As you know from my Frugal Pantry post, I keep a list on my computer of all food items that we purchase regularly. If you’ve made your pantry list, it’s very simple to turn that list into a master grocery list. I did this by simply opening the pantry list in MS Word and inserting small checkboxes in front of each item.
I also went through my closets and cabinets, and consulted with my husband, to make a list of all non-food items that we purchase regularly. This includes oil and filters for the car, ink cartridges for the printer, and humidifier and furnace filters. For these items, I made sure to write down the model number, so I wouldn’t mistakenly buy the wrong item.
I keep these lists in sheet protectors in the “Shopping” section of my HMG. When I prepare my weekly grocery list, I just use my dry erase marker to check off the items that are written on my kitchen whiteboard. I don’t have to rewrite the list again, which saves time. When I do the weekly shopping I just take these pages out of my HMG and put them in my shoulder bag. When I get home, I erase my checkmarks from the sheet protectors and put the pages back in my binder.
My master list helps me save money, because it usually reminds me of something we need that I forgot to write down. I never have to pay too much at my local store for something that I’ve forgotten. For example, Deli Select sliced turkey is $2.98 at Wal-Mart, and $4.79 at my local grocery store. That’s almost a $2.00 difference for just one item! Also, if I see a really great end-of-the-season clearance sale on a certain size of furnace filter, I can stock up with confidence. I know which size we use because it’s written on my master list!
If you would like to set up your own master grocery list, refer to The Frugal Pantry. Also, to help you get started, here’s my non-food list, organized by category.
Plastics/Wraps
□ Aluminum foil
□ Freezer bags
-Gallon
-Quart
□ Parchment paper
□ Saran wrap
□ Storage bags
-Gallon
-Quart
-Fold-lock
□ Waxed Paper
Baby
□ Baby wash
□ Coconut oil
□ Diaper cream
□ Diapers (for night time and travel)
□ Gerber Snacks
Kitchen
□ Coffee filters
□ Dish soap
□ Dishwasher soap
□ Napkins
□ Paper towels
-Regular
-Bounty Big Roll SAS
Cleaning products
□ Bleach
□ Dryer sheets
□ Flushable Fresh Brush refill pads (One of the chinks in my tightwad armor is that I find toilet brushes that just sit around in your bathroom and get reused over and over completely disgusting).
□ Garbage bags
-13 gal (Kitchen)
-30 gal (Lucie)
-8 gal (bath)
□ Glass cleaner
□ Laundry detergent
□ Oxy Clean
□ Pledge
□ Spic and Span
□ Swiffer dry refill cloths
□ Vacuum bags (Z-Hoover Dimension)
Personal care
□ Conditioner
□ Deodorant
□ Feminine products
-Pads
-Panty liners
-Tampons
□ Floss
□ Hair gel/spray
□ Hand soap
□ Kleenex
□ Lip balm
□ Lotion
□ Mouthwash
□ Q-Tips
□ Razor blades
-Mach 3
-Venus
□ Soap
□ Shampoo
□ Shaving cream
□ Sunscreen
□ Toilet paper
□ Toothpaste
Medicine
□ Advil
□ Band-aids
□ Cold medicine
□ Gaviscon
□ Pepcid/Zantac
□ Prescription
□ Tylenol
-Regular
-Children’s
□ Vitamins
Pets
□ Cat food
□ Cat litter
Office supplies
□ Envelopes
□ Fax (Sharp UXB 700) cartridge UX-C70B
□ Glue sticks
□ Labelmaker tape (Dymo 45013)
□ Paper
□ Printer cartridge
-DH (Lexmark Z816) Black-#32
-Me (HP PSC 1610) Black-#94 C8765 Color-#97 C9363
□ Scotch tape
Automotive
(When I met my husband, he was a mechanic, and had been for 20+ years. We have a full shop on our property, complete with his vehicle hoist and tools. He does all of our automobile maintenance and most repairs. I thank God for giving me such a smart and capable husband! I just wish I could get him to wear his old uniforms–they bring back so many good memories.)
□ Wiper Blades
□ Oil Filters (Delco PF47)
□ Air Filters
-Van (Delco A2939C)
-Car (Delco A1614C)
□ Fuel Filters (Delco-GF578)
□ Motor Oil (Quaker St. 5W30)
□ Spark Plugs (Both-41-101)
Other Stuff
□ Rechargeable batteries
□ Furnace filters (16x25x1)
□ Humidifier Filter (GE Cool Mist H65-C)
-Best Air 106XXX Series
-Holmes 18XX Series
□ Light bulbs (compact flourescent)
□ Softener Salt
