7 Simple Steps to Make Grocery Shopping Easy!

Oh how I used to loathe grocery shopping.  I hated it with a passion!  So much to choose from, everything was so expensive and I would buy things I would never end up using or they would expire before I cooked with them.  I would avoid shopping then would have to stop on my way home from work to get something for dinner or we would order something and neither were very healthy options.  We were buying our lunches every day which made me gain weight but made my back account a lot smaller.

I finally decided I had to do something about my lack of planning, as much as I hated it I knew I had to start planning and researching different recipes.

If you are like me and the grocery store is pretty much the only time you get to be alone, or with just one kid rather than 3 you actually start to look forward to grocery shopping….. I get to  try to make the grumpy teenager at the deli meat counter smile while she begrudgingly slices my black forest ham and I get to taste  test the food stations around the store without one of my kids grabbing the whole plate of cheese samples and me chasing after him down the toilet paper aisle while I yell at my oldest to hold his sisters hand so she doesn't run in the opposite direction.  Sounds like so much fun, right??!

To make grocery shopping less of a headache and a nuisance for me, I have put in  place the following steps and do my best to stick to them every week!

Step 1 - Keep a list on the fridge.

This will help you keep track of what you are out of as you run out of it. So rather than standing in the condiment aisle wondering if you have mustard and hot sauce, you can easily breeze right through the aisle or stop grab a bottle of whatever you need.

Step 2 - Check the fliers for sales.

This is KEY to sticking to a budget.  Check out what meats and veggies (in season) are on sale that week and plan your meals around the sales.

Step 3 - Plan a Menu

Once you know what's on sale you can use that to plan your meals for the week.  Use pinterest, cook books, blogs you like to find good, clean, hearty meals for your family.   When I am preparing my menu for the week I usually only buy produce for 3 days at a time, any longer than that and I find it goes back quickly.  And I have a weird thing about food being fresh.  Hence I rarely make meals to freeze them and never, ever eat leftovers more than a day old. I just can't do it.  I know it's weird and sometimes I waste food because of it but I just can't help it.

Step 4 - Make your grocery list.

Start with the items from the list on your fridge. Then go through your menu and write down everything you will need to make those meals.  Once you have your list you need to go through your pantry, fridge, freezer to see if you have any of the items you need!  This step is KEY!!  This will save you time and money at the grocery store. Tacos are a staple in our house so I will often buy black beans and sometimes they don’t get used for our tacos so by going through my cupboards before I leave for the store I can cross that item off my list and save $1.99 :)

If you are want to be super cool you can make your list in the same order as you shop in the store. At my grocery store as soon as you walk in you are in the produce department so my list always starts with produce, then meats, breads, milk, cheese, yogurt, snacks, condiments, then paper goods.  That's how I cruise through the grocery store :)

Step 5 - Do not buy things that are NOT on your list!

Do not buy things that are NOT on your list!  You made a list for a reason so there is no need for you to be buying the birthday edition of Oreo's or the 4 boxes of mac n cheese for $2.  If you needed those items you should have put them on your list when you were at home.

Step 6 - Do not grocery shop when you are hungry. I swear to you that it won't be pretty.   That beef jerky you bought when you were hungry is not going to make you sleep well after chowing down on the whole bag in bed, while watching The Voice.

Step 7 - Stop at the wine store on your way home to celebrate a successful shopping trip :)