Getting back in the swing of things with kids activities, school schedules and work can make every day and weekly tasks seem even more tedious than normal. Grocery shopping is no exception!
Try these tips to get through the grocery store quickly, save money and have everything you need to make quick and easy meals at home!
- Plan menus: Take a half hour to plan out your menus for the week. Don’t forget breakfast, lunches and snacks. Doing this will help pull together your grocery list. Look for a meal planning template on Pinterest (you’ll find a huge variety!) or get a white board calendar for your kitchen and write you plans down every week. Keep it visible for your family to add to and help with planning.
- Clean out: Clean out your fridge and pantry as you are planning meals and making your list. It’s a great way to double check and make sure you aren’t forgetting anything and to make sure you aren’t buying something you already have enough of.
- Make a List: Find a grocery list format that works for you. There is nothing wrong with paper and pencil lists but apps on your smartphone often do multiple tasks for you and can be shared with others. “GroceryIQ”, “Out of Milk” are two of the most common smartphone grocery apps. Many grocery chains also have their own websites and apps that let you keep shopping lists, download coupons and find recipes.
- Savings: Tired of clipping coupons and then rummaging through your purse or coupon folder to find them when you are checking out? There are a number of apps for smartphones that allow you to save money, coupons or rebates. Ibotta, Shopkick, Cartwheel (Target’s app) and SnipSnap are great apps to try for everyday savings!
- Eat before you go (and before you make your list): This is an old trick but it still works like a charm. If your stomach isn’t growling when you plan menus or head to the store you won’t be as tempted to buy things that aren’t on your list, and probably don’t need! Have a snack or go right after you’ve eaten lunch or dinner. It makes it much easier to bypass the bakery and chip aisle!
- Best time to shop: Monday nights are often the perfect time to go if you have a long list of things to buy. The stores aren’t as full as most people do their shopping on the weekend. Early mornings are also a great time to go and a bonus is the produce is usually super fresh as it has just been put out.
By planning ahead and staying organized your trips to the grocery store will save time in the store and all week as you are packing lunches and getting meals on the table. Try a few of these for a while and see how quickly your shopping trips become less of a hassle!
