To be perfectly honest, I am easily distracted whenever I walk into a grocery or drug store.
All it takes is one little rabbit trail and before I know it, I have been wandering the aisles for an hour clueless on why I ever walked into the store in the first place. Okay so maybe I am exaggerating a little, but you get the gist.
If it weren’t for these few simple steps I am sure to buy things I don’t need, forget the things I do need and walk away feeling pretty much defeated.
This is why I say it is such a good idea to have a Grocery Plan of Action.
I realize that I might be the only one, but just in case any of you suffer from this distraction problem as I do, I am sharing my top tips for staying focused.
Make a list and stick to it.
I mean walking into a grocery store without a list is a sure way to sabotage yourself from the start.
Read how to get started making and sticking to a grocery list and get a FREE Grocery List Printable to help you plan your shopping trip.
Review your list often.
Take some time while you are in the parking lot before you get out of the car to go over your list.
This will help give you a running start when you enter the store and already know which items you are planning to pick up.
I review my list often throughout the store because frankly, the easily distracted thing is no joke when it comes to me. One aisle in, and I am already drifting away to “Oh, where was I, what am I supposed to get”.
Shop alone whenever possible, and when it does not play a game.
If you have younger kids that you must bring with you, it can help to turn the whole shopping excursion into a fun game by getting your kids involved. Before you leave the house make sure your kids have their own lists to follow.
Maybe just add a few things to their lists that they are “responsible” for remembering. This could be a good time to practice writing skills. If they can’t write yet, have them draw a picture of what they are supposed to remember when you get to the store.
Remind them that you are only getting the things on the list. This is also good training for when they get older not to become impulse buyers.
When you finish shopping, offer your kids a treat if they were helpful and made sure to remember everything on their lists while mom worked on her own list.
A few extra tips for you:
A good pen is your task friendly BFF! Make sure you have a pen to mark off your list as you go. It is SO much easier for me to visually see when I am almost done shopping if I am able to cross things off as I go along. I don’t know how it works, but having a pen in hand somehow keeps me more focused and on task as I am navigating the store’s aisles.
Never shop hungry. Because no matter how great your plan, your list will inevitably get thrown out the window the moment you spot the first clearance rack filled with bakery goods.
NEVER ever shop with your husband 😉
I ALWAYS go over budget and find myself distracted the whole time. It’s a bad combination, and as many times as I have been through this I always think it will be fun if he joins me. It is fun, and the kids always LOVE what we end up bringing home, but we never stay focused and buy all kinds of unnecessary things. This is probably why my kids love when dad goes shopping lol.
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