Making an effective grocery list is an important part of getting in and out of the grocery store without spending too much time or money. For me, if I don’t go in with a well organized list, I end up going back and forth in all of the aisles and come out over budget and without everything I need. And nothing makes me more upset than to start cooking and realize that I don’t have everything I need. Here are a few tips I use to make my shopping list work for me:
- Keep an ongoing list throughout the week of staple items that you need to pick up. Since it is just my husband and I, I just use a regular note pad but if you have a bigger family, this “all out of checklist
“ would be great for placing on the fridge and everyone could mark it as you run out of things.
- Make a meal plan so that you have a road map for your list. I divide my list into three sections, one long section taking up the entire left side of the paper and two smaller sections on the right hand side. On the left, I make the list of items to buy , on the right top portion, I put what we are planning to eat for lunch throughout the week and on the right bottom portion, I put what we are planning to have for dinner.
- Number meal plan and then mark your ingredients list with the number that corresponds to the meal. This might sound a little uptight but if cilantro is the key ingredient in the cilantro pesto you have planned and the store is all out, you don’t want to buy everything else you need for that meal unless the recipe can do with out or you can substitute an ingredient.
- Divide your ingredients list to match the layout of the store. My preferred pattern in the store is produce, dry ingredients, cold ingredients and frozen ingredients. This way, you wont get to the bottom of your list and realize you need to go back to the other side of the store.
- Mark the items you have coupons for. As you are making your list, scope out the coupon situation and then mark your list accordingly. You can use any symbol you like, maybe a star or the letter C but use something so that you don’t forget to use the coupons. Coupons are free money!
- Stick to your list!!! This is more of a money saving tip than an organizational tip but reminding myself of this sure helps the wallet!
Honestly, grocery shopping is one of my favorite pass times, seriously, nothing makes me happier than walking into Whole Foods with a cart and shopping list in hand. But, it can still be a hassle, especiallyI am in a hurry or if I am on limited funds but having a well organized list makes those times a little more enjoyable.
Do you shop with a list? Have any tips to add?
I love grocery shopping too – when I have plenty of time! When I’m in a hurry (which is almost always), it just becomes another chore :( I usually don’t make a list that I have to stick to, but I do write a list of things I must buy otherwise I’ll forget.
Wish I was better at meal planning for the week – I hate when I do a recipe that calls for, say, half a can of something, and then I end up just throwing the other half away.
Helpful tips!
Elle @ Acquired Tastes´s last blog ..Clothes Too Small? Too Big?
What a helpful post! I’ve gotten a lot better at making grocery lists recently. I actually usually end up buying groceries in FOUR different places every week (Farmer’s Market, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Giant). It helps me when I’m making my list to include possible substitutions for obscure ingredients (thought through or researched while meal planning), because sometimes, I can’t find what I’m looking for at any of those four places!
Suzanne´s last blog ..Green Tea Poached Salmon
great tips! I do the same things :)
I have my list in a certain order (i.e., frozen stuff together, produce, etc) to make sure I don’t forget anything and I always to remember to mark on there if I have a coupon – if I don’t, I’ll forget to use it!
Thanks for the help! I normally go in with a list, but leave feeling like I didn’t actually get anything. This might sound crazy, but I don’t really make a meal plan b/c I always think that I’ll need to many obscure items & won’t end up using them. I need to get over that!
laura dishes´s last blog ..Spring Cleaning
don’t go hungry
Mishe@Eatingjourney´s last blog ..Being Gentle With Yourself (guest post)
I would actually say that going hungry isn’t at bad idea. When I was first learning to eat intuitively, someone, I can’t remember who, told me to go to the store hungry and I would buy the foods I actually enjoy instead of buying foods that I feel like I should buy. It was an interesting experiment and true to the advice, I actually bought real food that makes my body feel happy.
that is really interesting and makes A LOT OF sense.
Mishe@Eatingjourney´s last blog ..Being Gentle With Yourself (guest post)
Great post, as usual!
Sticking to the list is the toughest for me…I get so excited when I see something new or different that I have to will myself not to put it in my cart! ;)
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self´s last blog ..Phenomenal Woman
Making a list of weekly meals and having a grocery list are so important! I’m a spender by nature… and its not just on clothes either ;)
If I don’t have a list I can mindlessly grocery shop and spend more money than I need too!
Estela @ Weekly Bite´s last blog ..Banana French Toast
Me too. Without a list, I have a much bigger grocery habit than clothing habit :D
i really LIKE to shop with a list, but rarely make the time for it. and God knows i need to use one too! it does help keep me on budget when i do, so i’ve been trying to more often :)
Heather (Heather’s Dish)´s last blog ..Happy Easter!
We don’t use lists, ever. And we do sometimes forget things but well, we just work around it! :)
Diana´s last blog ..A whole lotta food. And other stuff.
What a great post and tips! I love to grocery shop too. I especially love to for the family I babysit for because I don’t have to swipe my credit card at the end! lol
Kelly B (at Local Foodie Fight)´s last blog ..Putting the “health” back in “health care”
visitiing from Karena’s blog – I’m a meal planning junkie. and i love shopping from a list. okay i’m that big of a dork. its big fun for me.
now off to read the post i really need, which is the 15 minute rule.
Brooke´s last blog ..Weigh-in Wednesday – the Downhill ride
Thanks for stopping by, Brooke. I hope you enjoy my blog!
wow, and i thought i was anal having my shopping list on an spreadsheet that i go over the night before i do the grocery shopping for the week. you’ve one-upped me with the numbering system. :)
seriously, having the pre-printed list, in the order of aisles of the market, makes shopping SO much easier.
love2eatinpa´s last blog ..My New Way of Eating Tested at Two Events
Hahaha, I was going to say anal in the post but was afraid of the kind of traffic that might attract :D
I think it works best in cases where you have lots of different canned tomato or spice needs, if that makes sense.
Uh, can you come grocery shop for me? :)
We shop with a rough list, but I don’t meal plan (not beyond picking out a dish or two I *might* make that week) so I don’t have as much of a list to follow. It’s less efficient, but I like to have a bunch of ingredients that I eat regularly and just decide to make something with what I have.
Elizabeth (The Dallas Celiac)´s last blog ..2 Funerals and a…
Oh my goodness Christie!! I love your grocery shopping techniques! I am a terrible grocery shopper because I always get more than I planned and undoubtedly will forget something…I will start using the “Christie Method” on my next trip for sure…maybe I’ll blog about how much it helped me and how much money I saved and name the post after you!! :)
Maria (realfitmama)´s last blog ..Bedtime.
i tend to buy the same items weekly so only write down groceriea I may forget to buy. good tips :)
kalli@fitandfortysomething´s last blog ..A Tough 8K and Greek Traditions
What helpful tips – thankyou for sharing :)
I always shop with a list and I always walk out with more than i wrote down. I like your idea of numbering meals, thats so smart!
Nicole @ Making Good Choices´s last blog ..Swiss Chard Wraps and a SHAKE!
I even take it one step further,,,to the check out. I make sure I lay out food on the belt so it goes in the proper bag and makes it easier for the bagger. Boxes with boxes, Meat with Meat, Veggies with Veggies, Soap with say…Soap, etc…call me crazy btut makes the unloading easier once home!
I do the same thing!
lol! i’m so glad i’m not the only one! in fact, i prefer to bag myself because we have a second fridge/freezer in another part of the house and it’s much easier when i get home if the stuff that goes in the other fridge/freezer is already bagged separately. does that make us control freaks or just really organized? :)
love2eatinpa´s last blog ..Thoughts on Goal Weight
:D I think it makes us a little of both!
i love grocery shopping and list making. I usually follow the list and a few extras get added to the cart/basket.