I finally stopped buying groceries without a list and it saved me $80 a month

For years I just walked into the store and grabbed whatever looked good. I figured lists were for old people or people with no self control. Then last month I got to the checkout and my total was $187 for what felt like nothing. I got home and realized I had bought three different kinds of chips and no actual dinner ingredients. My neighbor saw me unloading the car and told me she uses a grocery list app that keeps track of prices too. I tried it for two weeks and my bill dropped to around $110 per trip. Now I plan every meal on Sunday and stick to the list no matter what. Has anyone else noticed how much they save just by writing it down first?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleym431mo ago

Oh man, that chips thing hits close to home. I used to do the exact same thing, I'd come home with like four bags of snacks and a single lime for dinner. Planning meals on Sunday really works though, I started doing that a few months back and it cut my waste down so much. Its wild how much money we just throw away on impulse buys when we're hungry and tired after work. Good for you for sticking with it, that savings adds up fast.

veraj531mo ago

That whole cycle of buying random stuff when you're tired is just part of something bigger I've noticed. Like how we treat our energy levels like an afterthought until we crash. It's the same reason I end up ordering takeout three times a week even though I have a fridge full of stuff I meant to cook. The tired brain just grabs whatever is easiest, whether it's chips or a whole pizza. Once I started paying attention to that pattern it helped me fix other stuff too, like keeping a water bottle by my bed so I actually drink it in the morning.