Grocery Shopping Lists

[Terri_A]

One of my least fave activities in life is grocery shopping, but seeing as I LOVE to cook - it's a moral imparative. I can't help thinking that if I had a shopping list that was preprinted in the order of the store, I could go so much faster and it would be an easier experience for me, however, the thought of spending the time coming up with an organized preprinted list makes me ill.

Have any of you ever done this? Or do you know of a list I can copy?

Many Thanks....I'll be shopping this evening at my very convenient but very icky Kroger.

[Gecko]

Many stores offer a prinout of their aisles. This makes it easier when you are making up your shopping list. Of course I love to grocery shop so I love to wander up and down each aisle :D

[wallycat]

I wish there were a career for grocery shopping...I'd do it in a heart-beat.
Sorry you don't enjoy it....

If you have mastercook, I think once you figure out the recipes you plan to use, you can print out a shopping list off that software.

[donleyk]

Many stores offer a prinout of their aisles. This makes it easier when you are making up your shopping list. Of course I love to grocery shop so I love to wander up and down each aisle

Yeah, what she said! Of course, if your Kroger is anything like mine they just spent the last couple of week rearranging the whole dang store!! I even commented to the cashier that enthic foods are called.... enthic foods and it should be listed on the overhead signs on the isles. There were none. I had to look 3 times before I found the correct isle. I noticed this week finally it's listed. Of course, it says foreign foods.... :rolleyes: What the heck is that...?!?!?!:eek:

[tbb113]

Terri:
When I make my list, I try and group like items (all meats in one place, all produce together, all dairy, etc). So even though its not in aisle order, its not a random list.

You might check some of these results (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=grocery+shopping+lists) from google to see if they have a source for you.

[madpots]

Go to womansday.com and click on Printables. They give you a lot of things you can print out. One is a grocery list. I printed it out once, but I prefer to take an envelope and go through the grocery ads for the week and write down what I want from each store. Then I put any coupons in the envelope. That way I can keep track of bargains! But I love to grocery shop.

[kbs]

Like madpots, I love to grocery shop too.

As someone else has suggested, I use Mastercook. I tend to think I look a little like a hyperorganized, anal freak as I wander down aisles checking items off of my printed list, but I have learned to deal with it.

The future of grocery shopping really has some great things on the horizon though. My store is currently one of two Stop & Shops that is a test store for something called Shopping Buddy. When I walk in the store, I grab my Buddy, which is a little computer that sits in my cart complete with a detachable scanner. I bring my own bags and scan all my groceries as I bag them. Then when I leave, I just scan my card at a specially designated register (where there are never any lines), pay, and leave. I absolutely love it!
Some of the thing you can with Shopping Buddy are: You can search for items in the store and Buddy will give you the exact location in the aisle. You can view all the store specials and then have Buddy remind you when you approach that item. You can order your deli items through Buddy and when they are ready, you will receive an "email" on your Buddy that you can go pick them up.

We have been doing that for over a year now and now the store is starting to make some enhancements to Shopping Buddy. One of the forthcoming enhancements is to enter your shopping list online and then when you go to the store, your list will be in Buddy and show the items on your list as you move through the store.

Obviously it doesn't help people who don't plan their meals in advance, but for those of us who do, I think it will be great. And I swear to you all I don't work for the grocery store. :D

Didn't mean to hijack your thread, I just got going and couldn't seem to stop!
-Kim

[golden1225]

My DH requested the same thing - his list sorted by aisle. I actually prepare my list on my PDA. I looked at various software packages for making recipe and generic lists, and chose Ilium Software's ListPro. After getting the hang of the program, I started by setting up categories for the aisles in my store (Publix). Now, as I add the items, I choose the category in which you'd find that item. Originally I actually had a list that would work for the aisles, but of course, no sooner than I had gotten the kinks worked out, the store management decided to move the ethnic foods to the soup aisle or something goofy like that! So now, I just sort by category and leave it at that. One cool thing is that I can make the list on my PDA and then beam it to my DH's PDA if he's going to be the one doing the shopping. I know I can download a list from MC to it as well, but I've not gotten that far.
Being an organization freak, this thread is really fascinating to me! I'm sure I'll pick up some tips to making my list-making easier!
:)

[springsgourmet9]

I used to dislike grocery shopping until a Wegmans opened up nearby. Now it is my favorite weekend getaway. Do you have any in your town?

[SueK]

Originally posted by wallycat
I wish there were a career for grocery shopping...I'd do it in a heart-beat.


I'd be right there with you! :)

I do my main shopping on the weekends, and I'm at Weg's so much I've memorized the aisles. When I figure out what I'm making for the week, I go over the recipes to see what I don't have on hand and then I make my shopping list in aisle order. I mainly do this because a lot of times DH and the girls will come with me, and he doesn't have much of a clue about what food is in what aisle. It does make the shopping a lot easier, though, if you have things written down in order, IMO.

[Terri_A]

No Wegmans here....unfortunately the best store ( Central Market ) is not far, but not convenient.

Lynne - would that software work on a Dell PDA? I went to the company's website and it uses the term "Palm" which always makes me wonder...

[Robyn1007]

Check your grocery store's website. Wegmans has a place where you create the list on line and when you print it out it sorts it by aisle according to which store you shop at.

Robyn

[Gecko]

Originally posted by Robyn1007
Check your grocery store's website. Wegmans has a place where you create the list on line and when you print it out it sorts it by aisle according to which store you shop at.

Robyn

Hey Robyn!

Now this is what I call customer service - what a good idea.

[zephyr1]

Count me in as one that loves to cook but absolutely hates to shop. I thought that was an anomoly.:confused: I would so love to have the same thing or someone that would do my shopping for me. I always preplan my meals etc just hate the shopping part. We are getting a Wegmans nearby and I look forward to seeing what it is all about. I never mind going to Trader Joes so I think I might like Wegmans.

[KValley]

I'm decidedly low-tech, but hopelessly anal. I found the store's pre-printed list way too general for me. Like, Vinegar (is that red, white, rice, balsamic?? Rice vinegar is in the ethnic foods section, not with the other vinegars!) I devised my own shopping list according to the layout of the store where I do the lion's share of my shopping. I divide the list by store section or category, not by aisle, as there are aisles I never go down or there are several different aisles that fit one category, like Health/Beauty. The list fills up one 8.5x11 page and contains the items I buy rather than all of the items available.

The list doesn't change week after week, although every so often I will add or delete items on the template depending upon our changing tastes.

Each week when I plan my menu I highlight on my shopping list the items I need to buy according to the recipes I will be using that week. I'll also make notes on the list of quantity or specificity (i.e. 1/4# shiitake; 1/4# cremini next to MUSHROOMS).

Simple! :)

Ana- I'm with you- someone should pay us to do this. I LOVE to grocery shop- it's the putting away once I'm home that I hate.

[PattiA]

I started out years ago with a list of all the things we normally buy, sorted by store location. I'd print the list, and check off what I need. Stuff that wasn't on the master list got written in the the margins. Every so often I'd update the master list to include new items.

Now I use MasterCook to generate my shopping lists. I'm kind of extreme in my use of MC's ingredient list. I edit the ingredient store location to match the store aisle, then I can sort my shopping list by aisle. MC does an alphanumeric sort, so you cannot just use 1,2,3,... I use three digit codes 000 is produce, but it is broken up into 000 (fresh herbs) to 006 based on the sections of the produce section. The main aisles are 101-123, meat/poultry is 201, seafood is 202, deli is 203. The butcher shop that I sometimes use is 500, the natural foods store that I sometimes need to go to is 600, the liquor store is 700. You get the idea.

I didn't do all of this at once. When I add a recipe to a menu, I edit the ingredients in that recipe to make them sort in my shopping lists. So one recipe at a time, my ingredient list gets edited.

Shopping is a breeze with a sorted list and a highlighter to cross items off as I put them in my cart. People are always checking out my list.

Sometimes I like to just wander through the store, but sometimes I want to get in and out as fast as possible. The shopping list also keeps me from buying stuff we don't really need.

[mbrogier]

Originally posted by kbs

We have been doing that for over a year now and now the store is starting to make some enhancements to Shopping Buddy. One of the forthcoming enhancements is to enter your shopping list online and then when you go to the store, your list will be in Buddy and show the items on your list as you move through the store.


That is EXACTLY what I need!!! I'll write a list, but if I don't write it down immediately I forget. Its hard to keep little pieces of paper around, and those magnetic refrigerator pads dont't stay up...not to mention look tacky. (IMHO :p )
If I could just keep everything in a little program...and not have to REMEMBER to print it out before I go to the store, I wouldn't forget things constantly.

[Robyn1007]

Originally posted by KValley
I'm decidedly low-tech, but hopelessly anal. I found the store's pre-printed list way too general for me. Like, Vinegar (is that red, white, rice, balsamic?? Rice vinegar is in the ethnic foods section, not with the other vinegars!)

That's one thing I like about Weggies, every entry has a space for you to add info so if it just lists vinegar you can put next to it balsamic or whatever.

Hi Felice!

Robyn

[KathrynY]

kbs - that Shopping Buddy sounds neat! Maybe our Stop & Shop will get that soon too.

I have my grocery list template in an Excel spreadsheet, organized by store aisle. It took some time (and a few trips to the store) to get it all organized, but it saves me so much time. No more forgetting things halfway across the store and having to go back. :)

[Ann Sanders]

Every one sounds soooooo organized with their electronic lists. When I first go into a new store, I go up and down the isles finding what I use and add it to a main list of all isles. When I make up my grocery list, I put a number out to the side and list what is in that isle number that I need. I now Have a list for each store. I think it makes it so much easier to shop if you know where everyting is. So then later on, as I go up and down the isles, I can add the new things that they have added.I have a plastic bag of coupons sectioned by each month of their expiration. I go thru those and select the ones needed for my grocery list.

[sfarler]

When I grocery shop, I only buy what is on my list and my list changes from week to week. So a master list just doesn't work for me.

I compile my list all week long as I'm cooking and something is used up or almost gone. On Wednesday I go through the store ad and add items to my list that I could use that are on special and I also plan several menus using the special items. So my list (it's hand written) is in no order. So I code all the produce with a star, all dairy with a dash, etc.

It seems as soon as I have the layout of the store memorized, they change it all around! (They are currently doing that right now.)

[ama47369]

I was typing my menus along with the items that I needed to buy into a word file, and saving it in a folder I labeled "Grocery Lists." I saved each word doc a seasonal name, so that I could re-use them during the same season each year.

But, now that I have found www.thegrocerygame.com, I use Terri's grocery list along with my coupons, and have seen remarkable savings. She creates a list of your store's sales and matches them up with coupons for rock bottom prices. I have a stockpile built up, and now mainly shop for fresh produce, and the sale items from Terri's list that I want to buy. This list has made this task very easy, and my grocery bill is only 20-30% of what I was spending.

Amanda

[kltcarley]

Amanda,
How long did it take for you to see that much change in your totals. I just started the grocery game but have only been doing it for 3 weeks. I am trying to see if it is worth signing up when my trial is up.

Sorry to get off the subject.
Karen

[Meganator]

Now I use MasterCook to generate my shopping lists. I'm kind of extreme in my use of MC's ingredient list. I edit the ingredient store location to match the store aisle, then I can sort my shopping list by aisle. MC does an alphanumeric sort, so you cannot just use 1,2,3,... I use three digit codes 000 is produce, but it is broken up into 000 (fresh herbs) to 006 based on the sections of the produce section. The main aisles are 101-123, meat/poultry is 201, seafood is 202, deli is 203. The butcher shop that I sometimes use is 500, the natural foods store that I sometimes need to go to is 600, the liquor store is 700. You get the idea.


Wow! I love this! Now if I could just figure out how to work in a graph or a pie chart, I would be in grocery-nerd heaven! One question (I just recently got MasterCook, so I haven't had time to play with it too much): If I move and start going to another store - or if my store moves an ingredient to a different location - can I do a global ingredient replacement in all recipes to change the aisle? For example, can I change "006 cilantro" to "004 cilantro" in all recipes where that ingredient appears?

[ama47369]

Karen,

I started using Terri's list mid May. It took 2-3 months to see the big savings. In the beginning, while I was starting the stockpile, I was spending the same amount as usual or maybe a little less, but I was getting A LOT more for my money. Now, I am seeing the savings, and each week only buy things that are the best deals (to keep the stockpile going) and dairy and produce. I have been amazed at the savings, and for us, it was worth the $1.25/week to keep the subscription. And, I love that the grocery list is done for you!

Their Message Board is very informative as well. Let me know how it goes, and what you decide. Feel free to PM me.

Amanda

[kimberlyjean]

I used to dislike grocery shopping too, until I created a blank shopping list. I just created a table in a MSWord document, 2 columns, several rows, and listed in each cell a brief summary of what's in that aisle (or aisles if I don't usually buy anything from them, I just group them together in one cell to save space). I then make about 50 copies of this, and just keep a running list of what I need from the grocery store on one of them. This way when it's time to shop, I feel so organized. If you'd like to see it, I could send it to you. Of course, you'd have to modify it to match the flow of your store!

[golden1225]

Originally posted by Terri_A
Lynne - would that software work on a Dell PDA? I went to the company's website and it uses the term "Palm" which always makes me wonder...

Hi Terri - YES! I switched to a pocket pc about a year ago, and had to upgrade my software from the Palm OS, but they do offer it. Still works great! I'm working on organizing our movies and music now.
;)

[PattiA]

Meganator, The store location info is stored in the ingredient list, so if you edit it for an ingredient, it is updated for all recipes that use that ingredient. I'd really like to find a way to edit the ingredient list directly so I could globally change all the 105 baking products to 107 baking products, but I haven't figured out a way to do that yet.