This clever shopping list hack will save you money!

Writing a comprehensive and well-considered shopping list and leaving it at home is one of my superpowers. And I don’t think I am alone.

A pop quiz of five mothers at the Babyology office confirmed that this is, in fact, a common problem. As is returning from the shops and unpacking your bags only to realise that you have indeed purchased your 5th packet of lasagne sheets this month

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I write two lists before our weekly vegetable and fruit shop. The first list is an inventory of the remaining fruit and vegetables in the fridge crisper and fruit bowl. I do this so we don’t double up on anything. It’s so easy to switch onto auto-pilot while shopping, reaching for food forgetting what most of us have at home. I also write the first list so I know what needs to be cooked at the beginning of the week. The beetroot and carrot will go into Borscht soup on Monday night, cucumber and orange eaten as a snack, lemon for flavouring water and soups. The apple will no doubt be found under the couch half eaten at some point this week. My second list is what we need to buy, with meal ideas alongside. Having a plan for what you’ll cook during the week is also helpful in reducing food waste. Image: a pencil and piece of paper with a list on it, surrounded by fruit and vegetable. #lovefoodhatewaste #writealist #foodwaste #zerowaste #lesswaste #lowimpact #sustainability #sustainableliving #minimalwaste #azerowastefamily #lowwaste #planyourmeals #mealplan #thankyourfarmer

A post shared by Erin Rhoads (@therogueginger) on Mar 30, 2019 at 7:44pm PDT

So this tidy little shopping list hack from Erin Rhoades, AKA The Rogue Ginger will not only save on memory space, but is also guaranteed to save you money too.

Sounds pretty good, right? 

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Read more on saving money:

• What to look for when opening an account for baby
• This book literally changed our life!
• 4 ways parents can take control of their money

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Erin’s shopping list method 

Erin posted her shopping list method to Instagram on Sunday and its genius lies in the simplicity of it. 

Before hitting the shops, Erin says she writes two lists: 

1. A list of stuff that she ALREADY has in her cupboard/pantry/fridge
2. A list of all the meals she wants to cook that week and the ingredients she needs to complete them

Between the two lists, she ends up with just enough food to get her family of three through the week and most importantly – zero waste.

Erin’s Instagram followers loved the idea with many thanking her for sharing. 

“Love this tip,” one person commented. “Slowing down, being thoughtful, and planning ahead apply to so many aspects of sustainability. It’s especially helpful for me with shopping too.”

Another added: “Great idea❣️Thanks ? I often find tired veg lurking at the bottom of the crisper and hate having to throw it out.”

No more shopping on auto-pilot

As Erin writes: “It’s so easy to switch onto auto-pilot while shopping, reaching for food forgetting what most of us have at home.”

Amen to that.

And amen to this clever little hack that will definitely save money and time.

Not to mention brain power!