Meal Planning: Shopping list template

When it comes to meal planning, are you like most of my clients who find their struggles are:

a. Finding time to plan
b. Making a shopping list
c. Fitting cooking into my working week

If this sounds like you, don’t worry – you are not alone!  Depending on your Meal Planning Personality® you need to tackle each of these slightly differently! The guides go through exactly how to approach this, but I thought I’d share some tips over a few upcoming blog posts that will help you all immediately!  Since we tackled Finding Time to Plan last time…..

Next we’re tackling: Making a shopping list

For many Meal Planning Personalities® – except for a Supermarket Strategist and Architect – your shopping list will be identical most weeks!! Look at what things you always need to do stock take for?

For most personalities it is great to get in the habit of shopping for standard ingredients that work across multiple recipes. If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter you would have gotten the option to grab a shopping list template that you can experiment with (issue out 12 April)!

I never have had a stock standard list EVER – again as an Intuitive I was even fighting this – who wants to be locked in!?  BUT HONESTLY now that I spent the time putting it together it is SO FANTASTIC – especially as I go to different places to buy different things! I just highlight what I need (vs tick – not obvious enough) and I am ready!

Here’s how to create your own:

1. Revisit the list of recipes you wrote down from our blog post “Finding Time to Plan”
2. Decide what the items you want to put on your staples list –  and note where you source them.  For example I have batched my shopping into bits based on when I can do it:
   • Calling the butcher (Thursday/ Friday) to place an order so they have it bagged up ready for me.  I pick it up on my way home from Yoga on Saturday morning as I drive past there
   • On Sunday I got to Northey St Markets and then pop into the supermarket after to get whatever bits I need;
   • On Monday before/ after going to my latin dance class I pick up supplies from Mick’s Nut Hut at West End and Aldi.
   • Then I’ll pop into Wray Organic whenever I drive past to get my staple items from there too.

I try to make it less of a chore by batching my shopping tasks around FUN things.  Otherwise I get so over it!!  If you don’t know it yet, my Meal Planning Personality is an Intuitive – which means I struggle to meal plan! Yes crazy I know – and here I am a professional organiser and meal planner!  So of course I come up with creative ways that help me and others! (click here to read about my Meal Planning Personality®, click here to take the quiz and discover yours).

Now I would love to hear from you!  Tell me what other strategies have you found helpful?  I hope these few little tips have been helpful and inspired you get organised with your own shopping list so you can make life easier!

Don’t forget – Click here to take the quiz and discover more information on the Meal Planning Personality® Profiles.