Have you ever gone grocery shopping and walked down the same aisle several times? An organized grocery list can save you time at the grocery store. This is a guide about organizing your grocery list.
I start on the perimeter of the store, usually in fresh produce. I follow the perimeter and than go up and down the aisles. I am able to focus on my list and not on all the stuff I don't need to buy. Than when I get to the checkout, I try and place like items together while unloading the cart, so that when I get home I can easily put things away. Put your coupons in order the same way so you don't forget to use one.
By Lydia from Silverdale, WA
By Pam from Pittsburgh, PA
Buy one extra of everything nonperishable that your family uses regularly (ketchup, rice mix, soup, cooking spray, ziploc bags, etc.) and devote your top pantry shelf to just these items. The top shelf rule is that no one in the family is allowed to take something down from the top shelf without first writing it on the grocery list. This way, we never run out of things before grocery day. It has worked so well, that I have started a "top shelf" with my cleaning supplies too.
If I have more than one stop, I try to go to them in order as to save miles. I also number my stops and cross them off as I complete that stop. That way if I don't make a stop for some reason, it is a reminder because it hasn't been crossed off. Just seeing them marked off makes me feel good. We live 50 miles from a city that has much shopping, so organizing my shopping day is important as it is usually a pretty full day.
By Ann from Loup City, NE
By Dottie from Tonawanda, NY
Before I go to the grocery store (Meijer), about 1 time a week, I write out my grocery list. Having been to Meijer many times, I pretty much know where to find each item in the store. So, when I write out or type my list, I list the items that I need based on my entry to the store and their location.
Since I've done this over the last several months, I have saved SO much time and money. I've probably cut my time to shop in 1/2, since I don't normally find myself back at the front of the store and then realize I have to wheel all the way to the back of the store to get an item I forgot.
It's also saved an unknown amount of money, as I do not need to go down an aisle with items that I do not have written down. As another side-tip, if an a aisle that I do need to go down is full of other carts and people, I will usually park my cart at the end/or side of an isle (out of cart traffic), then walk down, grab the item I need (without looking at other non-essential items), walk back to my cart...and on my way I go!
And, now off I go to the store. :)
By go2jared from Blacklick, OH
By Cricketnc from Parkton, NC
Now I use one list, and use different color highlighters for each store. I jot down what I need on the list and then highlight with the appropriate color highlighter. I also mark with a star if I have a coupon for that item.
Like most people, we get so many sale circulars from different stores. It's hard to keep track of what store has what on sale that week. When we read through our sale circulars, we immediately circle the sale item and then jot the item and the price on the front top portion of that circular. Now at a glance, we can compare and then decide what is the better price.
Be aware that a lot of the stores are now offering sale items only when you spend a certain amount of money. Or an item may be on sale for a certain amount of days. It is usually written in small print.
One of our supermarkets will advertise an item at a reduced price when you use a manufacturer's coupon. It is written in small print. I feel this is very misleading. How do they know if a person has that particular coupon? Also, most stores sales will end on a Saturday, but some will end on a Thursday.
It seems more often that some of the stores change their sale tactics to draw in customers. Shoppers have to read more carefully about any bargains that have sale prices. It's getting to be more of a challenge to save money while grocery shopping.
By mkymlp from NE PA / USA
I hope this helps anyone who is tired of grocery lists on the back of envelopes!
By Poor But Proud from Sweet Home, OR
For instance, you may only use kraut for Rubens but it is nice to know you do have the kraut when you crave one. About once a month I check the list and put the items on my normal grocery list.
By Eveh from Gulf Coast
So I came up with a solution. It took me about 30 minutes or so to originally set up both files, but now it only takes me a few minutes to make up my weekly shopping list before I go shopping, and it only takes me a couple of minutes to update the Price List after I get home from shopping. Through the week whenever I think of something I need, I just add it to my weekly shopping list.
I set up 2 database files on my computer. I put an icon for each on the desktop so they are easy to bring up when I want them.
The first is my regular Weekly Shopping List. It has 6 columns:
The second is my Shopping Price List. It has 4 columns:
By keeping the Shopping Price List up to date every week, I can more easily make up my weekly shopping list. I know how much I have to spend and can refer to my Price List as to where to go to get each item at the lowest price. Also that way I can arrange my shopping list so that I go from store A to store B to store C, etc., without having to back-track. This saves me time, money, ENERGY!, gas, and frustration.
By Cricket from Parkton, NC
I keep an envelope with me while shopping and put the corresponding coupon in the envelope so when I get up to the checkout, it goes much smoother and I don't lose my coupons.
By Elaine
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Organizing Your Grocery List