Making a grocery shopping list on a budget can be challenging, but when you’ve done it as many times as I have, you’ll find lots of tricks that make this task a lot easier.

Although it may seem daunting at first, I promise you that the time you spend meal planning and organizing your shopping list is a great investment that will end up saving you time and money in the long run. Best of all, you’ll get faster at it with practice!

1. Shop the sales

When you’re deciding what to make for the week ahead, it can be useful to see what’s on sale at your grocery store. We’re lucky to be well-informed with leaflets that are delivered to our doors, so before you chuck the junk mail, have a peek. If, for example, there’s a discount on salmon or family-sized trays of chicken thighs are on sale, let that guide what you plan to make. And if you just had chicken thighs last week, you might want to buy them and freeze them for future use to save some money.

2. ‘Shop your pantry’

It’s also a good idea to look in your fridge and pantry when you’re making your list. That way, you can make sure you have a plan for using up those carrots that look like they only have a few days left or make something with that ground beef that’s been hogging up too much space in your freezer. If tinned tomatoes are taking over your pantry, maybe pasta should be on the menu this week. If you’re a Dinner in a Flash student, you can access the ‘Shop your pantry’ exercise found in the PDF in Phase 3, Lesson 1.

3. Think ahead

A big part of making a good shopping list on a budget is thinking ahead. If you know you’re going to have to buy a whole bag of potatoes for a recipe that only calls for one or two, make sure you have a plan for using up the remaining potatoes, such as serving them as a side with something else or eating a potato-based dish later in the week. Bonus points if you can prepare it in the same way both times as this will cut down on the time you spend cooking!

4. Create your list

When it comes to making your grocery list, you have two main choices: a digital list and a paper one. The organisation freak in me prefers digital lists, and I use the OurGroceries app. It updates and syncs in real time and is a shared app. This means that both my husband and I can add items to any list whenever we want, and whichever one of us goes to the store next can easily see what everyone needs.

If you’re not using an app that automatically generates your shopping list, there’s nothing wrong with tried-and-true pen and paper. Gather all the recipes you’ll be making between now and the next time you shop and copy down all the ingredients. I highly recommend listing them in the order you walk through your store as this can save you a lot of time when you’re shopping and helps you avoid backtracking.

5. Check and double-check

As you add items to your list, make sure you skip things you already have on hand, like salt or spices. If there is anything you think you might already have, go and check to be sure – you may not need to buy it after all. But you could just as easily be wrong and end up without a main ingredient you could have sworn you had on hand – I speak from experience! On a similar note, if you are not sure if you have enough of something, go ahead and measure it. Yes, it might take a few minutes, but it’s far faster than an emergency run to the store when you just eyeball it and then come up short later!

6. Don’t forget snacks and other items

Apps that make your grocery list based on recipes are super convenient, but don’t forget to add in the other groceries you’ll need that aren’t related to specific meals, like fruit and other snacks, breakfasts, paper towels, and personal care items. Of course, you need to do this with a written list as well. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in meal planning when making a shopping list on a budget that you forget other important things!

If you order groceries online, you can pull up your previous orders to make sure you’re not missing something you usually buy. If you really want to save money, consider buying some of the items that your family eats or uses regularly in bulk.

In a nutshell – PLANNING and INTENTION can help you save money and ensure that you get all you need without forgetting random things and have you rushing to the store last-minute!

Happy Friday mama!

Love,

Nakita xxx