For the past three weeks, I have spent about 25-50 percent more than I normally do for groceries. And this isn’t indulging in gourmet items, or even getting anything beyond the essentials. There’s a post that’s been rattling around in my head and I just hadn’t gotten around to posting it, and now I think it’s a great time to share this (and to revive the practice). A few weeks ago I discovered a unique grocery shopping tactic: the reverse grocery shopping list.
It basically started one day when I got completely fed up with having no room in my pantry, spending too much on groceries, and still constantly complaining we had no food.
So I went through the pantry. I combined partial boxes or pasta, and generally tidied everything up. Then I grabbed a notepad, and I made a list of everything I already had. I jotted down all the boxes of spaghetti that I kept rebuying because, standing in a grocery aisle, I wondered if I had spaghetti. All the little sauce packets and vegetable cans and cans of beans.
I was shocked! I actually had a ton of space in my pantry. This was after weeks and weeks of cramming things into little nooks and crannies. Only in America, where we have become so accustomed to a life of plenty, could we have a pantry full of food and declare ourselves foodless. Seriously!
Then I went to the freezer. I reorganized there, and realized I had several packages of meat I had frozen when I’d realized the expiration date was approaching and I wouldn’t have time to prepare them.
Essentially, this left me only needing to buy fresh items such as dairy and produce. Let me tell you, that slashes the crap out of your grocery shopping bill. It also lets you put some extra emphasis on the fresh ingredients. It was easier to afford organic, for example, or to get cheeses at my local farmer’s market.
I made some unique side dishes and grains that I had overlooked for months simply because I was afraid my family would reject them. I even discovered dishes that all five people in the family loved that I had never even tried before.
I was actually able to live off the staples and stash in my pantry for several weeks of shopping. I got lax about it the past several weeks, and already I have the same situation… a pantry packed with food, and yet I am spending way too much on groceries. I will revive my reverse grocery shopping list.
Here are some tips for doing your own grocery shopping list:
- First, clean out all of your food storage areas. Look for items that are past their expiration or best by dates (yes, cans do expire!). Consolidate items that are similar, such as pasta with the same cook times.
- Make a list of all meats and side dishes you have. Include notes about what you might need to turn each item into a meal (maybe it’s just ingredients for as sauce for a pasta, or a marinade for a meat).
- Look for recipes that include these items if you have time, and take those with you. You honestly don’t have to make a to-buy list, though. If you’re standing in the produce section, for example, and your list has rice and beef you can buy some fresh broccoli to accompany it.
- Watch your stockpile of unused food whittle away in your pantry.
Photo of pantry, © Gary Scott.
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Kelby Carr
Kelby Carr is the founder and publisher of Type-A Parent. She also is the organizer of the Type-A Parent Conference. She is the author of the soon-to-be-published Pinterest For Dummies, Portable Edition. You can follow her on Twitter at @typeamom and circle her on Google+.
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17 Responses to Reverse Grocery Shopping List
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This is great! I just went grocery shopping yesterday and was complaining to my husband what everything cost. I will try this for my next grocery trip. Thanks!
good thank you
Great post- I so need to do this today! xo
I’ve done this before and IT HELPS! I’m always complaining about our grocery bill (please, it’s ridiculous!) and I do try to do what I can to save money on groceries… this is one of the things I do.
Sammanthias last blog post..Grey’s Anatomy: Part Deux
that is a great idea. I struggle with this same problem, no more space but also the feeling that the cupboards are bare. I think we get so used to eating certain things that we leave many other items untouched in the freezer and pantry.
followthatdogs last blog post..Between the muppet skin sheets.
What a great suggestion! I was planning to clean out fridge, freezer, and pantry next week and now I have even more incentive to do so.
Connie G. Barwicks last blog post..What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Good suggestions. I actually did this the other day when I ran out of room in the pantry. I sorted the cans to see what I had and grouped like products together.
Lately, I also started taking 2-4 recipes to the store with me to make sure I had all the ingredients for a few hearty meals during the week. Knowing I have the ingredients makes me more likely to cook, and less likely to throw in a pizza.
Excellent post and suggestions. Certainly something I need to do.
califmoms last blog post..I Got My Xmas Wish, Too
You are right on. I just did the same thing about 2 months ago when I was searching for food for the Boy Scout drive. It made me sick at how many canned foods I had to throw out because they had expired. Those buy-one/get-one frees at the grocery stores a killers on the budget in the long run. Great tips.
Great job describing your process. I do this often with clients who can’t find room in their pantries. My homework is usually: Shop from your own pantry for 2 weeks. The only thing you can purchase is perishables like milk, bread, fruits, and veggies. They are amazed that they can do it. And you get creative putting things together.
One night to use things up I made crazy pasta – a mix of all the pasta shapes I had little bits of.
allison carters last blog post..Is Yours on This List?
I work for a bedding company in the UK and have to travel a great deal in order to see client, for this reason I usually purchased can products as I had little time to shop for fresh groceries. Anyway on a recent break I decided to check my “stock on cans”, I was sickened to see the dates I had in my possesion. Some of the food was months out of date and I did wonder was I dicing with death..
Many people have the same habit. They keep buying until the whole house is full of food or stuff they don’t really need. This is specially true for those people who are keeping track of what’s on sale in the grocery store so they can use coupons. They have plenty of food that will probably last for 6 months and even a year but keeps buying. There are food that goes to waste because they dont get to use, then then get expired. So this is not really saving.
I try to follow that advice but I tend to be an impulse shopper too much of the time.
I just cleared out the cans from where I work, we had so many things out of date I am surprised we are still alive.. now the boss is buying a cooler and says “fresh” food only..
Shades Mc Envoy
I didn’t realize it until now, but this is exactly how I shop!
It feels really good to rearrange your cabinets and find so much more space than before. There have been too many times when I bought something at the grocery store thinking I was out.
pchiengs last blog post..1 Mile “Race” Report & My Rant
I certainly agree with the tips provided. We tend to waste more than we can use if we are not as thoughtful and careful about what we buy, how we manage and how we use it.
I would want to add a tip to it.. though it is not always feasible for all of us – we can keep separate jars for all items and as soon as we get some groceries, we can keep them items in their relevant jars only. If needed these jars can be labeled. This will always remind us if we have some item in stock or if we should buy it if we are going to use it again.
Hope this too helps!