I'm sure you've heard the commonly given advice for grocery shopping:
* Never shop when hungry
* Always use a grocery list (and stick to it)
Good advice. After all, if you shop when hungry, the chances that unauthorized chocolate bars and nuts and oh, definitely items from the fragrant bakery department, will somehow dive into your grocery cart when you're not looking are very high, not to mention just buying more of things because you're hungry! And if you don't have a list, you will no doubt forget important things, and buy things you don't really need.
However, most people who DO use a list aren't very systematic. The list is probably more like a partial list, scribbled hastily on the back of a handy envelope. This is definitely better than no list at all, but usually still results in the shopper relying on spotting other things they need as they go around the store, and usually means spending more than intended, and/or buying unnecessary extras.
Let me introduce you to a better way....... the master grocery list!
A master grocery list is a complete shopping list which has everything you would normally purchase listed on it. I use this list to check what I need before shopping, and then modify it so I have a smaller list containing only the things I need to take with me. This way I don't miss anything. But the list has several other features that help me save money and plan well - it's a very thrifty tool! Let's go step-by-step through how to create a master grocery list, and then I will explain the additional features......
* Never shop when hungry
* Always use a grocery list (and stick to it)
Good advice. After all, if you shop when hungry, the chances that unauthorized chocolate bars and nuts and oh, definitely items from the fragrant bakery department, will somehow dive into your grocery cart when you're not looking are very high, not to mention just buying more of things because you're hungry! And if you don't have a list, you will no doubt forget important things, and buy things you don't really need.
However, most people who DO use a list aren't very systematic. The list is probably more like a partial list, scribbled hastily on the back of a handy envelope. This is definitely better than no list at all, but usually still results in the shopper relying on spotting other things they need as they go around the store, and usually means spending more than intended, and/or buying unnecessary extras.
Let me introduce you to a better way....... the master grocery list!
A master grocery list is a complete shopping list which has everything you would normally purchase listed on it. I use this list to check what I need before shopping, and then modify it so I have a smaller list containing only the things I need to take with me. This way I don't miss anything. But the list has several other features that help me save money and plan well - it's a very thrifty tool! Let's go step-by-step through how to create a master grocery list, and then I will explain the additional features......
1) The very first step in creating your own master grocery list is to take an inventory of your pantry, fridge, freezers, bathroom & laundry cupboards and so on. I include food, cleaning supplies, animal food, toiletries and everything else I normally buy when grocery shopping. This list doesn't have to be fancy - just get everything written down in a readable format.
2) The second step is to create your master grocery list on the computer, making sure you save it in a location you can easily find it. I chose to set mine up in a Word file, with the page set to landscape, and setting the page up in two columns. This means when I print the list on A4 paper, I then cut it in half, stack the pages, and staple them together. I now have an easy to handle A5 size shopping list in my purse. In each column I set up tables in which there are several columns which I will explain more fully shortly. The main column has the items from my inventory listed, arranged in groups under headings by type. The groups are in roughly the same order as the layout of the main supermarket I visit, so I'm working through the list in order. Therefore fruit and veges are first, followed by baking supplies, and so on. Here's what the first page of my master grocery list looks like:
My master grocery list has 5 pages like this, with sections for fruit & veges, baking supplies, soups/grains/beans/pasta, frozen food, meat/fish/chicken, bathroom & laundry, pet supplies, first aid & cleaning supplies, dairy, bread/spreads & other, nuts/seeds & health foods, herbs & spices. In fact, since it could save you a lot of time, I'm going to share with you my master grocery list in Word HERE - you can download it, modify it, and use it as your own if you like.
3) The third step is actually using your master grocery list. You can either print a copy each time you're due to go shopping, and write on it, or keep a copy in sheet protectors and mark it up with a whiteboard pen. I go through all my supplies with list in hand, and cross out everything we already have plenty of, then mark next to those things we need the number or weight of items needed. Next, I go back to the computer, save a copy of the master grocery list under a separate file name (I call it "Groceries this week" and save over the top of that one each time), so that the master list remains intact, and then modify this newly saved file so that ONLY the items I need to purchase remain on it, with quantities added. Then I print this shorter list, cut and staple it, and I'm good to go.
Additional features:
You will notice that there are a couple of extra columns on the grocery list:
The Stock level column is one I used to have permanently filled out with the total number/weight of the item I liked to have on hand. So, for example, if I liked to make sure when I finished shopping there were 6 cans of tuna in the cupboard, 6 would be in the stock column next to canned tuna. When I look in the cupboard and find only 3 cans remaining, I would write 3 in the Needed column, as this is the number that would bring me back to my stock level. I use the stock level column more when I am working off set menus, as the number would be based on what needs to be on hand for those menus etc. This has another advantage - if I'm busy/sick/away, any member of the family can use the master grocery list, check off what is in the cupboards, and know how many more of a given item to buy - that way they won't miss anything important when they do the shopping for me, or if they're just helping me prepare the list, they can do that part on their own easily. I'm not using the stock level column much myself right now, as our diet changed so much recently I need to rethink things, but it really is very handy!
The Specials column is a feature that can save you a lot of money! Here's how I use it: after making my modified shopping list for the week, I browse through the flyers from places like Countdown and New World. If they have any items on my list at a good price, then I write in the specials column in code - eg N.W $2.99 next to butter would mean New World has butter on special for $2.99 each. I use CD for Countdown, PnS for Pack 'n Save, and so on. If I don't have paper copies of the flyers, they are easily accessed online, or I might grab them from the supermarkets themselves when I first get into town, and look them over before I start shopping. Now, when I actually go shopping, I work in a particular order:
First I stop by the farm store to buy bulk animals feeds. These are fine sitting in the van while I get everything else. Then I go to specialty stores for non-perishable items I know I will find cheapest there - eg Asian market, Gilmours, bulk store etc.
Next, I go to Pack 'n Save, the supermarket which I generally find cheapest overall, for the rest of the groceries. However, as I go through each of these places, I check my list. If I get to Pack 'n Save and see their butter is $3.50 each, and I have NW $2.99 written down in the specials column, I know not to buy it at Pack 'n Save, but to make a stop at Countdown on the way home for butter and any other items that are at better prices there. If it turns out there is only a tiny savings to be made overall by a stop at Countdown, I might choose to go ahead and buy at Pack 'n Save and skip the extra stop. But if there are enough items/savings to make it worthwhile, or if I need to go there anyway for some things I can't get at Pack 'n Save, then I do so. Make sense? Finally on my way home I stop into the other supermarkets if there are savings to be made there, and lastly stop, if needed, at places like the vege market or butchers on the way home. I don't visit all of these places every time, usually, but according to our needs and best thrifty shopping at the time.
There is one more way that the master grocery list can make my life way easier and help me stick within budget - if money is really tight, and I know I absolutely must NOT go over budget with the shopping, after making my specific list, I will go through it and write next to each item it's approximate price. The prices are drawn from specials flyers, past experience, my Price Book (which I'll write another post about), or looking them up online. I can then total it all up and know with a reasonable degree of accuracy what the shopping will cost. If it's too much, I can choose now, at home, what to cross off the list. I leave the items crossed off visible, but with a line through. That way when I actually shop, if I beat the prices I listed and have some extra dollars left over, then I might choose which crossed off items are highest priority and be able to get some of them after all. This also motivates me to even more diligently look for the best priced items and brands in the store, so as to free up those few extra dollars.
When money is tight, it is much more comfortable and less stressful to go shopping, list in hand, and KNOW you will be able to afford the chosen items, and possibly even "win" by being able to get a few more, rather than going HOPING you can afford everything, and then being stressed about having to put things back when it's too much. That's how a thrifty kiwi rolls!
You will notice that there are a couple of extra columns on the grocery list:
The Stock level column is one I used to have permanently filled out with the total number/weight of the item I liked to have on hand. So, for example, if I liked to make sure when I finished shopping there were 6 cans of tuna in the cupboard, 6 would be in the stock column next to canned tuna. When I look in the cupboard and find only 3 cans remaining, I would write 3 in the Needed column, as this is the number that would bring me back to my stock level. I use the stock level column more when I am working off set menus, as the number would be based on what needs to be on hand for those menus etc. This has another advantage - if I'm busy/sick/away, any member of the family can use the master grocery list, check off what is in the cupboards, and know how many more of a given item to buy - that way they won't miss anything important when they do the shopping for me, or if they're just helping me prepare the list, they can do that part on their own easily. I'm not using the stock level column much myself right now, as our diet changed so much recently I need to rethink things, but it really is very handy!
The Specials column is a feature that can save you a lot of money! Here's how I use it: after making my modified shopping list for the week, I browse through the flyers from places like Countdown and New World. If they have any items on my list at a good price, then I write in the specials column in code - eg N.W $2.99 next to butter would mean New World has butter on special for $2.99 each. I use CD for Countdown, PnS for Pack 'n Save, and so on. If I don't have paper copies of the flyers, they are easily accessed online, or I might grab them from the supermarkets themselves when I first get into town, and look them over before I start shopping. Now, when I actually go shopping, I work in a particular order:
First I stop by the farm store to buy bulk animals feeds. These are fine sitting in the van while I get everything else. Then I go to specialty stores for non-perishable items I know I will find cheapest there - eg Asian market, Gilmours, bulk store etc.
Next, I go to Pack 'n Save, the supermarket which I generally find cheapest overall, for the rest of the groceries. However, as I go through each of these places, I check my list. If I get to Pack 'n Save and see their butter is $3.50 each, and I have NW $2.99 written down in the specials column, I know not to buy it at Pack 'n Save, but to make a stop at Countdown on the way home for butter and any other items that are at better prices there. If it turns out there is only a tiny savings to be made overall by a stop at Countdown, I might choose to go ahead and buy at Pack 'n Save and skip the extra stop. But if there are enough items/savings to make it worthwhile, or if I need to go there anyway for some things I can't get at Pack 'n Save, then I do so. Make sense? Finally on my way home I stop into the other supermarkets if there are savings to be made there, and lastly stop, if needed, at places like the vege market or butchers on the way home. I don't visit all of these places every time, usually, but according to our needs and best thrifty shopping at the time.
There is one more way that the master grocery list can make my life way easier and help me stick within budget - if money is really tight, and I know I absolutely must NOT go over budget with the shopping, after making my specific list, I will go through it and write next to each item it's approximate price. The prices are drawn from specials flyers, past experience, my Price Book (which I'll write another post about), or looking them up online. I can then total it all up and know with a reasonable degree of accuracy what the shopping will cost. If it's too much, I can choose now, at home, what to cross off the list. I leave the items crossed off visible, but with a line through. That way when I actually shop, if I beat the prices I listed and have some extra dollars left over, then I might choose which crossed off items are highest priority and be able to get some of them after all. This also motivates me to even more diligently look for the best priced items and brands in the store, so as to free up those few extra dollars.
When money is tight, it is much more comfortable and less stressful to go shopping, list in hand, and KNOW you will be able to afford the chosen items, and possibly even "win" by being able to get a few more, rather than going HOPING you can afford everything, and then being stressed about having to put things back when it's too much. That's how a thrifty kiwi rolls!
Another way to use the master grocery list - pin a copy up inside the pantry door. When anyone notices something has run out or is running low, they can circle that item on the list. If you are running to the store in between main shopping days for a few perishables, you can tell at a glance if there is anything else that might be urgent enough to pick up at the same time, if it can't wait until the next shopping day.
And just a couple more tips: In the past when I've had kids helping me shop, sometimes I have spilt the list up, giving some of the kids a page or section each, and their own trolley or basket, to run off and get those items and bring them back to me. Also, on my original master grocery list I was very specific about preferred brands, item size etc, so if someone else shopped for me, they knew EXACTLY what to get. And thirdly, when you have helpers, a set of walkie-talkies is fabulous - I could direct a given child to go to an aisle and get a couple of items. When they got there and compared prices, they could use the walkies to check in with me which brand I would prefer, given the prices, and then bring me back the right one. This saves time in not having to change things, and makes it fun for the kids too. With a couple of walkies and three kids helping, I could do shopping that would normally take me an hour alone in 15 mins flat! When kids bring things back to me, I would check them off my own shopping list as we transferred them to my trolley, so I would know everything was covered.
Note: when you first use a master grocery list, it might feel like it takes you a little longer. But stick with it. I find after a while of doing this, the list and what I need this week are so familiar, that by the time I've taken inventory and made my list, my brain knows exactly what is on it, and I can cruise through the supermarket very fast (skipping unnecessary aisles and not needing long to make decisions), and then just pull my list out near the end, check everything off, and maybe cruise back down an aisle on the way to the checkout for the one item I missed. A little preparation saves time!
And just a couple more tips: In the past when I've had kids helping me shop, sometimes I have spilt the list up, giving some of the kids a page or section each, and their own trolley or basket, to run off and get those items and bring them back to me. Also, on my original master grocery list I was very specific about preferred brands, item size etc, so if someone else shopped for me, they knew EXACTLY what to get. And thirdly, when you have helpers, a set of walkie-talkies is fabulous - I could direct a given child to go to an aisle and get a couple of items. When they got there and compared prices, they could use the walkies to check in with me which brand I would prefer, given the prices, and then bring me back the right one. This saves time in not having to change things, and makes it fun for the kids too. With a couple of walkies and three kids helping, I could do shopping that would normally take me an hour alone in 15 mins flat! When kids bring things back to me, I would check them off my own shopping list as we transferred them to my trolley, so I would know everything was covered.
Note: when you first use a master grocery list, it might feel like it takes you a little longer. But stick with it. I find after a while of doing this, the list and what I need this week are so familiar, that by the time I've taken inventory and made my list, my brain knows exactly what is on it, and I can cruise through the supermarket very fast (skipping unnecessary aisles and not needing long to make decisions), and then just pull my list out near the end, check everything off, and maybe cruise back down an aisle on the way to the checkout for the one item I missed. A little preparation saves time!
To gain the maximum savings of time and money, use a Master Grocery List in conjunction with Menu Planning and a Price Book - each of which I will post about soon.
To sum up, using a master grocery list will make planning your shopping easier, save you money and time, and help you remember everything you need. It can take the stress out of sticking to a budget, and rescue you when you need other family members to help with inventory or shopping. I wouldn't do it any other way! Are you ready to start using your own Master Grocery List, and shop like a master?
To sum up, using a master grocery list will make planning your shopping easier, save you money and time, and help you remember everything you need. It can take the stress out of sticking to a budget, and rescue you when you need other family members to help with inventory or shopping. I wouldn't do it any other way! Are you ready to start using your own Master Grocery List, and shop like a master?
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