Have you ever planned a grocery shopping. If you have, then you are among the rare breed of Indians who do it. It has always been a chore to do grocery shopping, just finish and come out. Though planning a grocery shopping may be a norm in the developed countries, we Indians are not accustomed to this.
But there are some real benefits of using shopping list, provided it is implemented the right way. And Zeev should enable you to do it the right way.
The right way to implement a shopping list.
I have used multiple shopping lists in my life, but none of it worked and I always blamed the system. But then one day I saw my colleague in Tesco using it. There are two things to make shopping list effective.
When to update - Updating the shopping list with new items should become a habit. And for this you need to attach it to another habit or daily event like post dinner/lunch or while watching your fav series etc. You shopping list is ineffective if you aren't updating it at least 4 times a week. Never forget to update the list for more than 2 days in a row.
Accessibility - Your shopping list should be quickly accessible so that you can add an item the instant you realize you have missed it. So it is important to have them on the home page.
Shared across capability - Your shopping list should be shared across family, so that anyone in the family can quickly add items to the list. And it becomes a ready to use list if you are shopping in store or if you want to order online. Additionally, the family members all should be able to see the bill and receive notifications as the items is checked or shopped.
How does this help.
Assuming that your shopping list is up to date, grocery shopping becomes really easy.
Save on Money - Get reminders when an offer comes on the item or on a related item. Using the supplier deals may be the best way to save money on grocery shopping.
Save Time - Feeling bored and do not want to go out. Add the required items from the shopping list into the cart and order home delivery or pick at store.
Monitor expenses - After your purchase, checkout how much is your spend beyond what you had on the list. The difference indicates what your discretionary spend is.
Track category level spends - Get your weekly report on how much you are spending on each category and sub category.
Below is a link that I referred to while creating this blog, but I would suggest reading the comments section of the blog and see what people say..
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