Shopping without a list

looksee

I just did a bit of sorting of the press under the kitchen sink...and discovered I have eight bottles of Fairy Liquid. A couple of years ago I had a new kitchen installed, including my first ever dishwasher, so of course I do not need anything like as much w.u. liquid, but I continued buying it. It will probably see me out!

The last time I got carried away I ended up with 5 of the large jars of Nescafe coffee. So I stopped buying it until...yup, I ran out completely.

I think I need to write a list.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I have a post it note type app on my phone. I have all my potential groceries listed. I can highlight the items I need, check them off in the store and it tells me if I have completed the list or not. I only buy what's on the list.

looksee

That's a great idea Srameen, sadly I don't really have an organised mind and would quite likely forget to look at a list if I had one

Jellybaby1

Was in the supermarket today. I was waiting in the queue to pay when I heard a woman behind laughing and said 'it's not worth coming in for one thing'. She was referring to a man who had just one item. She, he, and I then continued the conversation with laughter all agreeing that only a man can enter a shop for one item, and leave with one item.

Day Lewin

Blackboard on the kitchen wall and chalk nearby. As soon as anything is empty, or near running out, write it on the blackboard. Then refer to that when writing list for supermarket. (on back of an envelope, usually!)

Shopping with no list always means I come home with some useful stuff, yes, but NOT the thing that I went out to get in the first place!

spurious

My partner came home last year with six jars of ham glaze 'because it was a good price'. We still have five.

OldGoat

List, schmist. Take a photo of the interior of your fridge/cupboards on your phone so you can visually check if you need to replace anything.

boobar

Went shopping yesterday to Tesco with a 12 euro voucher if I spend 60.

No list...disaster, not one dinner purchased, sweets, wine, party food. Still at least it won't go to waste!

Steve

spurious wrote: »

My partner came home last year with six jars of ham glaze 'because it was a good price'. We still have five.

We ran out last year, wish I'd known. Apparently it's only available this time of year...

Graces7

I almost always do a list... then forget to take it with me. I have a long drive wherever I shop so spend the time making up words using the initial letters of things i know I need.

A master plan would be a kind of universal list glued in your purse to read as you wander.. But hey not as much fun.

looksee

I find if I have written a list I can then generally remember most things on it. Sometimes.

Steve

If I haven't got a list, I wander aimlessly - and probably buy way to much.

I'd say supermarkets love listless wanderers..

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You can't beat a list. Mine is on a post-it type app on the phone and you tick of the items as you put them in the trolley. You make a full list once and turn on the items to highlight them for buying. It means there are aisles I don't even go down most weeks and the entire shop can be done in less than 20 minutes.

Jellybaby1

Customers sticking to a list is a supermarket manager's nightmare! I look at it as payback for all the rip-offs I've experienced in supermarkets over the years! There are several aisles I never get to see any more now, the soft drinks aisle is a distant memory as well as the crisps/popcorn/nuts aisle. I hardly ever visit the shampoo aisle now as I buy the cheapest stuff several bottles at a time which lasts me almost a year.

garancafan

looksee wrote: »

I find if I have written a list I can then generally remember most things on it. Sometimes.

Likewise - I usually have to because I have forgotten the list.

Rubecula

Often end up with duplicates but I stopped using a list years ago. The reason?
I kept forgetting the list

Jellybaby1

In a folder I have a list of all the items I generally buy, this is my 'stock list'. Before I go shopping I do a quick stock check, checking the cupboards, fridge and freezer, and thus my shopping list is made. My system has been working very well for decades now. I rarely forget my shopping list but it has happened occasionally.

Rubecula

That sounds very organised you know. :eek:

Masala

As they sAy... Surely there is a free App that can help here???

Rubecula

A bit modern for me that, my mobile phone only has a few yards range as the cord only stretches that far.:D

endacl

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Was in the supermarket today. I was waiting in the queue to pay when I heard a woman behind laughing and said 'it's not worth coming in for one thing'. She was referring to a man who had just one item. She, he, and I then continued the conversation with laughter all agreeing that only a man can enter a shop for one item, and leave with one item.

I am that man. If I need a thing, I go to a place that sells the thing I need. I pick up the thing, take it to the till, and pay for the thing. I then return home with the thing. And nothing but the thing.

I am the very archetype of focus and absolute dedication to purpose when I find I need to buy a thing.

Rubecula

endacl wrote: »

I am that man. If I need a thing, I go to a place that sells the thing I need. I pick up the thing, take it to the till, and pay for the thing. I then return home with the thing. And nothing but the thing.

I am the very archetype of focus and absolute dedication to purpose when I find I need to buy a thing.

I am like that as I never get distract........ ooh look a squirrel

Jellybaby1

endacl wrote: »

I am that man. If I need a thing, I go to a place that sells the thing I need. I pick up the thing, take it to the till, and pay for the thing. I then return home with the thing. And nothing but the thing.

I am the very archetype of focus and absolute dedication to purpose when I find I need to buy a thing.

Very impressive indeed!

Rubecula wrote: »

I am like that as I never get distract........ ooh look a squirrel

:D

Save

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

endacl wrote: »

I am that man. If I need a thing, I go to a place that sells the thing I need. I pick up the thing, take it to the till, and pay for the thing. I then return home with the thing. And nothing but the thing.

I am the very archetype of focus and absolute dedication to purpose when I find I need to buy a thing.

Being like that is the norm for me. I find it strange that anybody can go in to a shop for something in particular and come out with additional items.

looksee

Anthony Prickly Prizefight wrote: »

Being like that is the norm for me. I find it strange that anybody can go in to a shop for something in particular and come out with additional items.

I am very seriously strange like that.

Alun

Anthony Prickly Prizefight wrote: »

Being like that is the norm for me. I find it strange that anybody can go in to a shop for something in particular and come out with additional items.

When it comes to grocery shopping, I'm terrible, always buying stuff because it looks interesting, or because I think we've run out of it, when we haven't. I rarely throw anything out though, resulting in some odd 'bottom of the fridge' dishes to use stuff up at the end of the week.

I hate any other kind of shopping though and do most of it online now, but on the few occasions when I do have to travel into Dublin, for clothes for example, I'm ultra focussed on the job at hand, and try and get in and out as soon as possible. Back when the old Travel 90 bus tickets were available, I'd make it a point to get my outward and return journey on the same ticket, which seeing as it takes the best part of 50-60 minutes to get into Dublin from Bray on the bus, means a maximum of 30-40 minutes to walk to the shop, buy clothes and walk back to bus stop. I usually managed it though

Masala

Just think out loud here..... Imagine an App that you cou use as follows:

You go to the press looking for say a packet of rice. You notice you are using the last packet you have. If you gad an App that could scan the bar code before you dump the packaging. The App would save it and the next time you are in Tesco.. You call up your App and it lists all those items you ran out of???

Am I on a winner here???

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Masala wrote: »

Just think out loud here..... Imagine an App that you cou use as follows:

You go to the press looking for say a packet of rice. You notice you are using the last packet you have. If you gad an App that could scan the bar code before you dump the packaging. The App would save it and the next time you are in Tesco.. You call up your App and it lists all those items you ran out of???

Am I on a winner here???

Or you just tick it on the List on the phone, as I do now,

Rubecula

looksee wrote: »

I am very seriously strange
.

I realise that :D:D

Graces7

Shopping with a list takes all the fun out of the expedition... I rely on what is reduced and on special ,.and the basics are always needed of course.

I had literally decades of being housebound and now i love shopping and enjoy it.. only write down the unusual needs now.

Last week it was WD40 and safety pins.The latter have gone out of fashion it seems so that will carry over.

looksee

Its almost impossible to buy decent quality safety pins.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

looksee wrote: »

Its almost impossible to buy decent quality safety pins.

The local haberdashery here has a wide selection, as Mrs S will attest to.

paulgalway

Anthony Prickly Prizefight wrote: »

You can't beat a list. Mine is on a post-it type app on the phone and you tick of the items as you put them in the trolley. You make a full list once and turn on the items to highlight them for buying. It means there are aisles I don't even go down most weeks and the entire shop can be done in less than 20 minutes.

Which app do you use?

Graces7

looksee wrote: »

Its almost impossible to buy decent quality safety pins.

Wonder why? I would love nappy pins as they are for keeping covers on the settee re the dog. Only place I have got them from was a small fabric shop in Killarney . Someone said maybe a dealz or similar so will try next time I am out.

Killarney is rather too far to go!;)

looksee

Well you really don't need nappy pins with disposable nappies! And really pretty much all they are used for is pinning tags on delegates at conferences etc, so the ones you get are feeble little one-use things.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

Wonder why? I would love nappy pins as they are for keeping covers on the settee re the dog. Only place I have got them from was a small fabric shop in Killarney . Someone said maybe a dealz or similar so will try next time I am out.

Killarney is rather too far to go!;)

Any fabric or yarn shop will have them. We even got some in Mothercare.

Jellybaby1

Anthony Prickly Prizefight wrote: »

Any fabric or yarn shop will have them. We even got some in Mothercare.

Yep, I bought my last set of nappy pins in Mothercare. I was actually using them for the pudding cloth on my Christmas pud!!! They're the best!! For those who never heard of this before, you've missed another great tradition!! Alternatively, I could have bought a kilt pin!!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

paulgalway wrote: »

Which app do you use?

ColorNote.

spurious

Wanted to write to a recently bereaved friend. Do you think I could find writing paper and envelopes? Not on your Nelly. Had to trawl all sorts of places and be met with blank looks by under 25s who didn't seem to grasp the concept of 'letter'.

Eventually found a not very nice white pad and envelopes in a supermarket.
Hang on to any Basildon Bond you have.

looksee

You are supposed to send a purchased sentimental card with a pome. Sorry, not true obviously, but I agree its a bit difficult.

Jellybaby1

Naw, not difficult at all. I bet all you need to do is go get someone else to write your shopping list for you.....

http://snailmailmyemail.org/

The world's gone mad I tellya!

Graces7

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Yep, I bought my last set of nappy pins in Mothercare. I was actually using them for the pudding cloth on my Christmas pud!!! They're the best!! For those who never heard of this before, you've missed another great tradition!! Alternatively, I could have bought a kilt pin!!

Driving 50 miles each way which it would be from here, for a packet of safety pins is rather too far add on a walk I cannot always manage now.. cost of petrol...

This shop is excellent .. used to get all I needed there..

http://www.craftersbasket.com/haberdashery/fasteners-pins/pins.html


And I need needles too..and pins..


http://www.craftersbasket.com/search.html?search%5Bkeywords%5D=needles&_a=category

Let An Post do the work..