Family grocery list: so nobody forgets anything again
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A note on the fridge, messages in the family chat, and still there is no milk at home. A good family grocery list comes from the meal plan, everyone can see it, and it gets ticked off while shopping. Here is how.
The list comes from the meal plan
The best grocery list is not written from memory but from the week's plan. Go through every dish and note the ingredients. Whatever several dishes need, onions or cream for example, goes on the list only once.
Sort it by aisle
A list in the order of the shop gets you through twice as fast. A proven order:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Bread and bakery
- Dairy and eggs
- Meat and fish
- Cupboard: pasta, rice, tins
- Drinks and household
One list for everyone
A grocery list only works in a family when everyone sees the same one. Whoever passes the shop should know what is missing, and what has been bought should disappear for everyone. Paper and the family chat cannot do that, a shared list on the phone can.
Buy less, waste less
With a plan you only buy what you will really cook this week. Take a quick look in the cupboard before shopping and cross off what is already there. Impulse buys get rarer, and less ends up in the bin at the end of the week.
Tips for the weekly shop
- A fixed shopping day, Saturday morning for example
- Buy fresh food for the end of the week later, or freeze it
- Always keep basics at home (pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes)
- What everyone likes may go on the list more often
The grocery list that writes itself
In Yadlo the grocery list is made straight from the week's meal plan, sorted by aisle. The whole family sees the same list: whoever shops ticks things off, and everyone else sees it at once. Add your own things like washing powder or snacks, and share the list as text.