The Power of the List Your First Step to Saving Big at the Grocery Store

Hey Mom, what's for dinner tonight?

This is possibly the most asked, yet least answered question out there. And then with sports, dance rehearsals, and working late, it's a wonder anyone ever eats after lunch.

So, if you long to take the stress off and have the answer right on the tip of your tongue then you need to implement THE POWER OF THE LIST!

It's going to take a little time in the beginning to organize. But, if used right, The Power of the List will not only give you the answer to the dreaded what's for dinner question, it will also save you money, time, and effort once you hit the store.

Menu's Aren't Just for Restaurants

The first step is to make a weekly meal menu for your family. By doing this you always know what you need to have in the fridge and pantry.

And, you won't be scrambling to make last minute store stops--a real money waster.

The second step is to pick up a map of the store you shop most frequently.

The third, place a write on-wipe off or chalkboard on or near the fridge along with your menu.

Then use it to keep track of things as you run out of them. Using your store map, create headings on the board based on where items are located in the store.

For instance, let's say your store is set up this way. Along the perimeter is the dairy section, then the breakfast and lunchmeats, next the deli and meat sections, followed by fresh fish and finally produce.

Then you enter the frozen food and center aisles of the store.

Using this example, you'd organize your headings starting with dairy, then breakfast and lunchmeats etc. Then simply jot down things by category as you run out of them.

The fourth step is to keep your coupons organized by item. For example, keep all your laundry detergent coupons together--sorted by their expiration date.

It's Time

Once you have these four things in place, you're ready to experience the Power of the List!!! And start saving money, time, and effort.

Now that you have a list of the things you need replenished, either on your shopping day or the night before, take your weekly menu and add any additional food items you plan to buy. Finally, add any extra household or personal items.

Now that you have a master list, you're almost done. Simply rewrite your master list exactly as you have it on the board onto a notepad or use the shopping list on cloverscouponsplus.com.

Lastly, take your weekly grocery ad and put an S next to anything on your list that's on sale. Then take your coupons and pull out the ones you plan to use this trip.

By doing this last step, you're not tempted to add something to your list simply just because it's on sale. But you'll still be able to take advantage of the sale price and use coupons for items you really need.

Now, once you hit the store, just stick to your list. This will keep you focused, and out of the aisles, you don't need to be in. You'll get in and out quickly without cart overload. And that'll definitely help you save money, time, and effort.