How do you prepare a shopping list?

A good shopping list is not a matter of writing down whatever comes to mind. A list that comes out of a menu, looks at what is already in the cupboard and is ordered by aisle changes both the time spent in the store and what ends up in the basket. A list is not a reminder; it is a set of decisions already made.

Below we look at where the list starts, why the cupboard count is the first step, what the aisle order gains you, and how things that are not on the list get into the basket.

The list starts from the menu

The fastest way to make a list is to decide first what will be cooked. Once three or four main dishes are set, most of the list has written itself.

When that order is reversed, ingredients that do not make a meal together pile up in the cupboard. Products that look good one by one may not add up to a meal when they come together.

We covered the steps of building a menu in the meal planning guide; the list is the natural continuation of that guide.

Why the cupboard count comes first

Looking into the cupboard and the refrigerator before writing the list keeps you from buying the same product a second time. Spices, canned goods and dry legumes are the items repeated most often.

The count also shapes the menu. Knowing what you have means at least one of the dishes to be cooked that week is decided on its own.

Knowing what sits where in the refrigerator speeds up this count; we covered that order in this practical note.

What the aisle order gains you

Writing the list category by category — vegetables, dairy, dry goods, cleaning — removes the walking back and forth in the store. The time you save also shortens the minutes spent standing in front of the shelves.

A list split into categories also makes missing groups noticeable. If the space under the vegetable heading is empty, you understand there is a gap in that week’s menu before you even get to the store.

How the vegetable side is planned on the list

Vegetables are the group bought most by eye and wasted most. When it is not written down how many meals they are being bought for, either too few are bought or some of them spoil.

Tying the amount of vegetables to the number of meals while writing the list makes the job easier. If you know how many vegetable meals there are in the weekly menu, the amount needed can be worked out roughly; we explained the defined measure of a portion in the what a standard portion means guide.

Sorting by keeping quality also helps. When the quick-to-spoil ones are planned for the start of the week and the hardy ones for the end, waste drops noticeably.

How things not on the list get into the basket

The best-known reason products that are not on the list end up in the basket is hunger. In shopping done on an empty stomach both the amount and the choice of products change; we covered that in this tip.

The second reason is time. The longer the time spent in the store, the more products not on the list there are; a short, targeted shop limits that on its own.

The third is the moment of payment: the shelves in front of the checkout are set up precisely to make use of the waiting time. Holding the list in your hand makes the decisions taken in those few minutes visible.

How often to go shopping

One big shop a week can end with part of the fresh produce spoiling. Going to the store every day, on the other hand, is expensive in both time and unplanned buying.

The arrangement that works in most homes is a double rhythm: dry goods and hardy products once a week, a short fresh produce round midweek.

That rhythm splits the list in two as well. The long list is weekly and comes out of the menu; the short list is only vegetables, fruit and dairy.

How stock items sit on the list

Some items are not bought every week but are not meant to run out either: olive oil, tomato paste, dry legumes, flour, spices. Keeping a separate heading for these on the list makes the job easier.

The rule for these items is simple: they are written down before they run out. A stock item written down after it runs out spoils the plan of at least one meal.

A small notepad hung somewhere visible in the kitchen is the tool that does this best. Writing an item down as it runs low is more reliable than trying to remember at the weekend.

How strict should the list be

Sticking rigidly to the list is not always necessary. When you see a product in season and at a good price, changing the menu accordingly does not go against the purpose of the list.

The distinction is here: a change that enters the menu improves the list, while an addition that has nothing to do with the menu makes the list useless. When the question asked is “which meal will I use this in”, the decision becomes clear on its own.

In short: start from the menu, count the cupboard, order it by aisle and do not go to the store hungry. The four together cut both the time and the things that were not on the list.