Disclosure: This is a sponsored compensated post brought to you by Shaw’s Supermarket. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own, as are any photos. 
Grocery shopping can be a stressful experience, especially when you have children in tow who want everything they set their little eyes on. I have had more than one stressful shopping trip myself…and I HATE them. In fact, I try everything in my power to avoid trips that make me want to pull my hair out. But with a family of six, avoiding them is easier said than done. However, we have come up with several tips that you can practice with your family, or even when your by yourself, to help you have a stress-free shopping trip…and to make it so you don’t want to go home and have a stiff drink after dealing with the masses.
- Look at the week’s sales flyers. Make sure to look for items you use a lot of and put them on a list. If you have a stockpile built up, make sure and check to see if you need to restock items. If money is tight, DON’T PUT EXTRA ITEMS ON THE LIST! However, if you have the extra money, it’s always nice to stock up on items when they are on sale, like during the Stock Up Sale going on at at Shaw’s Supermarket right now.
- Create a budget. If you know ahead of time how much you can afford to spend on groceries, and you jot down the prices for items you’ll be purchasing, you’ll be more likely to stay within that budget. I jot down prices all the time. My boyfriend makes fun of me for it…but guess who’s always within a few dollars of the actual amount? Moi!
- Organize your list by areas within the store. I find this extremely helpful. I group meats together, fruits and veggies together, canned goods, etc. (Here’s a BONUS tip: Download one of the shopping list apps on your smartphone, like AnyList. The app groups the different foods for you, so you don’t have to. Also, you can make notes under each item and adjust how many of each you need. If you’re my boyfriend, this app is extremely handy because it’s legible, and he’s the first one to admit, his handwriting isn’t the best.)
- Organize your coupons. One way to do this is by creating a coupon binder, which you can also keep your sales flyers in to refer back to while shopping. To organize the coupon within the binder, use plastic baseball card sleeves.
- Eat a snack before you go shopping. This also applies to children. Make sure they’ve eaten before heading to the store. If not, your apt to purchase items that aren’t on your list because you’re hungry. And your children are more apt to complain and beg for treats.
- Have a talk with your children before going into the store about asking for items that aren’t on your grocery list. This is especially important for families who are living on a budget and don’t have room for a lot of extras. If you do have some room, and want to treat your child, give them a set limit they can spend. Tell them they can choose one item and no more than that.
- If you’re shopping with children, let them help you. Let them pick out fruits and veggies and allow them to put items in the cart. Ask them to tell you prices of items. Shopping trips can be fun and educational experiences for children.
- Check the time! DO NOT go to the grocery store when it’s the busiest time. I have made this mistake on more than one occasion, and have regretted it immensely every time. There’s nothing like trying to fight the long lines to try and go down each aisle. Also, nothing irritates me more than people who stand in the middle of an aisle and make it impossible to get around them.
Do you have any other stress-free shopping trip tips that you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.