I keep notepads in the kitchen where I also keep the ads from the various grocery stores. On the notepad, I make a list of what's on sale at which grocery store. I make another list of what I need as I progress through the week, noting things I either run out of, or things that I'd like to add to the menu for this week or maybe next week.
I also keep an ongoing list at the computer to write down things I know I'll need to make a recipe that I find online. I keep a list in my purse, which is also ongoing, of ideas of recipes or foods that we've seen or eaten at some restaurant that we liked.
The night before we go shopping, I find a quiet spot, sit down and make a master list combining all three lists. If there's anything I decide not to get, or for some other reason don't get, that item will be at the top of next week's list.
I've been doing my shopping this way for so long that it's just all part of the chore of shopping. My husband is good enough to go with me and is getting better and better at recognizing the brands I use and like. There was a time when I could send him to the store for AP Flour, and he didn't know what the AP stood for. I don't enjoy the grocery shopping as much as I used to, but it still has to be done. I don't remember as well as I used to either, so I make a lot of notes to remind myself why I want a particular item that I've never used or bought before. :-)
Source: A "grocery bill" was something my Mother always did, so it was a good habit to follow. All the note-taking I do now just keeps me on track.
By Julia from Boca Raton, FL
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