Confession: I don't shop with a list

[chad]

I don't shop with a list. It seems that everything I read says that this is a bad thing and that I'm wasting a ton of money because I don't. It doesn't feel like this is the case. I buy things that look good and I feel like eating that evening. Is this a bad thing? Am I some kind of saving leper because I don't like to make lists?

[sweeps]

Stores are very good at encouraging impulse buying. If you make a list of only the things you need and stick to it, you'll probably buy less.

[Caoineag]

I have to make a list to avoid wasting food and to ensure I don't forget anything important. I have notice that I spend more without a list than with a list. Might be worth trying a couple of times to see how the two compare.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Chad, we don't shop with lists to keep us on the straight and narrow either. Sometimes I have a partial list of what I need, but that is just so I don't forget things. Usually I only get to the point of writing them down when we have been to the store two or three times and still forgot them. But mostly--no list at all. My husband does most of the grocery shopping, but some of it we do together, and some I do alone. Despite our "listlessness" I think we are champion shoppers, ready to adjust our eating to what is on sale. In the last year, for example, we keep finding great sales on chicken, so we have been using quite a bit of that. Vegetables and fruits we buy are hugely influenced by price. But we eat in a rather basic way, mostly from scratch. There are aisles in the store that I haven't been down for months--like the cereal aisle, the chips aisle, the freezer aisle. One month last fall we spent only $128 for the two of us. We do stock up when something that will keep well is on sale. That helps a lot.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I don't shop with a list either anymore. When I was broke I had to, in order to meet my budget. Now if I go over it doesn't matter.

But we have the same basic meal every week with variation in fruits, veggies, and meats.

So there isn't a need for a list.

[stressedmama]

I find that using a list for grocery shopping forces me to plan for the week so I know exactly what I need and does help me save money. I find I throw out less produce or food that we can't eat in time. Plus I save time not thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner every night and it curbs eating out more often for my family. I would suggest trying a list for awhile and seeing if it helps. If not, don't worry about it.

[PrincessPerky]

shopping with a list is a trick you can use to keep the bill down, but then you might not have what you were in the mood for. if you are flat broke, make a list, if you don't mind the size of your grocery budget, don't worry about it.

Though buying dinner based on what is on sale can save on the main portion, if you don't tend to stock up on the sides/spices it can cost you money..balance, somewhere in the middle is prolly best. (we do the middle)

[DebbieL]

I don't usually use a list either (or if I do it's more of a guideline). I don't think it's a big deal as long as you aren't going overboard and overspending. Often if I do write a list I'll forget it anyways, lol.