Meal Planning 301

For our advanced lesson, we will be discussing organizing your grocery list for easy shopping. I believe that I mentioned that I use a spreadsheet to keep my recipes organized. But, however you organize your recipes you can add one step to them to make your grocery shopping that much easier.

Next to each of your recipes' ingredients put what part of the grocery store the item can be found. For example, onions - produce. You would not need to go through every recipe you own and do this, just add a category as you use the recipes. Over time, you will have all of the ingredients labeled for the recipes that you use most often. (As a suggestion, use the Master Grocery List to help you with categories.) Then when you are putting together a grocery list put down all the categories on a paper and under them put the ingredients that you need as you go through your recipes.

Why is this so helpful? Let me answer a question by asking a question. How many times have you had to go backwards in the store because you look at your grocery list and you forget to pick up something? For example in the baking supplies aisle you remembered to pick up the oil, but didn't see you also had flour on the list. So, when you have already gotten to the frozen food section you notice you need to go back for flour. Organizing your list helps prevent this.

As an added benefit, I now find I don't go down every aisle in the store. Using the baking supplies aisle again, when I get to it if I find I have nothing on my list for that aisle I can skip it. This helps in two ways, it cuts down on your time at the store, and cuts down on those impulse purchases. If you make a good grocery list you should not have to buy anything that is not on it. I admit, I allow myself one impulse purchase a week at the grocery store. (I find allowing myself one item actually helps cut down on impulse purchases.) But, if I go down less aisles there are less chances of impulse purchases. (Let's admit it those impulse purchases are generally junk food, at least that is my weakness.)

I hope you found my meal planning tips helpful. If I think of anything else that you should know about I will post it. I have another topic in mind for next Monday.