Winter’s gone by the wayside (hopefully) and the great outdoors await – after you finish your grocery shopping. You’ve followed my tips and made a detailed list. You have your coupons and your cash. But you’ve also got a car full of kids with a knack for wreaking havoc on your financial prudence.

Each one wants a different cereal, ice cream, lunch snack and juice box. One is hungry, another tired and yet another needs to go to the bathroom. You just throw everything into the cart in an effort to emerge from the store with your sanity, but you are also vastly over budget, having broken the cardinal rule of sticking to your list.

The stress that frequently accompanies taking children on a trip to the supermarket often results in additional pounds on the hips and fewer dollars in the bank. But this does not have to be the case!

Roni’s tips for grocery shopping with kids

Hi readers! Two weeks have quickly gone by and it’s time for another food frugality pep talk. But this time I need one! You know, writing the food shopping rules and tips you read in this column is a lot easier than abiding by them 24/7. Last week I had a major setback.

What happened? I violated a personal rule. I hadn’t included this rule in my inaugural column about “How to Shop” but last week’s debacle made it clear to me that this tip must be shared right now, so here it is…

Click ahead for Roni’s vital shopping rule.