loooong day!
It kind of depends. When I only had one or two kiddos, I used to take them with. Now I have the 4 year old, 3 year old, and almost 2 year old that make it difficult to even fit anything in the cart when I’m couponing. 🙂 Plus I can’t focus very well. I’ve found that in order for me to maximize my CVS trip (it’s about 20 minutes away), then I need to be without children or I’m just rushing and not able to add as much up in my head to get as close to paying out of pocket as I can.
Since I had my third baby, my new technique is: 1) Be extremely organized before heading out and know exactly what I’m going for. Especially if I have kiddos with me, I make a list, even with aisles, and coupons in order so I don’t have a lot of fumbling. My youngest tends to grab coupons from me as he’s sitting in the cart and it gets stressful! 🙂 2) If possible, I go in the evening either after I’ve put the kids down and my husband is home OR if that’s not possible, have a friend swing over while they’re sleeping so I can run out. Even better yet, if the hubby is home and lets me go earlier, then I get home earlier, which is nice. 🙂 They all have “boys’ night” and look forward to me leaving, haha! 3) Since having three, my time is more limited, so I’ve streamlined to really only “couponing” for Target, CVS, and Walmart. I primarily do CVS and only do Target like once a month or so if they have a really good deal. I just keep envelopes for Walmart and Target and if there’s a good deal, I print it out, toss the coupon in the envelope and wait until I have a few to head there for or I check quick when I’m out there for something else. I’ve found that I just don’t have time to coupon hard core for every place like I used to, it just takes too much time! I’m able to get the majority of what I need as far as toiletries/baby stuff shopping deals at Target and CVS. I prefer to shop at our local store, Fareway, or Costco, for the majority of our groceries anyway. The boys are eating us out of house and home so Costco seems to fit our busy schedules better anymore…otherwise I have to make multiple trips because the kids eat so many fruits, veggies, etc., throughout the week! 🙂
Be encouraged that you don’t HAVE to do it all in this season of life. 🙂 I had to admit to myself (especially at first when I first had my third….) that I just don’t have as much time and that’s okay. I took a break for a while and just shopped frugally and stuck to our meal plan and our budget didn’t have to change too much! Now that I’m back to couponing in the busy season, the new “guidelines” I’ve set up seem to work for me. You’ll figure out what works best for you! 🙂
My kids were always with me when they were little (we have three, the youngest has autism) and we live 45 minutes from any major shopping. And they still are often with me now that they are older. So speaking from experience, it is OK to do what you can do. We do not have a Sam’s Club membership because of this. That would be one more stop added to my shopping day, again 45 minutes from home. We just did the basics, maybe a run to a specific store in the mall if a child needed a specific item (for ex. a pair of good tennis shoes) or earrings for their birthday but otherwise we did a Target run and the grocery store (Target now has way more groceries than they used to). I found that I could not overextend my shopping day with my son with autism. No “good deal” was worth upsetting him. I ordered a lot of clothing online and still do as there are many good deals online with coupon codes for free shipping and often a percentage off. Kohls, JCPenney, Macy’s, Target, Aeropostale, for example, work well for us as I can have the kiddos try everything on at home and make a quick return if I need to the next time I am shopping. I feel that being organized with what the family already has at home, making sure I am aware of what is being “handed down”, using coupons for items that we actually eat/use, and being mindful of my driving around/gas usage, etc. these things save me far more money than multiple trips to different stores.
I used to do this before my girls came along…then I decided to shop at only one store, Walmart, for groceries. Any other errands I run on a day when my husband can join us and we go as a family which is much easier. Walmart is even better now that you can price match! For us we also realized that we were spending as much or more in gas than we saved in going to different stores.
My girls are getting older and easier to manage on multiple trips to the store, but when they were younger and I HAD to go out to different places without my husband I always made sure to have the following:
1. a REALLY good snack or two
2. a couple of small toys they hadn’t seen in a while
3. a couple of little board books from Chick-Fil-A
We usually managed just fine and I would sometimes have to just not get everything done if they were melting down too quickly!
I do it throughout the week, usually in the evenings. This works out great because my husband is home and has some quality time with the kids while I shop. I like it because I can stay focused and get things done quickly.
Just depends on what area I’m in.
The city I live in doesnt have much choices in terms of grocery or drugstores. So to be honest I only shop in town when absolutely necessary because I don’t like the grocery store by my house. So when I’m out of town I hit whatever stores are in the town I’m in that day.