Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #18: Make Shopping List Before Going to the Grocery Store

Today’s Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #18 – Make an Actual Shopping List.  We have all heard the old expression, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  Well, that saying rings true when it comes to eating for weight loss.  Chances are that the majority of what you are eating are foods that you have prepared for yourself.  I talking about homemade, healthy recipes and and healthy convenience foods like, yogurt, whole wheat cereal or low sodium soup.  You can save money and stay on track with your weight loss goals by making a list before heading to the grocery store.  It requires willpower, but you can do it!

• With a shopping list you will better be able to avoid the negative foods that would contribute to weight gain.
• With a list you will know what foods your need to buy in accordance with what you plan to eat for the week and what recipes you will be making.
• If you assess what you have at home and what you need to buy before your regular weekly trip to the store, you will make less trips to the grocery store during the week, saving gas…thus saving money.
• A list will help you void overbuying or buying the things you don’t need.  Save money $$$
• Don’t worry about the brand names, just get the foods on your list.  Ingredients should be your focus, so as long as the food label nutrition info shows that the food is healthy the brand name is secondary.  Not buying brand names can save you $$$.
• Compare prices.  You may have one brand on your list, but another brand is on sale.  Embrace your options.
• Avoid impulse purchases and being lured into buying things you don’t need based on sales and special offer displays.
• After making your list, look at the website for the store you are going to and look for deals on the items you plan to buy.  You can of course look at your coupons as well, if you are “couponing”.
• Don’t shop when you are hungry or having strong cravings because you’ll be more likely to divert from your list.
• There are some good list building, meal planning and family focused apps out there that allow you to manage your list on your phone.  Fooducate is one example of this.

If you need help putting a list together, we’ve got shopping lists that you can take to the store with you as a part of our Free Meal Plans.  Check out our 4 week plans.  One is for vegetarians and the other is just clean eating.