My Many Shopping Lists
To save money, I try to limit how often I go shopping. And the simplest way to shop less often is to keep a shopping list. This is kind of obvious to anyone who listens to financial advice.
But I take things one step further and keep multiple shopping lists, using SimpleNote:
Breakdown of my lists
Costco (current): My running list of things to get. Right now, this list includes Lettuce and a “Giant bag of cheese.”
Costco (master): A list of the 25+ things I periodically purchase, from pesto to paper towels. Before I go to Costco, I review this list and add needed items to “Costco (current).”
Deseret Industries: A local thrift store, similar to Goodwill.
Dollar store: This list includes AA/AAA batteries and envelopes.
GNC: I should probably delete this list because I never shop there.
Harmons: A local grocery store with a good selection of fancy cheeses and artisan breads.
Home Depot: This list includes “25-foot measuring tape” and “5 railing brackets.”
Smiths: A local grocery store. I seldom shop there.
Walmart (current - main store): A list of things I need from the main Walmart, a.k.a. “Big Walmart.” I seldom shop there because it’s a lot farther away than the smaller Walmart Marketplace.
Walmart (current - marketplace): Anytime I need something from the grocery store, I add it to this list. Right now, this list includes pickles and probiotics.
Walmart (master): A list of all grocery items I regularly buy. Before I shop, I review this list and add needed items to “Walmart (current - marketplace).”
So there you have it: A sneak peek at my many shopping lists. This might feel excessive to some readers, but it helps me remember what to buy and helps me to limit the number of shopping trips I make. Doing this saves me time and money. And that’s a good thing!