My New Grocery List

It is very difficult for me to get out the house to go grocery shopping. So, when I do, I need to be quick and focused. But what I'm finding lately is that I'm just not forgetting one or two things, I'm forgetting a BUNCH of things. Consistently. So I either have to wait until I'm able to go back a week later, or ask my husband to pick it up at Dash's on his way home (which usually means we pay almost twice what we would at the grocery store!) I'm just not good at thinking on my feet, scrambling in my mind for menu options and then grabbing every ingredient I can think of. But this is what I've been doing since the boys have arrived... and I've been failing miserably.

So, I've devised a plan with three separate steps. The first step is to actually sit down and write a menu for the week!!!!! I don't even know why I put that one off like I do. But I'm going to describe my second step here. I'll share my third one tomorrow.

This is actually an old idea I resurrected from when Andy and I were first married: I made my own grocery list skeleton and then wrote specific groceries under each section. Here's what I mean...

I printed out a sheet of paper with the sections of the grocery store listed in three separate columns. I did it on the computer so I can just print it out each week. My list says: Prescriptions/Photo, Baby, Dairy, Drinks, Snacks, Cleaning Products, Paper products, Juice, Cereal, Meat, Baking, Pasta/Rice, Breads, Frozen Foods, Fruit, Vegetables, Deli and Other. I list them in the same order I would make my rounds in the grocery store, especially since I generally follow the same path. Then, I post this paper on my refrigerator. Every time I think of something I need, I write it under that column (i.e. if I need Swiss cheese, then I write that under "Dairy." Cheerios goes under "Cereal." Diapers under "Baby.") Then, when it came time to plan my menu for the week, I would write the ingredients I needed under each particular section of the grocery list. If I have a coupon for something, I write a *star* next to that item and paperclip any coupons to the list. My menu is written on the back. Fold the list in threes and then in half to easily put in my purse.

When I do get to the grocery store, I don't need to scramble through every aisle, making sure I have everything on my list and consequently, over buying or forgetting half of the things you had hoped to get. This has made menu planning and grocery shopping a LOT easier.

This is working for me. I hope it makes sense! I'll share my other idea with you tomorrow!