Grocery Shopping Fun

I'm sure many of you have been grocery shopping with your children. It's oh-so enjoyable. There's the constant nagging for junk food, or the "This is taking too long, when are we going home" complaining, or the tantrums and crying that usually accompany my grocery shopping experience at some point in time. It even gets worse when you make it a grocery shopping extravaganza and plan to go to 4 or more grocery stores in one day. That is what I spent my whole day doing. Add your husband as the chauffeur, and they day just becomes one of domestic bliss.
I know that the sales are great, especially when you walk away from a store and save 50% on your final purchase (I usually achieve this at Albertson's) It's so great. But sometimes I wonder if the 50% savings is worth a little bit of my sanity being stripped away from me.
I had a dream last night, that I walked into the grocery store, I was all by myself, and it must have been really early in the morning or really late in the evening, as I was the only customer in the store. It was 5 star service, with everyone asking me as I turned into each aisle, "Is there anything I can help you find, ma'am?" It was fabulous. I actually walked through the store at a leisurely pace, reading the backs of labels to make "healthier" choices for my family. The store clerks smiled and I had a sparkle in my eye as I enjoyed the service and attention that I don't normally receive during my "reality" shopping experiences.
Now that I come to think of this, maybe this dream was more a revelation, and I will plan all my shopping experiences either early in the morning before my family wakes, or late at night after I have put them in bed. That might be the only way for me to actually enjoy the fact that I spent $153.00, but saved $130.oo. But even if my solitary shopping wish doesn't come true, let's face it, I'll probably go through the same experience next month for such great savings.