Back with another installment of Planning Tip of The Week! Today I accept that I will sound like the crazy list lady. I make lists for just about anything. When I need to brainstorm gift ideas, I make a list. When I have figure out my priorities, I make a list. Even when I need to remember really great store sales, I make a list.
Now you don’t have to get as carried away as I do, but I highly encourage making a list before you shop and this is especially true for grocery shopping.
Have you ever gone into the market without a list, returned home to unpack and wondered why you bought half of it? Well, that tends to be what happens when you don’t plan out a grocery list or have set items you buy on a regular basis. This effect is worsened if you go into a market hungry!
So why does all this matter you ask? Remember last week’s tip about budgeting? Going into any store without a list runs the risk of overbuying and in turn screws up your budget. I’m guilty of buying baking ingredients when we already had some stashed in our cabinet. Having a list already made means that you’ve already checked to see what you need. It also enables setting budgets for groceries. You know how much you need to spend on an average shopping trip and plan accordingly.
Yes this may be a very simple idea, but when you consider how much money we often waste on food that goes bad or never gets used it is worth doing. Saving money by making a grocery list helps save more towards going out to eat, other expenses or shopping!
My husband and I always start with our meal plan for the week and make our grocery list afterwards. You can do this on a simple piece of paper or buy a cute notepad like the ones featured in my planning tools articles here and on Striped Cat Studio.
Do you have trouble staying focused in grocery stores? Have any great list making tips? Share in the comments below!
