Shopping lists...share your method

I am the most chaotic, disorganised person in the world, but there ain't nothing I like better than a good old fashioned list. Makes my life seem in control, and makes the world a better place.

Now, food shopping lists are my speciality. I always make a list for the supermarket...and my supermarket carries clothes, kitchenware, electronics, and a mind boggling array of cheese.

Anyway, I write my list in 4 sections...
1. Fresh Fruit & Veg
2. Meat & Meat Based Products
3. Dry goods
4. Other nonsense

I always spend way too much and buy way too much chocolate and cheese.

Can you share how you write your lists? I am dying to know if I am the only freak!

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I write it by dept also. It helps me. It would help even more if i actually remembered the list.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I shop at Shoprite..so you can actually go online and see the circular and add things to your shopping list online. Once done, you just print the list. It automatically separates the list into departments. I love it!

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Supermarket:
Fruit/Veg
Meat
Canned/Dry Goods
Household
Toiletrees
Frozen
Dairy

I make it one page, 2 columns and arrange it with the 1st four on the left and the last 4 on the right. That way if DH is with me he can take a cart and go to one side of the store while I start at the opposite end and we meet at the registers. Otherwise it's just easy for me to navigate my store when the list is laid out like that.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Write a list, which I usually end up leaving on the kitchen counter.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

During the week, I keep a running list of items I need to replace.

When the weekend comes, I look at my list and decide whether most of my items that need replenishment are from the grocery store or if I just need to do a Target run.

Then, I break it down by aisle where the items are located.


It saves me time just having to go to one store, and I have my plan of attack already in place by aisle.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

i write by department also...and i write by department by which route i take through the store...

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

We keep a running list of anything we need... If one of us uses up something/knows something is getting low, we write it down ... Then every now and then we do a shopping for those items... We rarely do a big shopping... (its only 2 of us... if we had kids, it would prob be diff lol)

I dont separate into groups altho that would stop us from bouncing back n forth from one side to the another whatever aisle we get to, i just scan down my list and see if something on the list may be down that aisle...

Message edited 1/4/2011 6:39:35 PM.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I use a program on my bbry called OurGroceries. It also has an online feature. It allows me to share the list amongst my hubby's blackberry as well. Whenever one of us realizes something is out, he or I add it right to out own list and then it is automatically synchronized. The only downsize is that it is only alphabetical so I often find myself having to go back to an aisle when I realize I have forgotten something.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I keep a list going on the fridge and add to it as I see things when need.

Before I go shopping I re-write the list in the order of the store, so I am not back-tracking. If I wander back and forth I buy more

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I used to be so anal about it and organized it according to aisle. Now, I just write down what we need and try to keep like things together.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Years ago my hubby typed up a checklist of common bought items in our grocery store in aisle order.
We update the checklist once or twice a year.

I have several dozen copies of the list and when we need something we just put a check mark next to the list. Coupons are paper clipped in a blank area at the bottom.

The list goes with us to the store and we replace it with another check sheet as soon as we return.

Why write "milk, bread, cheese, etc." over and over and over again each week

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I keep a Word doc with a table at the top listing the days of the week and what I'm cooking for dinner. Then I go meal by meal and list the ingredients that I need to purchase. All the items go into a numbered list organized by the way I walk through the grocery store. Like, if I know the ginger is next to the bananas, I'll list the ginger before the bananas. I keep a printout of my Word doc with me while I shop.

If it's a really short list, I'll use MyCart on my BB. I love that app!

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

we shop online (place the order and dh picks it up on the way home from work). so i go to "last cart" that shows what i bought last, check off the stuff i still need (the staples) and just leave off the incidentals that we got that week. then i add my new list of incidentals (vitamins, etc.) and place the order. makes it easy because everything's already in the system.

i also have a list that i get from another supermarket though. i get our almond milk, tofu, tempeh, and seitan from another store because it's cheaper and i usually have coupons for them there. every now and then i go on a bread buying spree (they have "manager's pick" bakery breads on sale on occasion that i stock up on and freeze). i have a freezer full right now though so i haven't had to do this in a while. i pick this stuff up on the way home from gymboree with dd.

makes my life SOO much easier. and i also tend to spend less i guess b/c i'm not seeing it.

i guess if you don't have this option, you could just make a word or excel document of your basic list and every week just add your extras and print.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Posted by MaZz

We keep a running list of anything we need... If one of us uses up something/knows something is getting low, we write it down ... Then every now and then we do a shopping for those items... We rarely do a big shopping... (its only 2 of us... if we had kids, it would prob be diff lol)

I dont separate into groups altho that would stop us from bouncing back n forth from one side to the another whatever aisle we get to, i just scan down my list and see if something on the list may be down that aisle...

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

Posted by pandaworm

we shop online (place the order and dh picks it up on the way home from work). so i go to "last cart" that shows what i bought last, check off the stuff i still need (the staples) and just leave off the incidentals that we got that week. then i add my new list of incidentals (vitamins, etc.) and place the order. makes it easy because everything's already in the system.

i also have a list that i get from another supermarket though. i get our almond milk, tofu, tempeh, and seitan from another store because it's cheaper and i usually have coupons for them there. every now and then i go on a bread buying spree (they have "manager's pick" bakery breads on sale on occasion that i stock up on and freeze). i have a freezer full right now though so i haven't had to do this in a while. i pick this stuff up on the way home from gymboree with dd.

makes my life SOO much easier. and i also tend to spend less i guess b/c i'm not seeing it.

i guess if you don't have this option, you could just make a word or excel document of your basic list and every week just add your extras and print.

Re: Shopping lists...share your method

I worked at the supermarket for six years so I organize my list by aisle lol