Last week we talked about planning a weekly menu.  I shared with you a weekly menu planning sheet that has space to plan at least 15 meals.  Combining a weekly menu with a shopping list is not only good for your health but can be great for your budget too.

Having a plan when you go to the grocery store and sticking to it will prevent you from purchasing those junk foods that call your name as you walk the aisles.  It’s better if you can make a list and go straight to the items that you need instead of wondering the store, therefore avoiding the extras that sabotage your health and your budget.  And going to the grocery store only once a week has been proven to save people money as there aren’t as many opportunities to purchase impulsively.

Having categories on your shopping list that is set up by department can help you be more efficient.  Instead of being in the produce aisle and trying to scan your entire list for what you need there, you’ll have that information all in a smaller sublist.

Also, I would recommend having a shopping list with all the pantry and refrigerator staples that you always want to have on hand.  For me this includes such things as kidney, black, pinto & garbanzo beans, brown rice, quinoa, wheat bread, fruit spreads, tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, just to name a few.  Make several copies of your list of staples and pull it out every week.

When you plan a weekly menu, create a shopping list to go with it.  At the end of the week, you can copy your list and use that plan the next week or store it to use again later.

And my most important grocery shopping rule – never go to the store hungry!!  I know it’s cliche but going to the store hungry is just inviting trouble.

Click here to download a pdf version of this shopping list template.   You can print as many as you need.  But if you don’t use this one, at least make your own weekly shopping list.

Enjoy, Julie