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Most people spend over 2 hours every week on meal planning and grocery shopping. That’s a lot of time, and it doesn’t even include getting dinner on the table! There’s one simple habit that can cut that time in half, and it’s something you can start this week.
Why your grocery trips are taking so long
Before we get to the fix, let’s talk about what’s slowing you down in the store.
Grocery shopping can feel like a major time suck; you end up wandering the aisles, backtracking when you realize you forgot something, and stalling over what to make for dinner. Or you stand in front of the pasta sauce for way too long, wondering if you already have some at home. You leave with a cart full of random things that you only have a vague plan for how you’ll use.
Shopping like this wastes time and money every week. Between random purchases, food that goes to waste, and repeat trips for the one thing you forgot, the costs add up faster than you’d think.
The one habit that changes everything
We surveyed our users and found that when they created a meal plan, the average time spent grocery shopping and planning dropped from 140 minutes per week to 73. That’s over an hour back in your week, every week!
When you know what you’re making, everything else falls into place. Your grocery list is focused, and you move through the store with a purpose. You get in, get what you need, and get out!
3 simple ways to get started
If meal planning feels overwhelming, or you’ve fallen out of the habit, here’s how to keep it simple.
Get your recipes in one place. Hunting through bookmarks, Pinterest boards, and old screenshots is its own time drain. Having the recipes you actually like and use all in one place makes the planning part so much faster.
Plan around your real week. Not checking your schedule when you create a meal plan is a quick way to sabotage the entire endeavor! A busy Tuesday calls for something quick and easy, while a relaxed Sunday might be a good night to try something new. When your meal plan reflects your schedule, you’re much more likely to stick to it.
Have an organized list. This is where things get really efficient. A messy, handwritten list slows you down, but one that’s ordered by the aisles of your store means you can go from one end to the other without a single backtrack! Plan to Eat automatically generates a grocery list from your planned meals, organized by category, so you can get through the store fast. It takes one of the most tedious parts of the process completely off your plate.
There aren’t very many habits that actually get you back time every week, but meal planning is something special. You can get back 60+ minutes, feel more organized, and be prepared when dinner comes around.
And if you want to use the best meal planning app on the market, try Plan to Eat today!
