10 steps to create an effective shopping list

You know the situation - you're standing in front of your fridge trying to figure out what's missing and urgently needs to be bought, thinking to yourself “Oh, I can easily remember these few things.” Then it's off to the supermarket and discount store. Once you're back home, you realize when you're putting things away that you're missing a few very special things and usually these are the things you urgently need for cooking/baking. I am definitely one of those people. The solution is actually quite simple: a shopping list. Here are 10 steps that make creating a shopping list much easier.

Get an overview

Before you go shopping, you (and I, of course) should get an overview of what's left in the house. Of course, this works better if there is a certain basic order in the fridge and cupboards. Maybe you'll find one or two things that need to be processed urgently, although this doesn't apply to users of the Smantry.App. The app informs you promptly when the “best-before date” is approaching.

What do you really need?

I'm one of those people who always tends to buy too much. A shopping list, which I write by hand the old-fashioned way, helps me combat this. When shopping, it's crucial that you concentrate on what you really need. After all, people tend to shop impulsively. As I've already mentioned in another blog, I'm one of the typical packaging victims. A shopping list also helps against this. Don't buy foods that are currently in vogue and that you don't actually like. Sort your shopping list from the must-haves (for me, this would be pasta and cooking cream, for example) to the nice-to-haves. A well-organized shopping list helps you to avoid waste.

Divide your shopping list into categories

While we're on the subject of sorting, you can divide your shopping list into categories. For example, fruit and vegetables, meat, bread, snacks, etc. How many times have I run back through the supermarket and discount store because I've forgotten something - and almost as often something has ended up in the shopping cart that I didn't actually need.

Use digital helpers

If you don't like writing your shopping list by hand, then your smartphone is your best friend. There are numerous apps that can help you create and organize your shopping list. By the way, one of them is the Smantry.app ;)

Take advantage of offers and discounts

There are discount coupons, either in the brochure of the relevant discounter or supermarket or in the relevant app.

Shopping according to the seasons

Shopping according to the seasons offers you the wonderful opportunity to sustainably source the right products and enjoy the diversity of nature. Seasonal and regional fruit and vegetables, for example, do not have to travel long distances, which has a positive effect on your carbon footprint. In spring, these include asparagus, rhubarb, young lettuce and berries. In summer, the regional selection is naturally larger, with juicy tomatoes, strawberries, crunchy cucumbers and a wide variety of fruit. But fall also has a rich selection. There are pumpkins, apples, pears and, of course, mushrooms. Only in winter is the choice a little more limited. Here, however, you can fall back on the frozen variety, for example, if you wish.

First things first

Sorting your shopping list is an important step towards efficient shopping. As mentioned above, it makes sense to sort the products by category, for example by bread, milk, fruit and vegetables, dry foods, etc. Real professionals even sort their shopping list according to the location of the food. The reason for this is relatively clear: you save time and avoid unnecessary running back and forth. But for me, shopping also has something to do with relaxation and I actually quite enjoy strolling through the shelves. The shopping list should help me to avoid impulse purchases - and of course not to forget anything so that I don't have to run back and perhaps be tempted after all.

Stock up on supplies

We often cover the topic of stockpiling on the Smantry.app blog. If you want to stock up sensibly, you should always put an extra pack in your shopping basket when you go shopping, for example. So two packs of pasta instead of one. However, you should use up the food in your “daily store” and then replenish it again and again. The pantry app not only informs you which products are about to expire, but also how much of which product you still have in the house.

Check - check everything again

Before you leave the house, you should at least roughly check once again whether you really have everything you need on your shopping list. Also make sure you have your wallet and enough transportation for your purchases.

Stay flexible and don't forget to have fun

A shopping list is exactly what the name says: a list. It's not a law that you have to follow slavishly. You are therefore welcome to be spontaneous and it is okay to put something tasty in your shopping cart that is not on the list - as long as it stays within reason. Slips are also perfectly forgivable. As long as it stays within reason.