We have all been in the grocery store with no plan, no list, and no patience. Believe it or not, there are simple steps you can take to make your grocery planning and trips much less stressful.
Step 1 - Pick a day you will go on religiously. This could be weekly or bi-weekly, on your pay days or your day off, just pick a day and make it habit to go on that day. This will really cut back on all those unexpected trips to the store every week, that really wear you down.
Step 2 - Plan a menu. If you look at my weekly blogs, I post the menu for my family every week. Look at your calendar see what you have planned and plan your dinners around it. Plan out what you will serve for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and be sure to get enough to last you till your next planned grocery trip.
Step 3 - This list, now this is where I really find my success at the grocery store. Having a list helps me not to impulse buy especially when I'm hungry and ultimately helps me to save money and time. Using my planned menu I begin to build my grocery list. This is something I begin a day or two before my scheduled shopping day so I have a day or two to discover things we need from the store.
Now some people might think I'm a little obsessive compulsive but I keep my grocery list on my computer. My list (shown above) is divided into grocery sections of the store. We've all gotten all the way across the store and forgotten 2 items back on the other side. Well my list actually helps prevent this. I place my needed items in the correct category and when I'm in the store I make sure everything in that section is marked off and wala, I don't have to go back. My store categories are as follows: produce, dried goods (this is for packaged goods such as pastas, cereals, snacks), canned goods, breads (including tortillas), bins (we have a bulk bins section at my store which I frequent), meats, frozen, dairy, and misc. (sodas, beauty, paper items, and other odds and ends). Each week I open my grocery list, delete last week's, type in this weeks, print and go shopping.
Other tips for getting the things you need from the grocery store are having a to buy list posted on the fridge or somewhere in the kitchen. When you run out you jot it down and then add it to your grocery list when you are making it. Also, I know you've heard it before, but try not to go to the store when you are hungry. It is so easy to be swayed by the deli and bakery when we are hungry. Same goes for when you are exhausted...we can get into who cares moods and not be careful about our purchases.
I hope this is helpful to you. I will also in the future post about how I go about shopping at different stores and plan my menus.
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