Grocery lists are second nature to most of us. We add to them throughout the week, sometimes forget them on the kitchen counter, and when we take them to the store, we diligently cross off what we have procured and circle what we are still searching for. They come in all shapes and sizes and all types of handwriting. In fact, Bill Keaggy has developed an amusing website, grocerylists.org, dedicated to grocery lists. The collections of lists, like the one featured here, are published in a book called Eggs, Milk, and Vodka.
Joking aside, these overlooked pieces of paper can hold the key to saving you a lot of money and time. Below are three ways grocery lists can help you manage your budget.
1. Make One Trip
Before you go to the store, clean out your refrigerator and look in your pantry. Write down all the things you need from the grocery for the week. Your list will help you avoid multiple trips to the store throughout the week.
2. Organize By Department
Organizing your list by department will avoid aimless wandering. In fact, My Recipes reports that studies show that for each additional minute you spend in a grocery store past half an hour, you will likely spend between 50 cents and $1.
Instead of crisscrossing the store trying to find things on your list, streamline your trip by making only one trip down each aisle. Try organizing a list by the following categories:
- Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Milk, Yogurt and Cheese
- Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts
- Fats, Oils and Sweets
- Staples, Condiments and Miscellaneous Foods (spices, baking powder, etc.)
- Health and Beauty Products
- Household Items (laundry soap, light bulbs, etc.)
3. Stick to your list
If it’s not on your list, don’t buy it. Filling your cart with items that aren’t a part of your weekly meal plan will only add dollars to your grocery bill.
Try these grocery list tips this week and see if it makes a difference.
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8 Comments until now
I liked your post. I need to do better about my own grocery list. Thanks for sharing on Mrs. Moneysaver. Have a great day.
I love grocery lists. I used to go to the store without one and I came home with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff and what I actually needed.
Making lists saves my time and lots of money.
Thanks. You have a great day too.
Good point. If you don’t plan with a list, you end up spending a lot more money.
Great ideas! I was just listening to a podcast, and they recommended, if it’s not on your list (like impulse buys for junk food) write it down for your next shopping trip, rather than buying it while you are shopping. Hopefully by the next trip, you will decide it wasn’t worth i.
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I make a master list at the beginning of the month, to help me stay within my monthly food budget. That usually means one big trip to the supermarket and a few smaller ones throughout the month (usually for milk and possibly eggs). The only time I don’t use a list is when I go to the open air market every two weeks or so – I have a lump sum budget and have fun buying as many fruits and vegetables as I can! It’s a great way to stick with variety and buy according to season/price.
I thought I was the only *crazy* person who wrote the shopping list to follow the path through the supermarket.
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