Tuesday Task: Do a Weekly Grocery Shop
Doing a weekly grocery shop is one of those things that lots of us think we should be doing, but⌠well, it can be difficult. Itâs easier to just grab things as you need them, right? It can be, but if you commit to doing a weekly grocery shop, youâll wind up saving time AND money. Thatâs wins all around! Hereâs how you do it.
1) Have a designated list-spot
Having a place (ideally in your kitchen) where you write down the food you need to buy as you run out of things will make a big difference to the ease of your grocery shop.
2) Know your staples
Your staples are the food items you always want around. What those are will depend on you. For me, itâs eggs, milk, butter, flour, sugar, pasta or rice, frozen vegetables, and oatmeal. These are the things I ALWAYS want available â so first step to a weekly grocery shop is double checking how Iâm doing on those. Any of them running out or running low? Add âem to your list.
3) Figure out your meals
This is the part of weekly grocery shopping that can feel overwhelming. Planning out your meals for the whole week? Ugh!
Hereâs the trick: That doesnât mean you need to plan out seven meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Instead, first think about what you actually eat at home. For me, I eat breakfast and dinner at home regularly, and occasionally lunch. That means I need reliable breakfast and dinner options and enough extra from dinner that I can sometimes have leftovers for lunch.
For breakfast, itâs mostly a matter of having the right stuff available. Get some eggs, some oatmeal, some cereal, or whatever you like, and youâre set!
For dinner, think about how many meals you actually need to plan for. I normally only plan two meals a week, but I cook them in huge batches and alternate which ones Iâm eating. Itâs a way to do way less work (and get more savings â buying in bulk, woot!) with the same outcome.
Protip: Start making a list or recipe box of dinners you like, ones that are easy to make. You can do this week by week, as you make them. Then when you need to grocery shop, you just pick your dinners for the week from your list. Super easy!
4) Account for snacks
I donât know how much of a snacker you are or arenât. But if you are, make sure to factor that in to your shopping! Otherwise youâll be sad. And thatâs no fun.
5) Check your budget
Make sure that this weekly shop keeps you on track, budget-wise, with how much youâre planning to spend on groceries each week. Over-budget? Think about what you can trim, or if there are cheaper alternatives you can substitute for some of your purchases. Under-budget? Great! Throw in a treat or two for yourself, or bank it for a big splurge later in the month.
It can be hard at first to tell how youâre doing on your budget, if youâre not used to how much things cost. Looking up prices beforehand or using an online grocery-ordering service (I use Amazon Fresh) can help a lot to keep you on track.
6) Go shopping
Go shopping with your list in hand, and stick to your list! Only deviate if you need to replace something on your list, see a cheaper option, etc. But remember that you already put everything you need for the next week on that list â so no impulse buys are necessary!
7) Feel proud
Hey! You just did a full, weekâs-worth grocery shop. Just like a real grown-up. Go you!
Do you have trouble planning your grocery shopping in advance? Any tips for people who do? Let me know with a comment or by tweeting me @ShaerlinSpeaks.
Originally published on Here's What You Do







