Meal Planning Part 4: Make List

Taking the time to plan out your meals based on the sales and your inventory wouldn't do you much good if you couldn't remember what to buy when you got to the store. So next you'll need to make a list.

not an actual grocery list

If you've never made a list for the grocery store, now is the time to start. You will shop smarter and faster with a list than without. A list can avoid those last minute runs to the store and keep your budget in check.
A good list is very detailed: include the quantity you need, sale prices, and any coupons you have for each item. I also recommend dividing your list into sections- I divide mine by type of food, but you may find it beneficial to sort by aisle. Most stores have maps that can assist you with this task.

Here's how I make my lists:

• Go through each meal on my menu to make sure I have the needed ingredients and add any needed items to the list.
• Add good sale items that I want to stock up on.
• Add basic items that I have recently run out of or am running low on. 
• Mark the price of each item and note all coupons.
• Mark the quantity I want of each item.
• Calculate the cost for all my items.
• Compare the cost to my budget and remove any unnecessary items if over budget.

Making a detailed list can get difficult if you don't have exact prices for everything, so in these cases, I put a maximum price I can afford in place of the actual price.  Here's a sampling from an old grocery list of mine:

Pork loin (cut into 1/2 in chops) $1.99lb need at least 1 1/2 lbs -max price $10
Ground Turkey 20% off  need at least 3 lbs -max price $15
5 qt bucket ice cream $5.99 + $1/1 store coupon x1 =$4.99
boxed chopped spinach $1 + $.60/3 MF coupon (doubled) = $.60each x3 =$1.80 total

By putting in a maximum price for items like meat that you won't know the price for until you get to the store, it forces you to draw your line somewhere. When I got to the store, I only found a few packages of pork loin in my price range, so it made the decision easy.

Click the following links for the other parts in this series:
part 1: inventory
part 2: check for sales
part 3: pick meals
part 5: meal inspiration
part 6: shopping day

How do you organize your lists?

I originally posted this on 10/27/11 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I have since revised it and moved it here.