Grocery shopping can be a daunting task for those with busy schedules or budget constraints. As a college student surviving off of my savings account, I understand the pressure to reduce food waste and cost in the kitchen. I understand the feeling of avoiding the grocery store because “I have so many better things to do” or “shopping takes too much time.”
I have created the perfect shopping routine to make my weekly grocery run as cost and time efficient as possible. Since I started utilizing this routine in my weekly shopping trip, grocery shopping has become much more bearable. I enjoy the ease of mind that my food and money will not go to waste while grocery shopping.
This routine relies caters to a realistic lifestyle and relies on consistency. Establishing these simple steps in your routine may change your perception of the grocery shopping.
Step 1: Set The Foundation
The first step is establishing a reliable weekly routine. You must find a time and place to grocery shop that will consistently fit into your schedule with ease for this to work. Answering the following questions will help you find the most ideal time for you to conduct your grocery shopping routine.
- How often will you grocery shop? Once a week? Twice a week? Once every two weeks? Decide what will work best for your schedule and your needs. Here are some variables to consider when deciding how often you will grocery shop:
- How many mouths are you responsible for feeding?
- How much does a full day of eating generally cost in your household?
- How often do you get paid- Weekly? Bi-weekly?
- Is it important to you to have fresh produce in your kitchen?
- When will you grocery shop? Find a specific time frame that you can consistently set aside in your weekly or bi-weekly schedule for grocery shopping. Choose a day of the week that consistently has an availability according to your schedules and routines!
- Where will you grocery shop? Choose a grocery store near you that caters to all of your needs. Here are a few variables to consider when deciding where you will grocery shop consistently:
- What is your grocery budget?
- Do you find it important that all products are carried year-round?
- Is shopping organic important to you?
- Are you willing to shop at two separate stores each week to fulfill your needs?
Implementing a consistent grocery shopping routine can reduce the stresses that are often associated with grocery shopping. Although going to the grocery store whenever a time presents itself naturally can be an enticing idea, sometimes that time never comes. Setting a designated time in your schedule for grocery shopping is a must- especially for those of us with busy lives!
When will you grocery shop weekly? Leave a message below and let me know!
Step 2: Plan Your Meals
Completing step one and establishing a solid routine will make this step much easier!
Plan all your meals for the coming days until your next planned shopping trip. Here’s a few tips to do this effectively:
- Be realistic. Plan meals that you have time to make and will look forward to throughout the week. Do not plan meals that will tempt you to stray away from the meal plan you set for yourself. If you have one night that is particularly busy and you usually pick up fast food on your way home, then plan for that! Plan your meals with your typical weekly schedule in mind.
- Use the same ingredients. Try to plan meals that will utilize the same ingredients. This will reduce food waste and grocery cost in your household.
- Use ingredients you have leftover in your pantry and fridge. Plan meals that incorporate the leftover ingredients that you still have in your kitchen. Plan to use the extra breadcrumbs, salad dressing, cheese, or bread before their expiration dates! This will also help to reduce food waste and grocery cost in your household.
This is difficult and takes practice. I’ve been doing this for two years and still don’t have this perfected. However, it helps significantly when conducting the next step!
Step 3: Write Your List
How many times have you stared at an empty sheet of paper, pen in hand, with no idea where to start writing your grocery list? This is the step that people typically jump right into and get overwhelmed because they have not yet completed the first two steps. However, now that you have set your foundation and planned your meals, you are ready!
When writing your list, write it in the order that you go through the grocery store. For example, if you begin in the produce section, then write out all of your produce first. If you begin in the bakery section, write all of your baked goods and breads at the top of your list. Organizing your list this way will streamline your grocery shopping trip.
Step 4: Go Shopping!
Now that you have done all the hard work of preparing the foundation, planning your meals, and writing your list, you are ready to go shopping! The experience of grocery shopping should be much easier and less overwhelming than usual.
Most of the work is done by the time you get to the grocery store. My final tip is to only buy what you need while shopping. Sticking to your list will help to reduce grocery cost, and encourage you to stick to the meal plan you created for yourself!
If you try this shopping routine, leave a comment down below and share your experience! I wish you success in your future shopping!