Our Next Generation of Savvy Couponers
There’s Nothing Funnier than a Frugal 4-year-old
The other day, my son and I were grocery shopping and walking down the toothpaste aisle. He points and says, “Look, Mom. That’s on sale.” as he points to the Polident. I reply, “thanks, but Mom doesn’t need that right now in her life.” while thinking, “let’s go down the wine aisle instead”…
Next he spots a box of cereal he likes. ”Do you have a coupon? Can we can get it?” At this young age, he knows that mom refuses to pay full price for a box of cereal or crackers. He’s also learned that we aren’t buying anything that’s not on sale. As a result, we might be buying a different brand this time around or not at all. I quickly explain that we aren’t buying cereal this week as I have at least 10 boxes in our pantry, but I need his help to pick out ice cream (it’s Buy 1, Get 1 Free and I have two coupons!).
My Future Marketing Executive
Where my four-year-old son gets all excited about coupons, my six-year-old daughter is obsessed by advertising. She won’t be paying attention to the TV, but her ears immediately perk up at the hint of an infomercial. She concentrates on every word and repeats the words back verbatim in her sales pitch. You’d swear she makes a commission on all of the items sold on TV. It’s not uncommon to hear, “Mom. You have plants. You need those glass watering bulbs. They are only $19.95 for the set.” Or, “we have walls, we need those picture hangers and they are on sale.” My favorite was the scratch pen for automobiles and appliances. “Mom, you have a car and a refrigerator.”
Fortunately, she’s not familiar with QVC or the Home Shopping Network.
