11 Shopping List Hacks
This is part of my blog series Practical Self-Help for Introspective People.
The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one.
— Erma Bombeck
Can I confess something? Every time I step foot in a grocery store, I buy extra stuff. Stuff I didn’t even know existed until I saw it displayed on an endcap. “But it was on sale,” is what I tell myself. (And my wife!) That’s how I ended up with two boxes of heavily-discounted off-brand chocolate toaster pastries with poop-colored sprinkles (gross!).
Not only am I a sucker for sales, but I’m also a sucker for novelty. Like that “limited edition lemon cream” instant oatmeal (delicious!). Or those ghost pepper chips (disappointing!). Or yesterday’s “Blue Diamond Bold Spicy Dill Pickle Almonds” (weird!).
Ideally, I’d quiet the part of my brain that falls prey to sales and novelty. In a perfect world, I’d stuff that part of me in an air-tight box, put the box in a cupboard, and nail it shut forever. But I don’t live in that world. And neither do you.
Over the years, I developed a few coping mechanisms. The best one is a grocery shopping list. With a list, I don’t forget things, and I shop less often. This means fewer impulse buys. And fewer belly inches.
So let’s walk through my 11 shopping list hacks. We’ll start really basic and move to advanced strategies.
Hack #1: Make a shopping list
Create a shopping list and add things to it during the week. That’s all you have to do.
Personally, I shop on Saturday, and a shopping list helps me in three ways:
Benefit 1: On Monday, I may run out of spinach. So, I update my list, and then I don’t have to remember this until Saturday. As David Allen said, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” My shopping list reduces cognitive load.
Benefit 2: When I shop, I don’t forget to buy spinach and the other 30 items I need. And I don’t worry that I’ll forget something. I leave the store feeling confident I have everything. My shopping list lowers my anxiety.
Benefit 3: I shop less often. This means fewer opportunities for the inevitable impulse buy, e.g., jalapeño kettle chips. My shopping list reduces the amount of junk in my house and junk in my body.
Now, keeping a running shopping list may feel weird at first. It takes time to build new habits. But once you’ve built this habit, you’ll never go back. You’ll never go to the store without a plan and worry that you forgot something.
Sidenote: Feel free to stop reading at this point. Honestly, if everyone just did this one thing, they’d be far better off.
Hack #2: Go digital
Growing up, my family used a paper shopping list stuck to the refrigerator door. But a list on my phone has three advantages:
I can update my list any time and anywhere.
I always have my list when I shop.
It’s easy to re-order my list. (More on this later.)
Personally, I use SimpleNote, which is free and syncs with my computer. But use whatever notes app you’re most comfortable with.
Hack #3: Organize your list by aisle
When I grocery shop, my goal is to only visit each aisle once. So I group things on my list based on what aisle they’re on. For example, cereal and oatmeal are grouped together on my list because they’re on the same aisle. Same with bread and jam, green onions and green bell peppers, etc.
Doing this helps me limit the time I spend in a grocery store. It reduces the number of impulse-buy temptations.
This strategy works well if you know what aisle things are on. But even if you don’t, you know that some items are near each other, e.g., apples and oranges. In addition, trying to group things will train your brain to notice where things are. Over time, you’ll form a mental map of the store in your mind. You’ll get good at grouping things on your list.
Hack #4: Create a master list
If you’re anything like me, you tend to eat the same things each week. For example, I regularly buy Calrose rice, soy sauce, and fresh vegetables. So I track things I frequently buy in a note called “Walmart Master List.”
This list has over 75 items grouped by category, e.g., cleaning supplies. I also group stuff by person, like, kids’ breakfast foods, kids’ lunches, and Stewie’s specialty items.
Before I shop, I review my master list and add items to my “Walmart Current List.” I also review my master list when placing an order for grocery pick up. This way, I don’t forget anything.
This strategy reduces my anxiety because I don’t worry about forgetting stuff. It also reduces my cognitive load because I need to remember all 75+ things I regularly buy. And that’s the goal of a master list: give my brain a break.
Now, it might feel overwhelming to create a master list of everything you eat and everything you buy. So start small. Just add whatever you can think of right now, even if it’s just two items. Each week, copy items from your shopping list into the master list. In a few weeks, your master list will be fleshed out.
It’s also worth mentioning that your master list is a living document. It will change as your eating habits change.
Hack #5: Track favorite recipes
My wife and I periodically place an order for grocery pick up. As we place things in the cart, she’ll ask, “What do you wanna eat this week?” For a long time, I had no suggestions. But now, I keep a list of favorite recipes. Before placing an order, we pick 1–2 favorite recipes and add their ingredients to the cart.
In addition, my wife keeps a binder of recipes we’ve tried in the past, and we sometimes look through that to get ideas.
Also, this may sound weird, but I keep a list of favorite types of Ramen. A couple of years ago, I tested out brands/flavors of Ramen, many had names I couldn’t pronounce, and I lost track of which I liked. So I made a “Ramen Favorites” list. Now, I know which ones to add to my shopping list.
And I’ve done the same thing with other foods, like frozen burritos.
Hack #6: Designate a list-keeper
In my family of four, I’m the person who maintains the running shopping list, the master list, and the favorite recipes list. So whenever my wife/kids need something, they tell me.
For example, this morning, my son mentioned we were out of cereal. So I added “Honey Nut Cheerios (generic brand)” to it. Yesterday, my wife had me add “Pasta Roni - shells and cheddar.”
In my experience, designating a list-keeper works better than having a paper list on the fridge. Asking me to add something requires less effort than walking to the kitchen, grabbing the paper list, finding a pen that actually works, and writing down what they want. And people are far more likely to do easy things.
Hack #7: When you run out of something, add it to your list immediately
Yesterday, my wife used the last of the olive oil and asked me to add it to the list. We also polished off a bag of dried apricots, so I immediately added that to my list.
Diligently adding things to your list may feel like a hassle at first. But it’s far better than running out of something, forgetting to buy more, and regretting it later. Especially when this happens for a dozen items!
Seriously, how many times have we all made extra shopping trips to buy that one stupid thing that we forgot?
Hack #8: Review inventories
In my bedroom closet, I have a shelf where I keep extra bathroom supplies, e.g., shampoo, deodorant, and contact lens solution. Once a month, I do a quick inventory and add needed things to my list.
Doing this ensures that I always have extras on hand. (The pandemic taught me to always have extras due to supply chain shortages.) Even if the stores don’t have any shampoo for a couple of weeks, I’ll be OK. And this knowledge lowers my anxiety about running out of stuff.
(Ideally, we would just add toiletries to the shopping list when they run out, but that doesn’t always happen.)
Hack #9: Fast online ordering
Walmart allows me to order things online and pick up my groceries. And this is amazing because I avoid tempting junk foods. Better yet, it’s completely free. But even if it wasn’t, it would still be worth a few bucks just so I could avoid impulse buys, like lemon meringue pie.
Better yet, online ordering is fast and painless because I come prepared with my shopping list, my master list, and my list of favorite recipes.
Granted, I still need to go into the store for a few things unavailable online. (Seriously, why is zucchini never available online but always available in-store?)
But overall, with grocery-pickup, I spend less time in the store and encounter fewer temptations. So try it out. See if your store supports online ordering.
Hack #10: Create a reminder to place an online order
My wife and I work full-time, so we like to schedule our grocery pickup for Saturday. But to be guaranteed a time slot for Saturday, we have to place our online order on Thursday evening.
As a result, I created a notification on my calendar to remind us to place an order. After dinner on Thursdays, my phone reminds me to “Place grocery order.”
Hack #11: Keep lists for other stores
My family shops at Costco, Home Depot, and the Dollar Store. So I keep a shopping list for those places.
I take it further with Costco and keep a “Costco Master List.” This tracks the 25 items I periodically purchase, from pesto to paper towels. Before I shop, I review this list and update the “Costco Current List.” As a result, I don’t forget to buy things and don’t have to shop there as often.
In addition, I ordered the master list to follow the path I take inside Costco, starting with produce and ending with vitamins. This way, I spend less time in the store and encounter fewer temptations.
Take action
Growing up, people often told me, “Knowledge is power.” But I disagree. Knowing is necessary but not sufficient. You must do something with your knowledge. You must take action, even if it’s just a small step.
So make a grocery shopping list with your phone. (SimpleNote is a good option.) Plan ahead and make fewer trips to the store. And if you’re already doing this, take it to the next level by grouping things based on what aisle they’re on. Then, create a master list. Also, make a list of favorite recipes and create a shopping list for other stores you frequent.
And your reason for creating a shopping list doesn’t have to be idealistic, like eating healthier. (Mine wasn’t!) Maybe you’re like me and just want to reduce cognitive load and reduce your anxiety. Honestly, your reasons don’t really matter. Just start a shopping list and update it during the week.
These strategies ensure you don’t forget anything when you shop. You’ll make fewer trips and be tempted by fewer impulse buys. This means less junk in your house and less junk in your body. And that’s good for your waist and your wallet.
Thanks to Thomas Weigel for reading a draft of this!