Tips and Advice - Cooking from Scratch

One of the important aspects of cooking from scratch is shopping for the ingredients. We all want to make the process as easy and as cost effective as possible. Here is a simple way to assist with these two goals.

If you plan ahead you can save some time and aggravation in the grocery store trying to remember off the top of your head what you need or worse going back and forth needlessly in the isles because you missed something in the first isle.

A few years ago I visited a dietician and she put me on to this simple technique of organizing my grocery list for the week. If you like, it can also be a community effort, within reason of course.

Categories

Grocery stores can be divided into a few major categories. These categories then make up the titles for each area of your shopping list. The major categories we tend to use are Fruits, Veggies, Meat, Miscellaneous, and Dairy. You may also want to add a spot for Bakery. You can always change the categories to suit your needs.

How to Use

Throughout the week as you realize an item is needed you add it to the list which is either sitting on top of your microwave or tacked to your bulletin board or attach it to your fridge with magnets. If you want to plan a few meals ahead you can scope your recipes and add the required ingredients to the list. If you get a flyer you can also make a note of where to pick up the best deal and how much it costs.

I tend to use 4 x 7 notepads which are probably the best size for small families. The small size fits nicely on my microwave, is readily accessible, and I can just rip off the sheet when I'm ready to hit the store. A full size sheet would be necessary for a family of four or more.

Organizing your grocery list doesn't have to be a big elaborate list (unless you want it to be). It can be hand written on a piece of scrap or done on the computer. It is something that will evolve over time as you continue to use it. In the meantime, this simple organization technique will save you time and money and aggravation.

Here it is a sample grocery list already to go. All you have to do is print it off and tack it somewhere in the kitchen where you'll see it. Try it this week.

Already have a system that works for you? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo shopping list, copyright M.E. Wood

M. E. Wood lives in Eastern Ontario, Canada. If you are going to find this eclectic reader and writer anywhere it is probably at her computer. For more information visit her Squidoo Who page.

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