"This makes me want to ask if people have ideas or methods about how to temper kids becoming little shopping drones. I don't want to rely on things like "get a job" or "you don't know the value of a dollar" but I do find those tapes running through my head before I reject them."
Severely limit TV. Expand viewing by allowing them to see videos rather than the stuff that's full of commercials.
Go shopping at Goodwill and flea markets. It's a lot cheaper and it's more of a treasure hunt.
Joanna