groceries ~

Have you ever been at the grocery store and wondered what it was you thought about earlier in the week to buy, but you cannot, for the life of you, remember what it was…then when you go to feed Sparky the next morning and realize that there is 1/8th of a scoop of food left you remember that the item you needed to buy was dog food! I was making a habit of this until I decided to “fight back.”

One afternoon I sat at the computer and thought of all the things from baby wipes to jelly that I needed in my home on a regular basis. I separated them into categories and saved them on my computer as my “staple grocery list.”

Now, before I go to the store each week, I pull up my “staplegrocery list” and copy/paste it to a blank document and delete what I don’t need that week. Then I add what additional items I need for that week to the list.

During the week I also keep a note card within reach, and as I think of things that I need, or things that we are running low on, I write them on the note card. Then I transfer the list from the card to my staple grocery list. Then when it's time to go the the grocery store ~ the list is mostly made! This has made grocery shopping so much more effective and less forgetful…and Sparky is much happier!

Here is an example list -

Milk – whole and skim
Condiments – Jelly, Salsa, Ranch, Creamer, Peanut butter, salad dressing, ketchup,
Meat - Ground beef, Sausage, Chicken, Lunchmeat,
Snacks – Triskets, Popcorn, Goldfish, cheez-its
Bread – wheat, Tortillas, Bagels,
Sides - Brown rice, Wheat pasta,
Cheese - Cream cheese, sliced cheese, bar cheese, salad cheese
Fresh Fruit –apples, bananas, grapes,
Fresh Veggies –Red onion, lettuce, Tomato, sugar snap’s,
Drinks - Apple juice, water, coffee,
Frozen foods - Fish sticks/chicken/shrimp
Lunch box staples - Granola bars, Lunchmeat, Juice boxes, bagged chips
Canned staples – golden mushroom soup, Rotel, dice tomatoes, Cream of Mush, cream of Chicken, mandarin oranges, caned veggies
Seasoning staples –Italian seasoning, Italian salad dressing mixes, onion soup mix, olive oil, marinades,
Fridge misc. – Eggs, butter
Pantry misc. – Cereal, pancake mix, Bisquick
Freezer misc. - Ice cream
Cleaning - Laundry dtg, fabric softener, Dish dtg, TB cleaner, soap scum remover
Misc. – cooking spray, dog food, paper towels, Toilet paper, wipes, diapers, cold medicine,