Have you been tasked with grocery shopping at SM Supermalls? If you are the type of dad that rarely hits the grocery store and you are concerned about missing important items you need at home, then a shopping list is the companion you can rely on. Just as a visual guide makes furniture assembly easy, a shopping list makes every trip to the supermarket quick and stress-free. So make sure you have a checklist in hand when you visit an SM Market near you!
Fair warning: there’s more to a shopping list than meets the eye. So if you are planning on using your wife’s notes, make sure you are fairly acquainted with everything on the list. Your partner is already familiar with all the items you use at home, so there is a great chance that she lists things without going into specifics as she shops with her instincts. With extensive product selections available at SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore, the last thing you would want to happen is to not know what brands you prefer, which types you should pick, and how much is within your budget.
To avoid getting overwhelmed and to save yourself from the hassle of consulting your wife over the phone as you wander the aisles, we suggest that you write the shopping list yourself. Fret not as we are here to assist you in making your checklist! Just follow our comprehensive guide, which we have organized together with other dads, so you can prepare for your next grocery run with ease.
1. Check Food Items and Household Essentials That Need Replenishing
When you are preparing your shopping list, check your pantry stock and supply of household essentials first to see which items need replenishing. Make sure that you cover everything from basic ingredients and food staples to cleaning supplies and bath products!
Bert Valdez, 52 and a father of three, suggests that you and your wife keep a running list and write down items as they run out. “I have been a dad for nearly 30 years and I still miss some things when shopping for groceries. Until today, there are items that I forget to buy no matter how important they are or how simple they can be. It is frustrating, that is why you need to list it down immediately,” he admitted.
Pro tip: Pay close attention to the brands you use and take note of key phrases on the packaging as these details will come in handy further down the line!
2. Create a Week-Long Meal Plan Before Writing the List
Planning your family’s meals for the entire week helps in creating a more detailed shopping list. By jotting down the ingredients you need for the dishes you will be preparing, you are already avoiding overspending, overcrowding your kitchen, and wasting food.
We recommend you and your wife plan meals around food items that you already have. This could be frozen meat that has stayed too long in your freezer or uncooked pasta that has been hiding in your cupboard since the holiday season. It would also be great if your recipes share the same ingredients, so that you do not have to worry about leftovers.
Another way is to take a general approach to meal planning. You can opt for basic food items that you can mix and match to create breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.
3. Team Up With Your Wife in Writing the Shopping List
To curate a shopping list with your wife is not just sweet, but also wise and practical. Not only can she guide you on which grocery items to prioritize and which products to skip, but she can also teach you top-secret shopping hacks you can use during your grocery run. After all, who else would you turn to for shopping advice other than a master shopper?
Writing the shopping list together also allows for discussions about budgeting and non-essential items you can purchase. “My wife is always mad when I come home with too many treats after my turn to buy groceries,” recalled Vincent Tan, 27 and a father to a 3-year-old son. “We live just a few blocks away from SM Hypermarket and I always bring my son with me during my grocery run. We usually end up buying too many desserts, which always makes my wife frustrated. One time I came home with a kitchen appliance she can use. She was surprised and happy, but she sat me down and lectured me about my excessive spending habits. So, make sure you and your wife are on the same page when it comes to grocery shopping.”
4. Make Sure Your Shopping List Is Comprehensive
It takes plenty of trips to the store before parents can fully master grocery shopping. If the supermarket is still unfamiliar territory to you, then it is completely normal to see grocery shopping more as a challenge than a chore. So, a shopping list is crucial in surviving your grocery run.
When writing your grocery checklist, make sure you honor the details. Instead of simply jotting down what you need to purchase, you can list items along with your preferred brands and product variants. This is where your inventory notes (see tip #1) will come in handy. You may get lost in a sea of brand and product names out there, so knowing something simple like packaging color makes a difference.
5. Include Alternatives in Your Grocery Checklist
There will be times when the products you need are already out of stock. This will most likely happen if you are shopping for really popular brands or if the store has not yet replenished their inventory. It is best that you plan ahead and include alternatives in your checklist so when you find yourself in a similar situation, you can still continue shopping without skipping items on the list.
If you think that picking a similar item from a different brand can do the trick because they are practically the same, then you will be surprised to know that they are not. Take it from Ike Salvador, 54 and a father of 5: “When I shop for groceries, I am very careful about buying products from other manufacturers. One time, I came home with detergents and fabric softeners from a new brand and my wife was exasperated! I asked why and she gave me a detailed explanation about how products vary in quality, price, and results based on their makers.”
So when listing down options, make sure you consult the shopping expert first!
6. Group Your Grocery Items Into Categories
Categorizing your grocery items does not just make your shopping list more organized, but it also helps you keep track of your soon-to-be purchases and expenses. You may get very stressed out (or probably too enthusiastic) about listing down what you will buy that you may have missed a few essentials here and there. Categories allow you to assess your shopping list systematically and objectively.
Group your grocery items into general categories such as meat, fresh produce, perishables, canned goods, condiments and spices, personal hygiene products, cleaning and laundry supplies, hardware tools, and miscellaneous. Products are also placed in stores according to these groups, so categorizing also helps you tick off boxes on your checklist without moving back and forth racks and aisles.
7. Make an Estimate and Stick to Your Grocery Budget
Estimating your grocery cost based on your shopping list can help you stick to your budget. So once you are done organizing your checklist, we suggest that you write down the prices of your listed grocery items for calculation.
Arjon Montano, 38, has a budgeting trick for grocery shopping that you can also follow: “I come from a frugal family and I always find a way to save or better manage money in everything I do. When it comes to grocery shopping, I make sure I know my math. I review our previous grocery receipts for the prices of the products I am buying on the next grocery run. Then, I compare my rough computation with our budget to check whether or not I am on the right track. I also compare my estimate with past receipts to see if I am about to spend more than the usual. If I find that I already exceeded either our budget or our previous grocery spending, I review my shopping list for items that can wait until the next supply run.”
8. Look Up Deals From Your Trusted Grocer Online
The supermarket is filled with temptations. By that, we mean deals and promos that are way too good to pass up. They dot every corner of the grocery store, inviting you to pick them up and take them to the counter. Taking advantage of one or two in-store campaigns is alright, but go more than that and you risk spending more than your actual budget.
To refrain from giving in to such tempting deals, we recommend that you look up discount programs online prior to your grocery run. If you are shopping at SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, or Savemore, you can visit www.smmarkets.ph or SM Markets’ official Facebook page to view their latest product catalog and learn about any ongoing promotions available to you. This way, you already have an idea about the special offers that await you.
Better yet, checking out deals and promos beforehand allows you to budget better. By planning your shopping list around discounted grocery items, you are already saving money even before making it to the store.
9. Include Images in Your List for Reference
Even with a list in hand, grocery shopping can still be rattling. This is especially true if you have to choose from products that all look the same to you. If you do not know your fruits, veggies, and meat cuts, then it is best to include images in your shopping list or simply save photos in your phone for reference.
At SM Markets, there are dozens of friendly shop attendants that are always ready to assist you during your visit. So if you need help identifying fresh produce or locating specific items on your list, do not hesitate to approach any of the staff members. They will gladly help you with your shopping concerns.
1. Check Food Items and Household Essentials That Need Replenishing
When you are preparing your shopping list, check your pantry stock and supply of household essentials first to see which items need replenishing. Make sure that you cover everything from basic ingredients and food staples to cleaning supplies and bath products!
Bert Valdez, 52 and a father of three, suggests that you and your wife keep a running list and write down items as they run out. “I have been a dad for nearly 30 years and I still miss some things when shopping for groceries. Until today, there are items that I forget to buy no matter how important they are or how simple they can be. It is frustrating, that is why you need to list it down immediately,” he admitted.
Pro tip: Pay close attention to the brands you use and take note of key phrases on the packaging as these details will come in handy further down the line!
