Planning ahead... and knowing your store!

Today's post is a little refresher about making your shopping experience easier and more efficient at the store...

Make your list by aisle-
I have a route that I travel at Publix, so my grocery list matches the aisles...

I walk through FLORAL, BAKERY, DELI, PRODUCE and WINE before heading to MEAT, DAIRY and GLUTEN FREE/ORGANIC, then I go to PHARMACY, BABY, PERSONAL NEEDS, HOUSEHOLD, PAPER, skip FREEZER til last, TREATS/BREAD, SOUP & PASTA, CONDIMENTS/BAKING, JUICE, COOKIES, CEREAL and then FREEZER... So when I make my shopping list, I will think about each department - and leave a line or two if I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I need in that department... and then go on... so that my list is in order of how I walk the store.

I also pull my coupons and order them behind my grocery list.

Now for the additionally anal part ... I use my price book/flyers/online lists to put my expected prices for each item beside the items and then my coupons that I will be using for that trip in the next one and add up my list (Meat and Produce are estimated of course) of both price and coupons to figure out my estimated OOP... so that I know I'm in budget before I leave the house...

It also helps me to know if I have a $ off $$ coupon that can be used for that trip or not, or which one if I have been lucky enough to find them will work best.

I then take a pen and calculator to the store with me, because inevitably there will be something missing from the shelves (murphy's law) or I will remember that we need ketchup while I am standing in the condiments aisle...

It means that my kids, who inevitably grocery shop with me are calm and relaxed and I am in and out quickly from the store...

Now that doesn't mean I don't lug my big book with me in case I see an unadvertised special, but I also know going into the store whether I need to stop at Customer Service for one of the coupon books behind the counter...

H.