Use a shopping list
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This is probably the most common of all of my advice—probably not because it’s a great tip (it is!) so much as that it’s the easiest of all of the tips to actually do. Most people are aware of shopping lists; heck, there’s a whole site devoted just to “found” shopping lists (the geek in me loves this). But for the record, here’s why I use shopping lists.
- Shopping lists keep me from forgetting so many things. This is probably the single most important feature of a shopping list! In conjunction with the meal planning, this is even more important; when you are buying only what you need for certain meals, if you forget something important, you may end up having to postpone the meal. Of course, the grocery shopping list is so easy that this really shouldn’t come up often.
Many families have communal shopping lists that are available all the time. Theoretically this means that family members will add things as they run out; practically, this does not always happen but going without as a result usually gets the point across.
- Shopping lists help me avoid unnecessary purchases. In the same spirit as shopping less frequently and using meal plans, the goal here is to buy only what you actually need. Many folks accomplish this quite nicely with a strict “if it’s not on the list, it’s not in the cart” rule. Personally, I extend this just a little to include things that I actually intended to put on the list, because I can be a forgetful person. Of course, my version of the rule only works if you are honest about it, but if I decide to cheat, I’m more likely to just say “to heck with it” and not pretend I’m following the rule (kind of like dieting!).
- Shopping lists make my shopping trips more efficient. A well organized list can save bundles of time (and avoid needless temptation) by shuttling you through the store in a prompt manner. At my house we do our list on the computer; everything is in a pre-set category, and I’ve put the categories in order for the store we shop at most often.
If you’re overcome with the nerdiness of computerizing a shopping list, you can get the same benefit on paper. Just make up a sheet with the various categories (deli, frozen foods, canned foods, baking supplies, dairy, etc.) in the order of your favorite store and leave as much space between them as you can. Make a copy of this template and wha-la! When you add items, just put them in the proper category, and when you grab the list, it’s mostly in order for the store.
- Shopping lists help me spread out expensive purchases. Every time I find myself with a huge grocery bill, I am tempted to console myself with the knowledge that I won’t need to buy vitamins (or laundry detergent, or cat food, or whatever the current “massive expense in one little box” culprit is) for months. The trouble is, there are always more of these things: the pervasive, necessary extra things that I forget to budget for when I plan food.
Even the mighty grocery shopping list can’t eliminate this pain, but if you use some sort of a master list/reminder of household “staples”, you can remind yourself to buy the detergent this week, instead of waiting until next week when the cat food will run out, too. You’ll probably still spend the same amount of money long term (unless you use this preparedness to scout for sales!) but it will help smooth out the budget bumps.
What other shopping list benefits have you discovered?
This post is part of the “Smart grocery shopping� series.