Have you ever gotten to the grocery store
and realized you have no idea what to buy
or even accidentally bought a bunch of stuff you don't need?
We've all been there.
Today, I'm going to show you how to create
the ultimate grocery list in five simple steps
so that you can shop more efficiently,
reduce food waste and save money.
Hey guys, welcome back to my channel.
It's Taylor from The Girl on Bloor.
I'm all about sharing an easy meal prep strategies
that you can save time, money and stress.
If you often find yourself overwhelmed
as you wander the aisles
of the grocery store, you're not alone, but the good news
is that it doesn't have to be a super long chore.
Today I'll be showing you how to build
the most efficient grocery list that will have you
in and out of the store in under 30 minutes,
all while sticking to a budget.
You can find even more helpful tips
in my free Five Day Meal Prep Challenge,
which includes a grocery list template.
I've linked to that in the description below.
Okay, let's get started.
We've all got busy lives and things to do.
So being as efficient as possible
when you're grocery shopping is key,
no one wants to spend an hour at the store
when you could be meal prepping
or binge watching the latest Netflix show.
I've perfected my routine over the years
to the point where I'm only in the store
for about 20 or 30 minutes each week.
As someone who owns our own business,
all that extra time has been a huge game changer.
I'm going to be sharing my routine with you
so you can maximize your time and stay on budget
when it comes to your weekly grocery shopping.
The first step to building your grocery list
is to figure out what ingredients you need,
and to do that, you're going to need
to make your weekly meal plan.
I've got a handy video tutorial
that'll you how to build a meal plan
in just about 15 minutes each week.
So definitely go back and watch that video
if you need a refresher before this one.
To do a little recap here,
you're basically just going to do an audit
of your fridge, freezer and pantry.
Then take a look through master list of recipes
you have ideally already built to reduce the overwhelm
that comes from choosing what to make each week.
From there, you'll take a look at your calendar
to plan around on any outings or obligations you have.
And then finally you will add your recipes.
Ideally ones that already use up ingredients
you have on hand in your kitchen.
Now, if you're searching for recipe options
and you don't know where to begin, I've got tons of healthy
and delicious meal prep, recipes to choose from on my blog.
I've linked to my top meal prep recipes
post in the description below.
So that's a good starting point.
And again, watch my meal planning video
if you haven't already, the master list of recipes
concept is a real game changer,
especially if you struggle with decision fatigue, okay.
Once you've narrowed down what recipes
you're going to make for the week,
you can move on to step number two, which is to copy
and paste all of the ingredients that you need
for a recipe into a word doc of some sort.
You can write it down on a piece of paper, but personally,
I like to use the Notes app on my Mac
which automatically syncs to my iPhone.
That way I can just erase items on the list
as I pick them up while I'm also at the store.
You can just copy and paste all your ingredients
into a word doc and email it to yourself as well,
or print it off if you're more
of a paper and pen type of person.
Once you know what ingredients you need for the week,
take inventory of what you all already have on hand.
This third step is key
when it comes to saving both time and money,
you want to avoid buying items you don't need
because that can lead to wasted food and wasted money.
Two things that you definitely don't want.
Have a look around your fridge, freezer
and pantry to see what you've already got.
Yes, you're going to do this again
after you've meal planned to double check
what you need for each recipe.
And once you know which items you have on hand
you can remove them from your grocery list.
I love doing a double check
because this is a great way to notice
when you're running low on everyday staples.
You could keep a running list
of things you're running low on
but those tend to get lost in the shuffle of everyday life
and it's easy to forget, but when you do weekly check in
while building your grocery list specifically,
you'll be fully aware of what you need the very next week
so it'll be top of mind and impossible to forget.
Now that you have your final list
of all the ingredients you need,
the fourth step is all about organizing.
If you order your groceries online, you can skip this step.
But honestly, I've been let down
and frustrated way too many times by missing items
when I order groceries to my home,
which completely defeats the purpose for me
if I have to go back out to the store
for just a couple items.
Online ordering just ain't it for me,
especially if you're paying an extra fee for delivery
on top of that, if you're like me though,
and you swear by in person shopping,
you won't wanna skip this next step.
Go through and reorder your list
so that everything is organized by category.
Lump all your produce together, your meat together,
your canned goods together and so on.
This step is going to make your trip
to the grocery store so much more efficient.
And honestly, it's gonna change
your whole grocery shopping experience.
By organizing your list by category,
you'll only have to stop once
in each section of the grocery store
instead of running all over the store in a zigzag pattern.
We've all had to loop back to the same aisle before
and I think we can agree that it's not a good time.
Knowing one or two grocery stores in your area
really well will make organizing your list so much easier.
When you're able to visualize the store layout in your head,
you can organize your list
in the order that you'll be moving
through the store and doing your shopping.
Plus you'll actually know where everything is
and you won't have to waste a bunch of time
trying to figure out the layout of a new store,
that is super frustrating to deal with.
When it comes to picking your grocery store,
I suggest choosing based on your main priorities,
if location is the most important thing to you,
make sure to choose a grocery store
that's the closest walk or drive from your house.
If you're dedicated to sticking on a tight budget,
choose the store that offers the best deals.
Price shopper is a great option
in the states and No Frills, FreshCo
and Food Basics are all popular choices here in Canada.
You can also do a combination of the two.
I like to go to one store
for my main produce and protein shop
and every now and then I'll pick a budget store
to stock up on pantry staples
like canned goods, condiments, sauces, and rice.
Now the fifth step to building a grocery list
is to be flexible when it comes to your ingredients.
This step is key when it comes to saving money
and shopping on a budget.
If certain produce is in season or on sale,
consider substituting it
for similar ingredients on your list
that might be a bit pricier or out of season.
For example, if you're making a pasta
that includes asparagus but it's out of season
and broccoli happens to be on sale,
you can easily swap out the asparagus for the broccoli
and save a couple of dollars, or even better,
you could use frozen veggies.
I prefer to complete this step
while I'm already at the grill grocery store
because I just can't be bothered to flip through the flyers.
And honestly, I don't even get the ones
for the store I go to, but you could look this up
in advance while building your grocery list
and budget is a key priority for you.
The way I see it, you're already going to be saving money
by planning your meals around what you already have
on hand, in the house and by meal prepping
and not ordering as much takeout
but being able to save a few extra dollars here and there
is always an added bonus
and something you should make extra time for
in the planning stages of your grocery list
if it's a priority for you.
I know for me, adding that extra step
discourages me for meal planning regularly
since it's much more time consuming, which puts me at risk
of not following through on my weekly routine.
So I have chosen something that is more sustainable for me.
This is where self reflection really comes in handy.
So be mindful of that.
To help you out, I always include ingredient substitutions
in my recipes so you can check those out if you're unsure
of what would be a good substitute for each ingredient,
but for the most part, you can use your own judgment.
Now, if you're feeling really organized
you could even do a quick Google search
while you're making your list to find out
what produce is in season.
And that will give you a further idea
of what you can sub in for certain recipes.
Okay, now you know how to build
the most efficient grocery list ever.
And I have a bonus step for you, be sure to stock up
on protein when it's on sale and freeze it for later,
meat and seafood can be one
of the most expensive items on your grocery list.
So if you see anything on sale, snag it while you can
and store it in your freezer until you're ready to use it.
I like to keep a variety of protein options in my freezer
like chicken breasts, chicken thighs, fish filets,
ground beef, steak, frozen shrimp and scallops.
I stock up whenever stuff is on sale
and freeze it that I can rotate through a whole bunch
of different protein options throughout the month.
And of course, plant-based protein such as tofu
and legumes are much cheaper, so keep that in mind
to fill in the gaps or even consider
moving to those as a primary protein source
if you're really looking to save
on your weekly grocery hall.
And just a final note, if pantry staples
that you frequently use are on sale, stock up on those
if you can and store them in your pantry for later as well.
Just make sure that you're only stocking up
on items that are nonperishable and that you know
that you use a lot of, canned tomatoes,
dry pasta, beans, frozen veggies
and rice are all perfect things to stock up on
if you use them often and there you have it,
all of these steps are gonna be a total game changer
when it comes to grocery shopping,
your trip to the store will go
from being something you dread each week
to a quick and efficient half hour trip.
If you found this video helpful,
make sure to give it a thumbs up
and be sure to subscribe to my channel
for more free meal prep resources, and don't forget,
I've got lots more tips and tricks
in my free Five Day Meal Prep Challenge
which includes a grocery list template.
I've linked to that in the description below.
So sign up now to step up your meal prep game.
Now that I have my list prepped and at the ready,
I'm gonna head to the grocery store and stock up.
Thanks for hanging out with me in my kitchen today.
And I will see you in the next video.