Useful and Useless Grocery Shopping Lists

[usonian]

"Lucked" onto a site grocerylists.org that collects grocery lists, found in shopping carts, or sent in by people.

https://grocerylists.org/about/

What is this? It’s a collection of found grocery lists. No, really. This site is all about other peoples’ lost grocery lists. There are nearly 4,000 posted here.

In 1997, I picked up a discarded grocery list at a St. Louis supermarket. I found it to be a fascinating glimpse into a stranger’s life and decided to pick them up whenever I found one. In 2000, I posted my collection of about 40 lists to the web. By 2004, when the New York Times Magazine profiled me and this collection, I had about 500. In early 2006 I started working on a book about these lost lists and by the time it was published in May 2007, there were 1,600 lists on the site. 20+ years later there are almost 4,000.

The collection is here
https://grocerylists.org/collection/
Though I urge people to write GOTV postcards instead of perusing these lost and found items.

USEFUL GROCERY SHOPPING LISTS
https://grocerylists.org/ultimatest/

Says the author:

This is an awesome pre-formatted list, in fact, it’s The Ultimatest.

Below are the best pre-formatted grocery lists ever created. I made them just for you—and they’re free. Print ’em out, hang ’em on the refrigerator door and mark ’em up before you go to the grocery store. We have comprehensive versions for both meat-eaters and vegetabletarians. Links are below.

There are 4 downloads, spare you the trouble (what a kind person I am! ) PDF, EDITABLE PDF, and spreadsheet (XLS)

Free download: THE ULTIMATEST GROCERY LIST (v3.3)
Free download: THE ULTIMATEST EDITABLE GROCERY LIST (v3.4)
Free download: THE ULTIMATEST SPREADSHEET GROCERY LIST (v1.1)
Free download: THE ULTIMATEST VEGETARIAN GROCERY LIST (v1.2)

[kimbutgar]

1. Ha ha I make my own lists every week when I go shopping

But I will print up the list to try when I shop this week!

[usonian]

2. I use post-it notes.

Once in a while, I'll buy a box of unknown number of pads.
I don't know if anyone has collected one that fell, but being older, I very deliberately keep track of everything.

And once in a rare while, I'll scan the list with the phone.
Using the phone to pay means that I basically never lose track of it.

I think I see more people with paper lists than shopping with a phone. But, none of my business, I stick to my own list.
I used to use a shopping app, but like many apps, it either went away or went to a subscription model.

Happy shopping!

I'd throw in some food emojis, but there are too many, so here's a screensnap,

[kimbutgar]

3. I like that food emoji idea!

[Bobstandard]

4. I have shopped found lists

Its fun to shop a found list, then figure what to make from it. My won lists get boring sometimes so its a nice change. I once got a great list from someone who had clearly planned a bunch of Chinese recipes. I had to research recipes but it turned into a great week of meals. And now I love baby bok choi!

[usonian]

7. Baby Bok Choi is quite useful.

Multipurpose veggies are fine with me, since I cook for one and quantities/sizes of things are way too large.

They can be used in stir-fry, soups and maybe even a celery substitute.

When I can find them, the little packs of celery sticks are still more than I can use before they go blah.

No "fractional celery" for sale.

Fennel is good, though quite flavorful and more for Mediterranean dishes.

And good snacking, with the anise flavor.

Anyway, if you are into found lists, the site has thousands.

[slightlv]

5. We're got a writable/erasable board

on the side of the frig for this purpose. Use the last of something? WRITE IT ON THE LIST!

I just finished transcribing the frig list to my steno pad, added the pantry staples and we ran out of when hubby gave all our money to the scammers 3 weeks ago... and figured out enough meals to last for the week and weekend next.

I'm trying now to get my aching, low energy body kicked into gear to go get the damned stuff from the store. I HATE shopping... of ANY kind.

I take list, still attached to steno pad, with me to the store. I have whole steno pads full of shopping lists. I discovered their useful for remembering certain items I tend to forget, as well as goosing me towards meals I've not made in a while.

[usonian]

6. I haven't seen a steno pad in ages!

Not that I was ever looking for one. I'll hit the thrift stores shortly.

Since I buy postits in bulk, it seems that they're always there, and disposable, so I can forget that trip when I got three kinds of ice cream.

I do save receipts for a short while, so I can remember where I got this or that.

[Staph]

8. I have a pre-formatted list created by my bro-in-law and later updated by me.

It's laid out according to the rows in my local Kroger store, with a title and a few typical items for each row and then a blank space to fill in what I need to buy. I just fill in the blanks on my laptop as needed and then print it just before I leave for the store.

Does it stop me from making impulse purchases? Heck, no! But at least I have a reminder of the odd item that gets forgotten week after week.

[Retrograde]

9. Post-It notes on the side of the fridge

when we run out of a staple, we write it on the list. The person who next does the shopping takes the list (which sticks to the shopping cart unless it falls off) and buys the items - unless the store is out, which sometimes happens. Or if the note falls off the cart.