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My family went to Chuck E. Cheese's this weekend. My wife had gone to Chuck E. Cheese's when she was little, but I had never gone to one before, so when the opportunity came up we went.

Man, those folks know how to encourage people to spend money. It took me by surprise how effectively they did it, actually.

We were looking for food, so we got a pizza. The meal came with four tokens for the “fun stuff,” which basically just whetted our appetite. (Smart Move #1 on CEC's part.)

I didn't realize how adept a 2 1/2 year old was at finding the slot on a machine and putting a token in. Unbeknownst to us we were training our child to spend money and get immediately satisfying results. (Smart Move #2 on CEC's part.)

I also didn't realize how competitive my wife and I are at Skee Ball. The machines aren't just for kids. (Smart Move #3.)

Chuck E. Cheese's and the Nag Factor

Most importantly, there's The Nag Factor. (The book that I picked up this phrase from was Born To Buy.) We had gotten through the first couple of years with our daughter pretty nag-free, but not that day. Eventually we conquered her expectations (mainly by saying “OK, this is the last time”) but not until we had gone through a few bucks' worth of tokens. And boy, they go fast. (Smart Move #4 — they turn your kids against you. 😉 )

Conquer Chuck E. Cheese's

So, how does one conquer Chuck E. Cheese's?