Grocery Shopping - Master Shopping List


Peter Fournier and Catherine Fournier

Grocery shopping is both a science and an art. It is definitely a skill worth learning and practicing. It has direct benefits to your family's health and well-being. One important part of the skill of grocery shopping is the list. With a list, you can plan your menu for the week to take advantage of sales and bulk purchases. With a list, you can plan ahead to take advantage of seasonal abundances. With a list, you can even send someone else to shop!

There are many benefits to a Master Grocery Shopping list.

  • Shopping with a master list helps to remember all your family's needs and helps eliminate impulse purchases (which grocery stores are designed to encourage, by the way.)
  • A master list standarizes your shopping and reduces the likelihood that you forget anything when writing your list. It can be printed out and posted in the kitchen, so that when you run out of something, the list is there to mark it down.
  • Estimating and then including budget limits on each category helps to figure out 'where the money goes', how to use your grocery money most efficiently and when you are getting close to overspending.

This is our family's master list. Yours will be different, depending on how your family lives, where you live, what your cooking and food preferences are. Use it as a guideline to writing your own list. I suggest that you click on this page, save it to your disk and then open it in whatever word processing program you have to change the list to suit your family. Try to keep it on one page, (I have mine arranged in 3 columns) even if you have to make it really small - who wants to shop with a two or three page list?

Baking Supplies:

Baking Powder
Soda
Yeast
Salt
Cornmeal
Oatmeal
Wheat Bran
Wheat Germ
Whole Wheat Flour
White Flour
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Icing Sugar
Honey
Coconut
Almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Sunflower
Sesame Seeds
Raisins
Currants
Dried Apricots
Apples
Cocoa
Baking Chocolate
Candy Sprinkles
Gelatin
Jello
Lemon Pie Filling
Cornstarch
Shortening
Vegetable Oil
Dried Milk
Vinegar

Beverages:

Coffee
Tea
Frozen Juice
KoolAid
Soft Drinks
Bottled Lemon Juice

Ready Baked Goods:

Bread
Soda Crackers
Other Crackers
Graham Crackers
Cookies
Corn Chips
Pizza Crusts
Rice
Pasta
Breakfast Cereal

Dairy:

Eggs
Milk
Butter
Margarine
Fresh Cream
Yogurt
Buttermilk
Cottage Cheese
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese
Cheddar
Mozzerella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Other Cheeses

Condiments and Sandwich Fixings:

Peanut Butter
Jam
Ketchup
Mustard
Hot Mustard
Soy Sauce
Worchestershire Sauce
Canned Fish
Sandwich Meat

Herbs and Spices:

Canned Goods:

Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Beans
Chickpeas
Apple Juice
Pineapple
Mandarin Oranges
Water Chestnuts
Evaporated Milk
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Canned Soup
Chicken Broth
Beef Broth

Meat:

Chicken
Beef
Pork
Fish
Turkey
Hot Dogs
Bacon

Bulk Purchases; Toiletries and Cleaners:

Bar Soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Shaving Cream
Razors
Facial cleansers
Feminine Products
Handcream
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Sunscreen
Bug Repellant
Hairspray
Combs
Hairbrushes
Laundry Soap
Starch
Bleach
All Purpose Cleaner
Abrasive Cleaner
Dish Soap
Pot Scrubbers
Toilet Paper
Light Bulbs
Garbage Bags
Aluminium Foil
Plastic Wrap
Waxed Paper
Sandwich Bags
Lunch Bags
Paper Baking Cups
Cat Food
Dog Food

Fruit and Vegetables:

Onions
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Green Red Pepper
Mushrooms
Broccolli
Cauliflower
Beets
Eggplant
Cabbage
Spinach
Lettuce
Turnips
Parsnips
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Frozen Peas and Corn
Frozen Beans
Baby Corn
Frozen Fries
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Plums
Lemons
Cherries
Pineapple
Peaches
Pears
Grapefruit


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