Here we will tackle what should be on your weekly shopping list. This list goes beyond just your food you need for your meals.
With your meal plan in hand it’s time to write out your grocery list. This is where your ingredients list will come in handy. The ingredients list will keep you from having to rack your brain to figure out what all you need and will keep you from forgetting something.
Want a prime example?
Weeelllllll…
I got busy on my normal night that I write out my list and didn’t get it done. DANG!
So, I wrote it out the next day while I was at work. Know what happened?
Yep, I forgot, not one, not two, but three things. DOUBLE DANG!!
What should’ve costed me less than 3 bucks ended out costing me $27.15!
Don’t believe me…
See for yourself right here. That’s $24 because I didn’t plan at home with all my ingredients list in front of me! UGH, UGH, UGH!!
So for the love of all things purple write out your list with your ingredients list.
It’s actually also a really good idea to write out your list at home if at all possible.
I have ended up with a few bottles of Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce in my cabinet because I could’ve sworn we ran out. I guess it’s better to have extra than none at all!
Time to Write Out Your Grocery List
Start with your first planned dinner.
Write down all the ingredients you need to fix that meal. There’s two ways you can do this.
The first way is that you can wrote down ALL the ingredients it will take to fix every meal regardless if you already know you have the ingredient on hand or not. Once you get everything written down then you do through your pantry, fridge, and freezer and mark off the things you have. Then re-write your grocery list.
The second way is to have your binder in hand and check your pantry, fridge and freezer as you go through each ingredient on your ingredient list. Write down the ones you don’t have on hand onto your grocery list.
When I started out meal planning I used the first method until I got comfortable with meal planning then I started using the second method.
The first method takes more time but you have a better chance of not forgetting anything. Especially if you have the same item being used in several meals. For instance, onions. Let’s say you have three meals that will use onions. You only have two onions on hand but need 2 ½ cups of onions. Depending on the size of your onions you may need to get more but don’t realize it because you were looking at your ingredients only one meal at a time.
But I will leave this one up to you. You choose which method is best for you. If you choose method two and find that you are not getting what you need then you should go to method one.
Once you have your dinner meals all listed out then you can tackle those staple items you will keep on hand for breakfast and lunch.
Finally, make sure you have the non-food items you will need. For instance, if one of you meals will be made in foil in your oven or on the grill then you want to be sure you have aluminum foil on hand.
What Else Should Be Added to Your Grocery List?
Once you have all your ingredients you need for your meals written down, next you want to tackle the staples you like to keep on hand at all times.
So, grab your stock lists for your pantry, fridge and freezer you wrote out. Check the items to see if you need to add any of them to your grocery list.
We are going to take this just a step further so that you only need to go to the store one time per week or if you use a service like Walmart Pickup then you get everything at once to be sure you reached the limit you need in order to get this service for free.
Let’s think around and beyond the kitchen. I’m talking other essentials you need like wash detergent, trash bags, shampoo, body wash, toilet paper, and whatever else there is that you would need to run to the store to grab. Having an Inventory Stockpile keeps you from ever running out of those essentials.
All you do is replenish your inventory stockpile when an item has been taken from it. You just add whatever item you need to replenish to your weekly shopping list.
Here are some items that I have included in my own inventory stockpile.
- Cleaning Supplies (dish detergent, cleaners, etc.)
- Paper Supplies (paper towels, toilet paper)
- Laundry Supplies (fabric softener, laundry detergent, bleach)
- Personal Hygiene Supplies (toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, shampoo, etc.)
- Storage Supplies (trash bags, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, etc.)
Rewrite Your Grocery List
Last step will be to rewrite your list. There are two ways that I like to write out my list if I’m shopping inside the store.
The first way is that if I know the store well then I will rewrite the list in the order that I would shop in the store. For instance, I know which foods are in every aisle of the Save-A-Lot so I would write my list out so that as I come to the item on my list it will be the next thing I see in the store.
If I’m going into a store that I don’t know a whole lot about then I will rewrite the list in groupings so that I have a better chance of finding the items without getting super overwhelmed.
Now a days though I actually do all my grocery shopping online using the Walmart Pickup. If you order your things online then it isn’t really necessary to rewrite your list. Although I would recommend that you cross off each item on your list as you put it into your virtual cart. Not doing this has caused me to not order an item because I thought I had put it in my virtual cart when I hadn’t.
Now, no matter if you shop in the store or online you are ready to go do your shopping!
YOU MADE IT!!
You’ve made it to the end of the mini course! Congratulations!
Now, if you just skimmed through this then go start back over and follow the steps. Go on. We’ll be waiting here when you’re done.
For the rest of you… I’m so flipping proud of you for making it all the way through. That was a lot and now you have everything you need to go change some behaviors and save money to put toward those things you desire.
How do you feel? Do you think you can keep this up?
I do have one more thing I want to talk about before I let you go conquer the world…
Next we will go over the meal planning binder and how to use it. This binder will save your sanity when you go to meal plan.
Action Steps to Complete Before You Continue
1. Write out your grocery list based off your meal plan and ingredients list.
2. Add your breakfast and lunch staples to the list.
3. Add any other items you will need, like aluminum foil, to complete meals.
4. Add your pantry, fridge and freezer staples.
5. Add your essentials items you need to replenish.
6. Rewrite your list if you plan to shop in the store.
7. Do your shopping.
Feel free to share in the comments if you now feel like you have what you need to start meal planning and stick to it.
Want the PDF Version?
The Simple Meal Planning Mini Course has been turned into a free PDF you can download to your computer and even print if you want. This PDF also includes space to complete your assignments and take notes.
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