Cut the Chaos with: Grocery Stores + Meal Planning
Cut the Chaos with:
Grocery Stores + Meal Planning
Did you know grocery stores are set up to intentionally drive you away from your shopping list and spend more money? Have you ever noticed that the center aisles are where the packaged goods are, which cost more money and are less healthy for you? Or how the produce, dairy, and fresh foods are always what stay on the outskirts of grocery stores? And sugary foods that are appealing to kids are always lower down to meet kids’ eye level? All of this is meant as a sales tactic for the stores, but can make grocery shopping and meal planning feel overwhelming and chaotic. Then when you get home, you have bags full of groceries you never intended to buy and a bill that far exceeds your budget. We get it, we’ve been there, and we’re here to help!
Grocery shopping and meal planning doesn’t have to feel chaotic or like a chore. It can be easy, and stress free! Here’s some of our best tips for combatting the grocery store dilemmas and cutting the chaos in your shopping and meal planning routine.
Meal plan - we’ve said it before, but meal planning really is the key to cutting chaos in your kitchen. Having a plan allows you to have confidence in your meals for the week, keeps you from overbuying, and sets expectations for your whole family. If you don’t know where to start with this, we recommend purchasing a meal planning series from Passionate Penny Pincher (LINK)
Create a Grocery List with Intention - after you’ve planned your meals, it’s time to create your grocery list. But, when creating this list, make sure you are doing so with a purpose. List items into categories, such as dairy, produce, meat, breakfast, etc. Whatever the categories are that fit your items, just make sure you are categorizing each item on your list. We recommend considering the sections of your local grocery store when creating categories so that if you [must] shop in-store (see tip #3 for why we advise against in-store shopping for as much as you can!) then you can shop with ease and not be running from one side of the store to the other just to grab the orange you forgot in the produce section.
BONUS BUDGET TIP: Be mindful of the categories you are buying the most items in. Are you buying more items from the sections on the outskirts of the store, like produce and dairy, or are listing more items that are found on the center aisles? You want to try to stay away from the center aisles as much as possible so you aren’t tempted when there. If you need something from the center aisle… you really should use drive-up ordering ;)
Drive-Up - As we keep mentioning throughout this post, the best way to combat the grocery store set up is to not go in at all! Most grocery stores now have convenient drive-up options, which not only save you time, but inevitably save you money by keeping you away from the gimmicks within the store all together. EVEN IF the store has a drive-up fee, we have found that most people still save money by shopping with drive-up services.
P.S. - Plus, it can save your sanity not having to go in with children!
Check out our Grocery Shop Simply Sheet for a downloadable guide to grocery shopping and meal planning, plus a free grocery list template!