It’s the simplest thing, and yet, a weekly grocery shopping list, if not done right, will leave you without the ingredients you need. Either this or your kids will be lacking snacks. And where do you keep this list anyway? In this post I will give you the rundown on creating a grocery list for family of 5 based on the meal plan from the last post. So enough talk, let’s create a weekly grocery shopping list.
How Do I make a Weekly Grocery Shopping List for a Family?
This used to be just me thinking of a few things I needed. Then it was me and my husband thinking of things we needed and some things we wanted. Shopping would take 30 minutes tops and life was easy. But now I have 5 people to shop for, including meals, snacks, keto-friendly, gluten-free, organic, yikes! It’s so many things involved that you probably won’t have to do. And if you don’t have to think about it, be thankful! Here are the steps to making a shopping list.
- Take stock of your inventory. Look at what you have on hand, in your pantry, etc. A pantry inventory list comes in handy right here.
- Look over your meal plan for the week. Write down all of the needed ingredients of each meal that you don’t have on hand. Yes, each item.
- Look at your running list of things to pick up and decide what you need to add to this week’s list.. We have one in my kitchen for the kids to jot down things as we run out.
- Look up any grocery store ads and decide on what you can do without or substitute to keep within your budget. At this point, sometimes you may decide to switch out a meal idea for another. That’s totally ok!
- Organize your items by grocery store aisle. If you are using a template that already has items by category or store order then you will save a good chunk of time.
- Write down the quantity for each item. Don’t leave anything to guesswork, especially if last-minute your husband ends up going instead of you.
- Print it! I used to use my phone all of the time but due to covid19-life I started printing it out so I don’t touch my phone as much. Also, just in case your phone or app doesn’t work you will always have it with you.
What is a Basic Grocery List?
A basic grocery list is a list of the things that you will use the most, the essentials for most of your basic meals or food selections. That means your weekly grocery shopping list includes both your basic list as well as your specific meal ingredients for that week.
A basic grocery list has all of the things that you need to keep your pantry stocked with the things you’d like to use regularly, but also things you can make quick meals from when you get busy.
Basic Grocery List
I created this pretty basic grocery shopping list to help you build a family stockpile. I created it in Blue and Pink and it’s easy to access because it’s only 1 page. You can get your own RIGHT HERE for only 0.99! (watermark will be removed upon purchase)
A Grocery List for Family of 5 on a Budget
My grocery list for a family of 5 sometimes it feels like for a family of 7 or 8. With all of our special exceptions, plus having kids who don’t eat everything put in front of them, I’m shopping around a lot. Keeping within budget can be crazy! And nerve-racking, however, I’m used to the chaos involved. So with all of that in mind, my budget grocery list won’t look the same as yours. But you are welcome to see it!
Store #1
Bananas (2)
Sweet Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Romaine
Avocado (2)
Earth Balance soy-free
Coconut yogurt (6)
chocolate chips enjoylife (2)
bobs paleo flour
larabars (10)
Chili Powder
Black pepper
Gluten free (GF) cornbread mix
Amy’s Vegetable soups 2
Veganese (1)
Stevia
Almond butter with no sugar
GF bread (1)
GF waffles
gf oats
Olives
Store #2
(Yes, I have to shop at 2 stores most weeks, the first one is too expensive to buy everything and I have yet to find a store that has all of the special items we need, besides WholePaycheck.. Er, I mean Foods)
Tortilla Chips
Salsa (2)
Graham CRACKERS (2)
SEAWEED packs
Quinoa
Goldfish Crackers (2)
Dried Cranberries (2)
Raisins (2)
Almonds
Italian Dressing
ALMOND BUTTER
Organic Peanut Butter (2)
Jelly – Strawberry (3)
Ketchup (2)
Coconut oil
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Trail Mix
GF Pretzels (2)
GF Crackers
GF Spaghetti Noodles
Bread (2)
Canned Diced Tomatoes (2)
Canned Crushed Tomatoes (2)
Chili Beans (3)
Black Beans (4)
Kidney Beans (2)
Baked beans (3)
SALMON 2 Cans
Tuna (5)
fruit packs (2)
Apples
LUNCHMEAT
Hummus
mac n cheese(2)
Almond milk (4)
Eggs 2
GF Beef (5)
Frozen Pizza Bites (1)
Frozen Broccoli
Frozen Corn
How Can I Buy Groceries for 2 Weeks?
So you want to turn your weekly grocery list into a biweekly list? No problem. You might have a better idea of what a normal family list looks like by visiting The Tex Mex Mom. In this post she lists what a family of 4 eats in a two week period.
And don’t forget to pick up your basic grocery list! Click here to purchase for only 0.99!
Do you need to make a meal plan? Check out How to Meal Plan for Moms Who Don’t Know How!