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I keep a perpetual list on the fridge.

If I have enough time before I head out to the store, I'll reorganize it into a more geographical one - I know the layout of my store pretty well and I know the order I shop (right to left) so at the top of the list is all the produce, followed by deli, etc etc til I get to frozen items at the other end of the store.

I do what my mother always did: I plan my meals out for the week, including lunches and dinner. I try to make things that use similar ingredients so that I won't have a ton of leftover things in my fridge at the end of the week. I also see if anything I'm making as a main dish can do as a side dish later in the week (for example, if we had chili on Monday, it can become a side dish for tacos later in the week, or into an omelet for breakfast).
I try to plan meals that are good as leftovers or freeze well so we can have them for lunches or for "I don't wanna cook!" nights.

After planning my main dishes, I figure out sides, and then I check my pantry for the ingredients I need. Anything I don't have goes on the list. While I'm checking my pantry, I add anything that we might randomly be out of that will keep in the pantry. I also keep a scrap of paper on my fridge to list anything we run out of during the week, and add that to my list. I try to keep my list organized by where things are located in the store, so that I don't have to run back and forth looking for things.

We also clean our fridge out once a week or so, and that night we have a dabs-a-dinner (leftovers from the week) and I inventory whatever we didn't eat so it doesn't go to waste.

Writing a list helps me ensure we're eating well, and prevents too many impulse buys (although it works better when my fiance doesn't come shopping with me!). I will buy a bunch of something non-perishable if it's on sale, but for the most part, I just keep what we need on hand.

I keep a perpetual list on my computer, for not just groceries but everything I need from a variety of sources. I even keep short-term future-need stuff on the list so I don't forget it. Saves major time and frustration.

3. by category. or else i forget the apples and I'm already on the other end of the store.

I sit down every weekend, look at what I have in the fridge already, plan out meals based on what I already have that I can use and write a non-organized grocery list down.

When I get to the store I always start in the fresh produce section since that's what I buy the most of and work my way across the store, watching the list as I go. This method has helped me cut down on waste and is saving me probably at least $20/week on groceries. I don't stray very much from the list, unless something is on sale for a great price.

Mine is a perpetual list that I add to not only when I am out of things but is also dependent on what I plan on cooking that week and what is on sale.

I mostly shop online and keep a list of favorites in the system. Otherwise, I make lists in my moleskin before going to the market.

I usually like going to the grocery store and roaming around. I always make a list in no particular order (just the order things come to my mind)

If I have a coupon for something I put a "c" with a circle around it to remember to use it.

Oh and I always take my reusuable bags.

3!

But I often get inspired by sale items in the produce section so sometimes have to go back... lol. I rarely go into any aisles besides to get international foods and canned fish.

categorical for food---my only recurring item is milk and everything else is based on the new recipes I'm trying that week, but I do keep a perpetual list for things like light bulbs etc.

We shop every other day (sometimes every day) and get most of our fruits, vegetables & meats at the weekly market that's held directly across the street from our apartment (next to both grocery stores we frequent -- we're in a great spot). So, our list is small & in whatever order we right it.

Shopping frequently (instead of giant trips) is common in Holland, as most people are taking their groceries home on foot or by bicycle.

I'm from Texas and before I got here I planned and shopped for the week. I usually grouped similar food items together...

I much prefer the way I do it now in Holland.

Since I live in the suburbs I have a bunch of different grocery stores all within a mile or two. So I look at their flyers online, make a list based on whats on sale and what I'm planning to make that week, then send it to my blackberry by email.

Then, I use the blackberry list when I'm in the store(s), and remove things from the list once they're in my cart.

We keep a running list on the computer and only buy a few things at the grocery store (most things come from our year-round CSA and the farmer's market) so it's a rare occasion to bring a list. We just give the list at home a glance (or not).

I use GroceryIQ on my iPhone. It's some combination of all of the above - items automatically are arranged by aisle, and I can rearrange the aisles so that they show up on my list the same order they are in the store. I tend to add things to the list as I run out of them, but there's also a "Favorites" function for frequently purchased items and it keeps track of your shopping history as well.

I don't work for them, I just thing it's a neat product.

I have a perpetual categorical list on my fridge. it's a pad by RealSimple that I got a Target last year and has common items pre-printed with checkboxes, plus lines for additions. It's been so helpful, especially since I'm not the only grocery shopper or cook in the house. My husband and I both add to it throughout the week depending on what we want to cook, and neither of us has to decipher too much of the other's illegible handwriting.

i'm surprised i'm the only one posting that uses the recurring list (using the 'shopper' template app on my iphone). i edit a master list of my staples and typical groceries down to a weekly list, and add other needed items. it's the best way for me to make sure i remember errant - but favorite - things, like yogurt or avocado.

List? What list?

I actually have a note pad that says "All out of..." and has checkboxes, which is helpful to remember that, hey, I used the last of the ginger and need to buy more but as I've gotten crunched for time, I've switched to mostly frozen food (I know, bad me, but I cannot manage 40ish hours a week of work plus 20 hours a week of studying and still cook). Prior to that, I'd go to the produce stand and buy what looked tastey and then hit Safeway and Trader Joe's to fill in the blanks in my pantry. I guess that's sort of a mental perpetual list. If/when I write lists, I try to group by where in the store they are but I just don't know the place that well.

I keep a notepad on the fridge that me and the hub add to all week. when it's time to go to the store it gets reworked into a categorical/geographic one for efficiency in-store.

I've found that I spend way less time and money wandering the aisles and picking up junk food on sale this way.

I'm working on a new system -- Evernote. I love the sync feature with iPhone. And, when drafting the note, there have a very easy "check box" function that you can insert into the file and check off when you are at the store.

Only used it once so far, but it seems easy and adaptable in that (1) you can use the "old" list again when you need the same types of item (2) both my wife and I can add things where ever we are -- me at home, work, or on the go, she at home or work (no iPhone); and (3) its easy to cut and past organize before we leave for the store, so that things pop up in the "geographical" location within whatever store we are going to, or, if we need to go to multiple stores!!

We keep a perpetual list on the fridge and that gets rewritten in a chronological order according to our path through the grocery store.

i make my list geographically. i also try to use a hand basket instead of a cart whenever possible (sometimes using one of those wheeled hand-basket trolleys if i'm getting heavy stuff like milk) so i don't have enough carrying room to impulse-shop.

First, I love that other folks are as anal-retentive/flexible when it comes to grocery lists! Because I cook so much ethnic food that requires trips to multiple stores, I tend to shopping in chunks: getting all my regular staples at the main store, then mini-trips during the week to pick up extra spices, weird veggies or the odd dairy product.

I keep a running list on my phone and add to it as needed. I tend to list in the order I shop: dry goods (toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.), dry food (rice, oatmeal, flour), produce, dairy, then meat. I don't often list produce and meat, though--I prefer to buy what looks good while I'm there. Unless I need something special, I usually shop only once a week, at the farmers market and the regular grocery, and my perishables last that long without any problem.

On a tangent, I also keep lists on my phone for movies I want to see/rent, books I want to read, dishes I want to try to make, products I want to learn more about, etc. I'm a list junkie.

I keep a list on the computer using www.cozi.com whenever I think of something I need, I go add it. I organize it according to categories too. I can either print the list out or have it texted to my phone. I have lists for grocery store, costco, and our natural market.

I am very lucky my Partner does all the Shopping and I do all the cooking....It keeps him involved at least that's what I tell myself

I send a very detailed list of everything we need with pictures for new or exotic items for the Pantry at least every 2 weeks and then He goes every other day for fresh produce, proteins, etc, This routine has worked for the last 8 years...

After meal planning, I list all the items geographically. I never shop "aisle by aisle".

For those without iphones/blackberries, just wanted to add that I keep a running list in the drafts folder of my email and send it as a text message to my (regular old) cell phone when it's time to go to the store. I always seem to lose pieces of paper!

i second GroceryIQ for iPhone!

I use a few different methods, depending on how much I'll be cooking that week, who's shopping (me or my partner), etc. There's a list on our fridge for things that we need either throughout the week or long-term items that aren't vital. Things on this list tend to be: bread flour, fruit, juice, lemons, things I use all the time and like to make sure I keep in stock; and things like laundry detergent, baking soda, or things I know we are low on and I don't want to forget to restock.

On Saturdays or Sundays, I plan a weekly menu and organize it by meal first, then list random things by the order they are found at the store. So it may look like this:
Chickpea stew:
onion, one yellow
chard, one bunch
carrots, 2 large
box tomatoes

Then under Misc:
fennel
herbs
crackers
coffee
I try to keep it as logical as possible, but I really do like organizing it by menu, because then I'm more likely to not forget a key ingredient. But I also like planning as efficient a route as possible. Oh, I also write where I'll be buying the food, next to the item:
crackers: TJs
coffee: NS

We keep a dry-erase board on the fridge with headings for grocery, bulk food store, and hardware store. We jot down things as we think of them. Before heading out to the store I write up a list from the perpetual list plus add on ingredients for that week's meals.

It might seem redundant, but this gives me a chance to write it up by store layout.

I have prepared an Excel spreadsheet list with common items laid out following the flow of the aisles of my most common grocery store.

Two columns - RIGHT = Produce, LEFT = Everything else!

If I have a HUGE shopping list, I will do it by aisle - I know the location of everything by heart at my local Trader Joe's!

I keep a running list on my iPhone. No categories. I use Foodle.

I break it down into produce, shelf (everything in the middle of the store), meat, frozen, and dairy.
Before I go shopping I go through the circular, my recipes, and my fridge/cabinets to see what I need. I live alone so I don't want food to go to waste... I only buy what I need.

I write it in the order I will walk through the store, so I guess I'm the Geographical List.

If stuff is out of order, I'll miss it!

In the left margin, I write out the days of the week with the meals I plan to have each day. Then, I organize my list categorically from least perishable to most perishable: non-perishable foods, household items, health and beauty aids, produce, meat/fish, dairy, and frozen. I fill out each category based on the meal plan and double-check it against what's in the cupboards and fridge.

Mine is a combo perpetual/categorical. I have a list on the fridge but I add the item to an approximate category. Bananas go at the top of the list because they are right inside the door, yogurt is about a quarter of the way down, and I would add wine towards the bottom of the page. At the way bottom I add things that I will probably pick up somewhere other than the grocery store--say detergent or candles--so I can tear it off.

I have a pattern to how I shop at my grocery store, so all lists get organized accordingly. Usually I'll plan a few meals throughout the week (I try and share ingredients to decrease waste) and then look at the ingredients I need, jot down ones I need to buy as well as other things we might need. Things we've run out of get jotted on the fridge white board. My pattern is usually: produce aisle, dry goods/spices/baking aisles, meats, then dairy and finally household cleaning supplies if needed.

I inherited this trick from my mother: I write a list on the back of an envelope (categorically by supermarket geography), and keep all of the coupons needed inside of the envelope.

my mother takes this a step forward by categorizing all of her coupons in a file system and going through it and pulling ones about to expire for shopping.

I also am somewhat addicted to cookbooks, and an easy thing to to is on a post it, mark the page of a good looking recipe, and write the ingredients I would need to buy to accomplish it. Then when I'm ready to shop, I just rip off the post it, stick it to my envelope, and voila!

I keep mine on the computer in a word doc. It's organized by the layout of my local grocery store. At the end I list specialty stores and the items I need from them. I add and delete as the week progresses and my menu ideas change. I plan my menu about a week in advance so keeping the list on the computer keeps me more organized.

I actually have a little book/journal I write my lists in, and I highlight items according to places I have to get them.
Why pay more in one place if I can go a block over for cheaper.
and I definitely list things in order of entrance to the store.
Usually I'm on the hunt every friday for a new veggie dish or something for a cookie/candy recipe.

I keep a perpetual list and then before I head out, write a geographical one. This way, I can incorporate any items I need for my menu for the next week as well as anything I have coupons for.

I have an application that I downloaded for my iPhone called groceryIQ. It has thousands of grocery items already listed and if what you want isn't listed you can still add it. It organizes automatically by categories and is the best thing I've purchased! You can check things off as you go and add things any time. I've been known to wake up in the middle of the night and reach for my phone to add Q-tips or whatever it was I just remembered I am short on.

We do #1, sometimes revised into #3 just before shopping to make it faster if it's a long list. Sometimes we also do "meal plan" grocery lists ... sit down and plan our meals for several days, then note down everything needed for each meal.

Scott Common Sense has an easy to use Grocery Checklist that separates by aisle so that you wont forget anything the next time you make it out to the store.