To List or Not to List?


That’s the question. To be honest, when I first moved out on my own I very rarely used a shopping list. As a college student, I was less concerned with caloric intake and more worried about budgetary restrictions.

But since gaining and losing the freshman 15 I’ve come to realize that planning is key. And I don’t mean just planning which nights to cook and which to go out. I mean planning what I’m cooking, when I’m eating the leftovers, and thinking about how each meal will play into my Daily PointsPlus Allowance.

All those decisions begin at the grocery store. But if you go in hungry and grabbing any ol’ thing on sale, you’ll end up with more food (and more PointsPlus values) than you bargained for.

My shopping cart staples are: canned soups, fresh and frozen veggies, whole wheat angel hair pasta, frozen chicken dumplings, eggs and thin-cut raw chicken breasts I can season based on my mood. I grab these practically every time I’m at the store.

But when I switch up my usual dishes…That’s where the trusty shopping list comes in. Typically, I use my iPhone’s notepad to jot down foods I need throughout the week so I’m prepared when I grab my cart.

But the other day, a fellow shopper had something intriguing in her hand: a printed sheet of paper with probably 100 items listed on it in columns. I’d say a quarter of them were highlighted. I figured it out: she prints this sheet each time she’s headed to the store and highlights only what her family needs that week. If it’s not on that original sheet (I’m lookin’ at you, Cheetos), it’s not even an option. Genius.

What’s your grocery shopping strategy? And which five items are always on your list?

-Mary Elizabeth Hurn,