Cut Your Grocery Shopping Time in Half

I was at my nephew’s soccer game a few weeks ago, and my brother-in-law asked what was on my agenda for the day. He groaned when he heard me reply, “Grocery shopping.” How many of you feel the same way? I love to have food in the house, but the task of making a list and going to the store are two of my least favorite weekly chores (at least they used to be). I am happy to say I have taken control and am experiencing the satisfaction of simplifying a task and saving my time for better things. Keep reading to learn how to cut your grocery shopping time in half!The Old Way: Haphazard List

In the past when prepping for grocery shopping, I would pull out a pad of paper and brainstorm some dinner ideas for the week. I would list the needed ingredients for each recipe, in order, on my notepad. This was efficient in the sense that everything I needed made it on my list. But when I walked through the grocery store, I would inevitably overlook an item on my list when I was in a particular department, and I was constantly returning to the same aisles time and again. To top it all off, the store I frequent the most was recently remodeled, and I had to hunt for each item, and when returning for a forgotten item, I couldn’t remember where that aisle even was. It was frustrating and time-consuming. I knew I needed a way to streamline my process and cut down on the time I was spending in the grocery store.

The New Habit: Organized and Efficient

I don’t know about you, but I am a creature of habit, and I tend to walk through the store in the same general pattern (with the exception of continually backtracking for forgotten items). So, I took a blank piece of paper to the store with me and listed the general areas as I passed through each one (produce, meat department, dairy, etc.). I also made note of the most common items I purchased in each area and the order in which I encountered them. This was the slowest, most painful trip to the grocery store. But when I came home, I made a computerized version of my map. (Click here for a grocery list template and/or directions for customizing your own list.)

I now keep multiple printed copies of my list on a clipboard in my kitchen cupboard, with my recipe books (or sometimes clipped on the fridge). When I decide what will be for dinner next week, I still go through the recipe and check off the necessary items on the list, but now they are in order. When I realize midweek we are running low on toilet paper, I can immediately add it to my list so it is not forgotten.

With my new system, when I enter the grocery store, I start at the top of my list and march directly down the page with no backtracking. I am in and out of the store in half the time it used to take me. It is amazing. I won’t say I love grocery shopping now, but I can say I control the process, and it no longer frustrates me. The best part is that I have reclaimed an extra half hour of my weekend for ME!

Extra Tip

As an added timesaver, I go through the self-checkout lane whenever possible. This allows me to bag my own groceries. To some, that may seem like extra work, but it gives me the opportunity to organize my groceries within each bag. That way when I get home, I can unload one bag directly to the fridge/freezer, one bag straight to the pantry, etc. I know it seems small, but it makes a tedious task go quicker, and I feel even better!