How To Make A Shopping List And Save Money
How much money do you waste on food? Most people don’t think about spending too much as waste, but it is. There are several ways we waste money on food. To help us save more, it’s essential for us to stop wasting money on food. This includes eating out too often or not taking the leftovers home for another meal. We can eat out, but we need to eat out less often.
You probably wouldn’t settle for fast food or a local restaurant if you had a meal plan. When everyone looks at you for dinner, it’s hard to say no. That’s “why a meal planner is important.”
More often than not, we will stick with our plan.
How To Make A Shopping List And Save Money
A shopping list by itself won’t save you much if anything. People act like this piece of paper has some power to prevent them from buying what they shouldn’t and make them buy what they should buy. I’m sorry, but you have power. Not the shopping list.
You need a plan to make a shopping list work for you—more than just writing stuff down.
Continue to read as I put it all together for you.
Have A Master List
A master plan is a plan that covers all aspects of your task. If you want to save money on food, your goal should include the meals you’ll prepare, eating out, your food budget, buying things on sale, leftovers, and having an alternative meal to serve.
Beginner tip: If you are just starting, do one thing until you’re comfortable with it, then add to the one thing until you have a complete meal plan.
Let’s get started.
Grocery List
There’s a difference between a grocery list and a shopping list.
Grocery List
A grocery list is a list of all items needed to prepare all the meals your family will eat during a period. The period is what you say it is. Some people use a one-week plan others use a two-week timetable. I’m sure there are other plans.
A grocery list should include the following information.
- The item
- Quantity
- The store from which you will buy this item
- Store isle in the store where you will find this item
- location in your home where it’s kept
Shopping List
A shopping list is a list of the items you need to buy to serve your family the meals you have planned for that period.
Two Types Of Shopping lists
A Running List
A running list is a shopping list you make as you use up your food supply. Every time you use something, write it down. At the end of the period, you will have a list of items you must purchase.
Take Inventory
A preparatory technique that’s effective is to inventory your food supply. Count the number of cans, bottles, ounces, and bags, and compare them to your grocery list. Buy what you’re short.
Another good practice is to include the location in your home where the product is kept on your grocery list. This works well if you buy in bulk; I know several people who use it.
Meal Plan
A meal plan is great for staying organized. You know what meals you will be serving and when.
You can easily make a shopping list based on your meal plan.
Make Your Shopping List
Earlier, I suggested making a shopping list on the go. (See Running List) As you use up items, write them down. It will save time; you won’t need to hunt through all the places you store food every time you plan to shop for groceries. Occasionally (once every few months), however, a thorough inventory is worthwhile.
Look For Coupons
Before you go shopping, look for sales, discounted items, coupons, and wholesale stores to keep down the cost of your groceries.
Your “footwork” before shopping will save you money,
As you shop, look for cheaper brands. Always compare prices to units. Buying generic can be an easy way to save.
Organize By Aisle
Earlier, I said I know some people that include the location of the items they were buying by the isle. If you make your shopping list in the order the store is put together, you can save a lot of time. And it gives you the time to look for cheaper items.
Specify How Much
Your shopping list should specify how much you need for each item. It’s important to buy the correct amount to prevent having to make that OMG, I’m out of this run. Emergency runs to the store are unnecessary if you plan correctly.
Check Your List
You put a lot into making a good shopping list. Double-check it to make sure you are getting everything you need.
You can rewrite it for clarity and to make adjustments.
Remember Your Shopping list.
Before you go shopping, make sure you have your shopping list.
You wouldn’t be ok driving down the street throwing money out the window. Don’t be ok shopping with your shopping list.
Buy In Bulk
Buying in bulk is an easy way to save money. Take some extra cash if you see an outstanding deal on an item you usually use. This is the time to buy extra; it will ultimately save you money.
I know people that buy from themselves. They store the surplus, and as they need and use it, they replace the money they use to buy it. That way, they can have more meals with some or all of it at the sale price,
There’s a secret to buying in bulk successfully. Buy only what you go through quickly and only purchase the items you can safely store. Safely store your surplus; you don’t want to poison your family, and you don’t want it to spoil before you use it.
Stockpile Your Surplus Food
When you buy food in bulk, it’s essential to set it aside and use it only as your meal planner requires. Otherwise, you’ll waste money by using it too quickly or allowing it to spoil by storing it too long.
Conclusion
Knowing how to make a shopping list and save money is essential. A grocery plan, meal plan, and shopping list are essential to paying less for groceries.