How To Grocery Shop Without Losing Your Mind
Grocery shopping for me isn’t something I enjoy, however, it is something that I have to contend with and I have come up with tips to help you to grocery shop without losing your mind!
Unfortunately, you might need to deal with one or two meltdowns, but that is the fun of grocery shopping!
Grocery Shopping The Easy Way
It would be ideal if grocery shopping was easy, but it becomes difficult when we add so much more into the equation. There is only has one way to go and that is downhill fast!
You must prepare before you even step outside your home, you can’t go shopping without knowing what you want and need.
Just as importantly, you need to know how much money you have available to spend on groceries too!
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Prepare Your Budget
Knowing how much money you can spend on grocery shopping is important, it lets you work out what items you can afford and if you have any left over for treats or bigger ticket items.
I set a budget each month and I just divide this by the number of weeks in the month and I have my weekly budget. I use cash for my groceries I find that it makes me less likely to go over my budgeted amount.
If I have money left over each week, I save this up to buy a treat for all the family!
Knowing What You Need
How can you go grocery shopping without knowing what you need? You must take a shopping list with you.
When you create your shopping list, note down the things that you need. I write items on my list as I use them up, that way I don’t have to check the cupboards before shopping, my list is already completed.
You must calculate how much you are spending as you go round the store, for this reason, you will need to use a calculator unless you are really good at mental maths!
I Take These Items With Me:
- Shopping list
- Calculator or have a calculator function on your phone
- Reusable shopping bags to pack groceries into
- Pen to cross off items as I pick them up or a note if out of stock!
Making The Shopping Easier
It might sound simple but there are things you can do to make shopping easier!
- Never go shopping when you are hungry, you’re tempted to buy more food and normally this ends up being junk food too!
- If you have to take kids shopping have things for them to do. If they are little and need to sit in the shopping trolley, having snacks and toys ready prepared is important as it can help to occupy them whilst you shop. If they are older, asking for help is a great way to distract them from being bored or causing chaos! If they have something to do it can help take their mind off the boredom of shopping!
- Choose a time of the day when you are not stressed or in too much of a rush to concentrate on what you are doing. I know this isn’t easy, I have been there trying to do it all and then I realized that I didn’t need to torture myself or my other half with grocery shopping!
- Avoid the busy times of the day if possible, this is for me around lunch time and early evening, I plan my shopping trips to not hit the shops at those times!
- If the shop offers online shopping then this is something you should consider, we have options to pick up from the store or delivered to your home. Unfortunately, Aldi doesn’t offer either service so I will still have to make my weekly trips!
Reduce The Shopping Stress
Grocery shopping is stressful for me, I have anxiety and this can make it difficult for me to actually go grocery shopping. So, I do everything I can to ensure that my shopping trip isn’t stressful!
I know where I am going and what I am getting. This helps to control how I feel. I know that I am in control of as much as I can of the situation and this makes coping easier.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy your grocery shopping using these tips will help make it that much more enjoyable than you might imagine.
Looking for more ways to organize? How To Help Me Get Organized At Home is a great place to start!
