How to Make an Organized Grocery Shopping List

If that’s not a compelling title, people, I just don’t know what is. Well, you’re still reading, so that counts for something, right?  :) 

About 497 years ago, I posted about how I organize my recipes.  This system has helped me a lot, and although I’ve modified it quite a bit, it still helps me get a handle on meal planning.  I thought I’d share with you today how I’ve streamlined my grocery-store shopping, as well.

I am a total stream-of-consciousness person in real life.  Subjects switch in my head really fast, and sometimes it feels like I have about 3-4 different subjects in my head at any given time.  Can anyone else relate?  I used to through Chris for a loop every time we had conversations, so now I just preface my train of thoughts with “Okay, next subject…” It has really helped both of us out. :)

Anyway, I was doing the same thing with my grocery shopping list: writing down the items as they occurred to me during the week (which is what most normal people do).  But inevitably I would get to the store, get done shopping, and realize there was something in the middle of my list that I inadvertently missed, making me trek back through the whole store to find it.  After I had Luke, I hated this process even more, because I was trying to keep him occupied as well. 

I knew I needed a different system, so I came up with this system and I’ve been using it since last summer.  It works perfectly for me.  {Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.}

 

I have a pre-saved template on my computer for my grocery list.  I have ordered this list in the same order my favorite supermarket lays out their groceries, so it follows a natural progression of the aisles.  I keep it up on my fridge, and throughout the week, as we run out of items, I simply write the item in the appropriate category.  EASY.  SIMPLE. TIME-SAVING.  DUH WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS A MILLION YEARS EARLIER????!!!!

 

Then, as I go through the fliers for the week and see what’s on sale, I add those items, as well.  A little circled “c” means I have a coupon for the item, and a dot by the item means it’s at a different grocery store (one that I shop at for a few sale items but don’t do the bulk of my shopping at). 

On the back, I include my weekly menu plan, as well as anything I need at Target for the week.  (I put drugstore deals on a separate sheet of paper; and no, I don’t cook dinner every night – with just the three of us, there’s usually always enough leftovers to cover 2 nights or more). 

I absolutely love this system and will never go back to the stream-of-consciousness-way again. 

I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world to make a grocery list this way, but I’m so glad it popped into my head because it has saved me a ton of time and aggravation over the past 12 months. 

Hopefully it will do the same for you, too. :)

{Turning the comment moderation on has resulted in comments not getting posted….so it’s off, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed!}