Do you really like circling back to the produce section because you forgot you needed bananas? Especially with kids in tow?
Before I became faithful to the grocery list, my path through the grocery store looked more like a spider web than a straight line. I would remember the spaghetti sauce while looking at the shredded cheese, and remember the sour cream while staring at the frozen tater tots. And inevitably, by the time I got all my groceries into the trunk, I would decide I needed to go back inside for a bottle of merlot.
Let’s face it: going into the grocery store without a list is just planning for chaos.
Now, I am a list fanatic. Now, I have the “rough draft” list taped to the refrigerator, and my Say Mmm grocery list for organizing the things I need for the meals I have planned for the week. Now, if my family wants to eat something, they better make darn sure they add it to the list or it’s just not happening.
And once we are in the store, nothing goes into the cart that is not on my list. And rarely, rarely do I have to double back for anything. I have the layout of my grocery stores memorized, so I organize my shopping list according to the store’s layout.
My list also saves me time with my coupons. I no longer spend time standing in the cereal aisle sifting through dozens of expired coupons looking for that Cheerios coupon that I just know I had. Now, I match my coupons to my list before I ever leave the house.
I am in and out of the grocery store so much quicker, and I rarely forget things!
It also helps me to split up my lists. I have a farmer’s market list and a list for each of the two grocery stores I frequent.
Probably the biggest time saver of all? Because I use a grocery list, I don’t have to make extra, impromptu trips to the grocery store every night. You know, like you’ve cooked the noodles, and then you realize that you don’t have any spaghetti sauce, so you tell your family to continue watching King of Queens, that you’ll be right back? That is a real drag! A real time-wasting drag. And I don’t do it anymore.
Toady, I am an efficient grocery-shopping-mother-machine. All thanks to the grocery list. But believe me, I wasn’t always like this! Kids will do this to a woman!
Posted by Robin
