Ideas for Organized Holiday Shopping

Holidays aren’t the only time it’s important to be organized. Creating and maintaining a shopping list can save you time and money any time of the year. The tips below can be used to keep you orgainzed year round.

• Always keep a way to create a list handy for those moments when you say, “Oh, I’ll remember that item.” We know that chances are that you won’t; therefore, it is best to write things down.
• If you like to write, keep a lined pad of paper in your kitchen, by your bed, in your recreational area or home office, and anywhere else where you spend lots of time.
• Prefer technology over paper? Download a list app like Remember the Milk to your phone. Or, create an electronic spreadsheet you can keep on your phone.
• Create a catalog of all the items you buy for your house that includes all household supplies, bathroom supplies, seasonal supplies, home office supplies, etc. Add the necessary Holiday food items to this list.
• After gathering your notes from around the house and completing your inventory list, enter this information on your spreadsheet in your list app. Below is an example of a worksheet you can use. It takes a few minutes to set up but it’s worth it because you save time in the long run by being more organized.
• Another way to make lists (if you shop at the same store often) is to create this list with the column headers being the aisles in the supermarket. If you wish, you can add columns for different types of stores such as a wholesale buying warehouse, Butcher, Hardware store, etc.
• Pro tip: When trying to recreate aisles for your shopping list from a large store like Costco, take pictures of aisles the next time you go shopping. You can use the pics to remind yourself where everything can be found.