FREE Grocery Planning Template and How I Use It

I wanted to SHARE my colorful new grocery planning template with you guys!  I created this based on how I grocery plan/shop.  Click HERE to see how I plan my groceries and HERE for tips to save money!  I didn’t add my business logo to it because I find that annoying myself, BUT please do not use for resell!  See how I use it to plan my grocery trips below.

To download this FREE template click HERE.  There should be a little down arrow in top right section for you to click to download.  For more designs by yours truly, check out my ETSY SHOP.

You can also try right clicking on the image below and saving to your computer to use.  I’m not sure if the quality will be as good though.

This template is an 8.5×11 design.  Perfect to keep in a 3 ring binder.  I like to jot down some breakfast and lunch ideas so I’m not trying to figure out what to eat during the day.  I find I only cook about 5 times a week for dinner…maybe, so I have 5 boxes for dinner.  If I ever need to add an extra, I just write it to the side.  The “Special” box is for desserts and random things I want to make that week.  I love baking so I’m always making some kind of dessert or appetizer type dish.  It could be used for planning a meal for guests/events as well.  For example, food items you want at a football game watch party. 

How do I use it? 

On the back of this paper, I will make my initial grocery list and dinner plans.  It sometimes gets messy.  This example is actually pretty neat though.  You can jot down things you need throughout the week or do it all at one time (what I do).  I keep a white board on our fridge to jot down items we need throughout the week so I don’t forget.

 

Then I write the items on the planner under the appropriate category.  I always highlight an item if it is at a different store, so I can easily see what I need at each store.  I also write down the sale price next to it.  I forgot to highlight before I took this picture, but you can see it on the 2nd picture below.

This is what it might look like afterwards.  I still have my Sprouts and Kroger trip to make, that is why those items are not crossed off yet.  If an item is not crossed off that means I couldn’t find it there or decided to get it at another store.  For example, the mushrooms (not crossed off) did not look good at Walmart, so I plan to get those at Sprouts or Kroger.  I always go to Walmart first (where I get bulk of my groceries) for reasons like this (or if they happen to have a cheaper price than another store’s sale item).  I know you can price match, but most of the sale items I get at other stores are fruits, veggies, and meats, which I prefer at those other stores anyway.  Sometimes I’ll circle the item too so I’ll remember to get it at another store.  Hope all that makes sense 🙂

Grocery planning is key to keeping a budget, so it’s important to do some leg work BEFORE you shop.  I hope you can use this template and it helps you plan your meals.