0 How to Organise a Shopping List

This may seem like a trivial post but as I am into organisation, I thought this might be of interest to those who are too. A disorganised shopping list is definitely not the end of the world, however, you can certainly waste time by running from one end to the store and back again because of a badly planned shopping list. The tips here are primarily for grocery shopping but can be incorporated any type of shopping.

1. Write Down What You Need

The first step in organising any shopping list is to establish what you need first, otherwise what's the point in going shopping? Make sure that everything that you need is there, there's nothing worse from coming back after shopping to realise you've forgotten something. So don't write the list last minute before you rush out of the door because chances are that you will miss something.

2. Go by Aisles

After you have a list of items to shop for and are confident that you haven't missed anything, the next step is to organise them. One of the ways that you can do this is to separate your list into aisles. Obviously to do this you will have to be familiar with the shop you are visiting, or you could visit the shop beforehand to make a note which aisle contains what, but to be honest you might as well make a note whilst shopping there.
Put a subheading of 'Aisle 1' and underneath transfer from your list of items you wrote a minute ago the things that come from aisle 1. Then do the same with aisle 2, listing underneath all the things that you need from aisle 2. Do this with each aisle until you have gone through the whole shop.

Once you have completed your list that should mean that when you do go shopping, you will be able work through each aisle with ease knowing exactly what you want.

3. Go by Categories

Another way of organising your shopping list, and a more popular way than by aisles, is to have different categories for your items to fit into. Each category is going to be a subheading on your list. So, now look at your list and sort each of them into their respective category.
If you can't think of categories or aren't sure, then here are some for you:
 
Groceries

• Produce (Fruit and Veg)
• Meat
• Fish
• Grains
• Frozen
• Spices
• Snacks/Sweets
• Dairy
• Breakfast
• Canned/Tinned Foods
• Drinks/Beverages
• Other

Toiletries and Bathroom Supplies

• Razor
• Shaving Cream
• Shampoos/Conditioners
• Shower Gel
• Soap
• Dental Care
• Skin Creams and the like

 Household

• Paper towels
• Toilet Paper
• Electrical Supplies (if necessary(e.g. light bulbs))
• Cleaning Supplies

There are many other categories that you could include, these are just some examples.