8 Tips for Sharing a Family Legacy of Fun Shopping Trips

Some of my earliest memories involve shopping fun with the women of my family. I guess you could say we have left a shopping legacy. Here are 8 tips for sharing a family legacy of fun shopping trips.

We started all the girls of the family out shopping at a young age and always had a great time. Shopping may not be for the entire family (Jay and my dad absolutely hate shopping trips), but for the rest of us, it is one of our favorite things!

As the shopping season is starting to kick up, I want to share some of my favorite shopping tips I have learned over the years. Whether you’re planning a regular shopping day or an all out Black Friday trip, you can put some of these tips into practice.

A Legacy of Shopping

Shopping as a Child

I guess the way it all started was that my dad was a hunter. Just about every Saturday that he went hunting, we went shopping, so shopping kind of became part of us.

Many of those shopping trips included my grandmother Grace. When Grace and Joy (my mom) were together, we had a blast!

There are many things I remember about those childhood shopping trips:

• If we only had a short window of time to shop, we would go to downtown Greenville and shop door to door. Back then, the downtown area was booming.
• Granny always made sure she had her red lipstick on before we left the house. She always looked nice to shop.
• When we planned our all day shopping trips, we would get to the malls when they opened and leave when they closed.

• Granny had to stop at the restroom regularly. I didn’t get it then! 😂
• Granny would frequently say she was “dry” and needed a coke. (Hence the frequent bathroom breaks.)
• We always had to stop for a needed snack at least a couple of times each trip.
• My mom and Granny would always argue about who was going to pay. As a child, I thought it was crazy not to let the other person pay if they were offering. (You understand so much more as you grow up.)
• Back then, everything closed earlier, so once the malls closed, we looked for shopping centers that might have stayed open a little longer.

Shopping as an Adult

Even after my dad stopped hunting, we carried on our girls’ shopping traditions. I passed it on the Shea, and she passed it on to her two girls. Although Jacob wasn’t a huge shopper, Kristy has passed on the love for shopping to Evelyn. Pictured above is Evelyn with Aunt Shea, Granny Joy, and Chloe as we were heading out on a shopping adventure.

Here are a few things I remember from shopping as an adult:

• We got to the stores when they opened, which was sometimes at the crack of dawn and left when they closed, which was sometimes midnight.
• I can remember being sore the next day, to the point of barely being able to walk.😂
• As an adult, we all had to make frequent restroom breaks.
• We all argued about who was going to pay.
• My mom always made her Butter Dips (butter buds) and a pound of bacon for us to eat in the car. (She still does this.)

There were times in my early married life that we did not have extra money for shopping. Jay did not understand why I still wanted to go. You know, it never really was about the shopping but the experience and the relationships!

As we have gotten older, we still go shopping for the fun of it. We just don’t make our trips as long as they used to be. We have added a lot more online shopping to the plan, which can also be fun.

The above picture was taken on one of our big shopping trips a few years ago. Chloe and I were worn out and found a fake bed at Kohl’s to rest on! You can’t see it, but my sister was sitting down by a mannequin. We absolutely couldn’t go another step.

On the other hand, my mom who had just recovered from double knee replacement surgery was still going! She was like the Energizer Bunny!

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8 Tips for Planning a Family Fun Shopping Trip

It is a good ideas to put together a plan and have a little preparation before heading out on a big shopping trip. The key though is to be flexible – go with the flow and make changes as needed.

I have added links to this post for your convenience. Wherever you see words highlighted in brown, know that you can click on them to go to the link.

#1 Planning

With everyone’s busy schedules, the first thing that needs to be done is to pick a date. Plan early so everyone can get it on their calendar. Consider these things:

• Who all is going?
• Is it for a special occasion? For Black Friday, it is all of us, including Shea’s mother-in-law Debbie, and her sister-in-law Ashlie. (They usually go longer than I plan, so I meet them.)😮
• Decide on when to leave and map out a plan where you want to go.
• With the exception of Black Friday, a weekday morning would be the least crowded time to shop.
• Who is going to drive, and who has a large enough car to fit all of the packages and people into?
• Are there any special sales events coming up in the near future?

#2 Food

As my grandmother taught us, it is hard to shop on an empty stomach! You will probably want to stop, take a break, and get something to eat at some point. However, it is also good to have food on hand for snack time.

Have a general meal plan for eating out, so that everyone is on the same page. Again, be flexible. Here are some things we like to keep on hand for in between snack time:

• Butter Dips
• Bacon
• Bottled Water
• Tumbler with Ice Water
• Keep a straw cover on the straw!
• Crackers or Cookies
• Paper Towels or Napkins

#3 Comfort

This is one of the most important tips! If you are not comfortable, you are not going to have an enjoyable experience. Here are some thoughts:

• Keep a light jacket with you in case it is cool in the stores.
• Comfortable shoes are a must. These are really cute ones! (Look for the coupon code.)
• Wear a comfortable outfit. If you are going to be trying on clothes, be sure it is easy to get on and off.
• Carry a sling purse so you can be hands-free.

#4 Game Plan

• Make a list of favorite stores you want to go to.
• Think about certain items you are looking for and where you need to go to get them.
• Seek out special deals and sale prices. Some deals are for a limited time of the day, so you need to plan those earlier in the day.
• Don’t forget places like Sam’s Club and Costco.
• One Thanksgiving tradition we have is that after we eat and the kitchen is clean, we look through all of the sales ads and make a plan for the next day.
• Map out the best order to get to each of the places you want to go.
• Attend special shopping events in your area such as Vintage Market Days.

#5 The Car

With multiple people in the same car, it helps to keep the car organized to some extent. When Shea, Debbie, Ashlie, and the girls go, the car is filled to the rim! They have no option but to separate the items when they get home.

If you are not shopping to that extent, these tips will help:

• Start with a vehicle that has been cleaned out – the larger the vehicle the better.
• Divide up the back or the trunk as best as you can.
• There are all sorts of trunk dividers for SUVs and cars. These could help you keep your items separated from one another.

#6 Shopping with Young Kids

For the most part, shopping with young children is no small task. It can definitely be a challenge, and you don’t want them to be miserable either. Here are a few tips to hopefully help both of you.

• If you have an easy to use stroller, take it! It will give the little one a comfortable place to stay, and it will hold packages, drinks, and baby supplies.
• Plan around nap time.
• Consider car space with a stroller, car seat, diaper bag, etc.
• Have a few small toys on hand to keep them occupied.
• Keep snacks and drinks handy. In this case, a healthy snack is better than sugary snacks. You don’t want them to be wired.
• Depending on the length of your next shopping trip, you may want to have treats with you to reward good behavior.

• Having a play break at times is an easy way to burn off energy.
• Have fun with them in the stores (within reason). This is much easier for grandparents!😍

#7 Money Saving Tips for Black Friday or Christmas Shopping

• Go over the sales ads before you leave to go shopping to make sure you find the best deals.
• Have a set budget for gift spending. I have used two great options to help with this.
  • If using cash, use an envelope system. Each family member or friend has an envelope with a set amount of cash in it. I love this option, but when buying for several people at the same time, it can get messy.
  • If using a credit card, keep a spreadsheet with all people listed across the top. Keep a running total of gifts and prices for each one. the balance automatically subtracts and lets you know how much you have left to spend for each person.
• Make sure your Amazon Prime and Walmart+ memberships are active, at least for the Christmas season. If you don’t have one, both places will give you a 30 day free trial. It is worth it!
• If the lines are too long or if an item is out of stock in the store, sit in the parking lot and do a little online shopping. Order it that day while it is on sale, and skip the crowd.

#8 Other Shopping Tips

• Have a shopping list of gift ideas made out before you leave the house.
• Keep sizes on hand and updated at all times.
• Shop local stores and small businesses to find unique gift ideas.
• If you are having a hard time finding gifts, consider purchasing gift cards from their favorite store.
• Make sure to keep cell phones handy in case you get separated in a different part of the store.
• Carry a portable phone charger with you, just in case one of you need it.
• Keep tissues handy, just in case.

Next time you want some shopping fun plan your next shopping trip using some of these shopping trip tips. (Say that 5 times fast!)

Whether you are planning one of the large shopping trips, a Black Friday trip, or you are just doing a little shopping for yourself. I wish you good luck! May you have the most enjoyable experience you have ever had shopping.

Other Posts

How to Save Money During Christmas and Throughout the Year
110 Simple Things to Do to Get Ready and Prepare for Christmas

Until next week…

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“She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants. She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings.” Proverbs 31:14-16