Meal planning, making a grocery list, and shopping are three things I regularly do that I wish I didn’t have to. I actually really love cooking, but if I could pay someone to plan the meals and get the ingredients into my home I would totally do it.

Alas, I don’t have the funds for that, so I have to make do on my own.

If you missed the blog where I shared how to meal plan for an entire month in five minutes, you may want to check that out. Today, I pick up where that blog left off. The meal plan has been made, now we need a grocery list.

Here’s what I do and how it sets me up for success once I get to the store.

I use an app called Trello!

I meal plan once a month, but I make a grocery list every week. The app I use is called Trello, and there are so many reasons why I love it! Side note: I am in no way affiliated with Trello. They didn’t pay me to write this review. I’ve just been using the app for years and legitimately love it 🙂

First, it allows me to organize my grocery list as a checklist.

I typically go to two different stores – Aldi and Walmart. To make things super simple I created a different checklist for each store. With a simple drag-and-drop, Trello makes organizing/reorganizing your lists super simple, so I have my lists organized by the layout of the store.

I know, it sounds a bit extra, but believe me. When I can head into Aldi and zip up and down every isle without needing to backtrack to grab missed items it makes the whole process more enjoyable.

Second, I don’t have to recreate my list every week.

Milk, eggs, bread, cheese. These things are always on my list. I don’t want to have to write them down each week because it’s just a huge waste of time. Here’s how Trello solves the problem for me.

Whenever I add something to a list it stays there until I delete it. Just like having a master list for my meal plan, I have a master grocery list. It (or rather, they, because I have one for each store…) includes everything I’ve ever bought, but Trello has a “hide checked boxes” feature. That means I can choose what I need each week (uncheck the box) and hide the things I don’t need (the things that are still checked)!

Here’s a visual to help that make more sense…

Bonus: Having a grocery list like this helps me stick to the budget.

Having a grocery list organized by the layout of the store is like putting blinders on my eyes. I know what I’m there for. There’s no confusion, so I can get what I need and get out. No saying, “Hmmm… this looks good.” Get in, get out, move on.

Also, as I’m shopping I have my calculator app open, and I’m making sure I stay within the parameters of our spending plan. If it looks like I’m gonna go over, I hold off on purchasing nonessentials, and sometimes I even have to go put things back.

Ok, I think that about covers it. If you have any questions please let me know!

Because there’s a better way,
Sarah

QUESTION: DOES THIS SOUND CRAZY? HOW DO YOU PUT TOGETHER YOUR GROCERY LIST?

Check out the other blogs in this series here: 5 Simple Routines That Make Family Life SO Much Easier
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