Looking for ways to save money at the store? Try leaving the kids at home next time. Two in three parents say shopping with their children tends to be more expensive than when they shop alone, new research shows. And it’s quite a big difference, their solo shopping trips cost an average of $133, but they spend an average of $179 when the kids are with them.
The poll of 2-thousand U.S. parents also reveals:
- About a third of moms and dads say shopping with their kids is “like pulling teeth” which is why 44% admit to bribing their kids to behave on a shopping trip.
- These bribes include candy (37%), snacks (36%), toys (34%) and even cash (18%) and one in four bribing parents say these tactics “always” work.
- Some parents try to turn trips to the store into a teaching moment, to show their kids the value of a dollar (62%), the difference between necessities and nice-to-haves (58%), patience (50%), how to look for deals (50%) and how to ask for help (37%).
- Shopping together also gives kids a chance to spend some of their own money. Of the 61% of parents who give their kiddos allowance, more than three-quarters (78%) let them spend it any way they want.
- Kids have asked their moms and dads for some pretty weird things while shopping, including a ferret, pig ear chew toys that are meant for dogs and even a taxidermied alligator, along with more common slime and iPhone requests.
Source: SWNS