Reasons why I only shop with a list, especially while shopping with children
The other day I made my grocery list only to forget it at home on the entry table. We’ve all been there right? After searching my car (knowing it wasn’t there) I had 3 options.
- Go home and get it.
- Try to remember everything while browsing the aisles.
- Sit in the car and make it again.
It was a busy day at the store and my kids were already restless. So why should you always shop with a list?
Flashback to my Childhood
Growing up my family always stuck to the list. My father more than my mother. Going grocery shopping with him was brutal! I could convince my mom to stray once in a while, but my dad? No way.
If it wasn’t on the list, it wasn’t going in the shopping cart.
We haven’t always been a, stick to the list, family. But recently we’ve decided to pay off all of our debt as fast as possible. We stick to our budget and we stick to our grocery list.
SAVE FOR LATER
It saves you Money-hold on wait!
No kidding-I heard that!
But listen, how many of us get annoyed with the amount of money we spend at the grocery store? Ugh those energy drinks are so expensive! That must have sports drink for the hubby.
I’m not buying any more kids snacks! Eat an apple!
So before the next grocery trip you’ve run out. Your husband (or you) bought that energy drink at the gas station and it cost almost twice as much than the grocery store. You ran out of snacks for the car and now you’re rolling through Micky D’s for french fries.
Why are we so willing to buy drinks or snacks for double the price just because it’s convenient. But become so angry at the prices at the grocery store?
Put it on your list and be done with it. If you need it, get it at the grocery store and skip the pricey convenient mark up.
It Saves you Time
When you stick to the list you’re not wondering the isles coming up with a couple of meal ideas. You already know! Start with a five day meal plan with ingredients you can use in multiple recipes.
For example, we don’t eat chicken in this house but we do eat a lot of turkey. So I’ll buy a frozen turkey breast, throw it in the crock pot, and we can make turkey pot pie, turkey soup, buffalo turkey sandwiches, turkey salad, turkey enchiladas and so much more! Add carrots, potatoes, onions and a few other staples and you have 3 different dinner options.
Not only does this save you money by using the same ingredients in different ways, it saves you time cooking because the main part of your dish is already prepared.
It helps you Eat and Snack Healthy
Before becoming a list family I had a mental list. Going through the first few aisles I’d be proud of how little we had in our cart.
This week would be the week that we spent less than X amount of dollars! I was sure of it. But about half way through things would start to pile in.
Things we might be almost out of but I wasn’t exactly sure. (Thats how we always ended up with 6 cans of kidney beans) And special treats like ice cream because its one of the last aisles and by now I was getting pretty hungry.
But instead of grabbing that ice cream I now have snacks on my list, so there is no need to make any unnecessary, impulse, hangry purchases.
You throw away less food at the end of the week
There is nothing worse then throwing away your money. Without a grocery list and a meal plan you could end up buying things you don’t actually need.
Of course we had every intention on eating it and not wasting it, but somehow it was forgotten and now you end up throwing it away because its gone bad.
Making a list helps get rid of this problem. Making a five day meal plan allows you to use your leftovers or to see what else you have to finish up the week, without throwing anything away.
When you get home, write your meal plan on the chalk board. Helping you to stay on track
When you shop with kids it’s an added mental load. You’ve lost your focus because you can’t find the pacifier. Little Suzy is poking at the meat plastic wraps and that lady won’t let you pass.
Take the stress out of it by bringing your list. So smile at that slow lady and buy that beef stir fry meat Suzy stuck her finger in. It’s a beautiful day outside, and this trip is almost over.
So what happened to my forgotten grocery list?
Going back was not an option since the kids were already restless. Going inside blind and hoping I could remember our meal plan, was also not an option. We sat in the car and wrote out another grocery list.
We came out under budget and not forgetting a single ingredient.
Best Wishes,
Sara
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