How Do You Write a Shopping List?

For us, grocery shopping is usually an in-and-out kind of affair. Key to this operation is a good shopping list. But what may seem like an organized and logical list to us might be completely baffling to the next person. How do you organize your shopping list?

Here are a few different approaches to making your weekly shopping list:

1. The Perpetual List: Keep a list tacked to your fridge and just add on foods when you run out or remember you need them.
2. The Recurring List: Make a print-out of all the foods you know you buy every week and either re-use or reprint the list every week. Leave space at the bottom for add-ons!
3. The Categorical List: Organize your foods into categories based on where they’re found in the grocery store. Then arrange the categories based on your travel through the store. This helps make sure you don’t miss anything and avoids a lot of running back and forth!
4. The Geographical List: For the visual thinkers among us, try mapping out a floor plan of the store itself! Add foods to the map based on where they’re found.

We’re definitely in the categorical list-making camp! What kind of list-maker are you?

Related: Survey: How Often Do You Shop For Groceries?

(Image: Flickr member suviko licensed under Creative Commons)