Best advice for shopping with little kids: Don’t!
I am not affiliated with Walmart. I just wanted to pass on a helpful hint, from one mom to another!
Last month we were preparing for a wedding and went to just about every single store within 20 miles of us trying to find the perfect dresses, ties, accessories, etc. for everyone. Maybe I’m weird, but I’m not about to pay a sitter to watch my kids so that I can go shopping only to return with dresses that either don’t fit, or that my girls are never going to wear again. My kids and I were both sick of me dragging them from store to store. And don’t even get me started about how awesome it was to try on dresses with 5 kids in the dressing room. Especially since the baby wanted to be held the whole time and a certain 3 year old thought it would be so fun to play peek-a-boo with anyone waiting to use the dressing room…
Anyway, this morning, my third grader requested some boots to go with her new-found love of wearing skirts. I totally want to help her explore her fashion side and I realize that tennis shoes don’t exactly go with skirts, so I decided to do a little shopping this morning while she was at school.
Three kids at a store is definitely MUCH easier than 5, but it is still not ideal. So, here is my shopping tip with little kids: Just don’t do it! There is this beautiful thing called online shopping that I am always worried is going to steer me wrong, but trust me on this. It is SO much better!
What am I worried about?
- I’m worried that somehow I am going to get suckered in to paying more just because it’s online and I can’t compare it to the in-store price. I am always afraid that somehow it is more expensive on my computer. Truth be told though, I bought shoes once that were clearance shoes online, but FULL PRICE at the store! Check online first. It could save you big bucks.
- I’m also worried about extra costs due to shipping. Walmart does site-to-store shipping for free, so I don’t have to worry about paying shipping prices at all. This is one of the biggest reasons that I shop Walmart. I know that I could probably buy more “quality” shoes than Walmart, but then when said shoes get scuffed from using them as brakes down their favorite biking hill, or the mud and rain puddles are too irresistible, it doesn’t matter the quality price you paid or didn’t pay for those shoes. They are toast.
Let me give you a little example of my online shopping awesomeness today:
I went to the actual Walmart store first to check out the shoe selection. My criteria on the shoes is that they have to be under $20, match with pretty much any style, and not have a heel. Not too much to ask, right? Well, it’s either not boot season yet, or my standards were too high for this trip.
They had maybe 4 pairs of boots there, all of which were over $20. I didn’t want the Ugg-type boots because my daughter had some similar to that before and they were so wide and didn’t have arch support which caused her to walk really weird in them.
I checked Walmart.com during nap time and found these 3 super great options:
Grey Buckle Mid-Calf Boot is just over $13 and they also come in tan. There are no reviews on them, but I have a pair very similar to these that I bought on a Black Friday sale from some shoe store years ago and I LOVE them.
Black Pull-on Ankle Slouch boots are under $13 and also come in brown. Rates 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
These winter boots are a little more heavy duty and are priced at $17. I’m not sure what to think of them. I would love them for the winter, but it could cause some really sweaty feet in the meantime.
Maybe, I’ll just have to buy her two pairs…
I totally could too, since I went in to another shoe store and their cheapest boots were nearly $30! For a kid that is going to walk home from school through the mud in them!
So, I now have done all the looking while sitting quietly at my desk and can show them to her after school. If they don’t fit, I can take them back to the local Walmart without having to worry about wasting any of the shipping costs, or take everyone into the post office to ship them back. Win, win, right?
What are your tricks to shopping with little kids?
