Does anyone do a shopping list and menu planner?!
Answers: Do you mind it really helpful and is your grocery bill less cause of it?
I used to, for quite a long time until I was so used to grocery shopping for a family that I didn't need a list anymore. The only way to make a list save money is to plan meals that will share ingredients..you find that you can slip in quite an expensive meal if you are going to use up the bits and peices that would otherwise be thrown away. Of course, if you are an impulse buyer then a list,if you stick to it, will save money..but then what about special offers you don't know about until you're in the shop? Best thing to do is make your list but take a pen with you and then if there is something special that you have to have or such a good price you can't leave it;cross off something else in its place.
not me
I plan a weekly menu when I get the grocery ads so I can take advantage of the sales. I always keep a running grocery list, writing down things as we run low, and adding the things I need to get from the menu. It is VERY helpful because I rarely forget to buy something we need, and yes, it does keep the grocery bill down. Sometimes I'll run across an in-store special and buy that, but the list saves me from those expensive impulse buys because I can't decide what to get. And, no stops at a drive thru because I have nothing for supper!
I use a menu planning software to create recipe's, find recipe's, record recipe's I like, and it also give nutrional information of recipe's as well as create a shopping list for you. I find these tools very helpful in controlling what I spend in the store, as long as I stick to my list. This way I don't by stuff I don't need, and am less likely to by impulse items, I have tried to utilize my shopping list to search and find coupons and the best deals, but don't always have the time to do this before meal time. There are a few programs you can find on this, I prefer using The Living Cookbookm(link is below) , but there others as well that offer different tools. Hope this helps.