While I whole heartedly admit I love the results, I do not love the actual time when I sit down and make the menu, it is one of my least favorite chores, but the effort is worth it.

I do the shopping almost always, though when my husband does go, I put VERY specific info on the list so that we do not end up w. the situation Trent described. It works out.

I keep a separate list on my fridge for every store: the normal grocery store, the co-op, and Costco.

I do think it’s a bit asinine to write down the name of a finished product on *any* document designed to be a shopping reference, rather than the names of individual ingredients. I don’t know what possessed either one of you to think that this was an acceptable practice in the first place. You don’t buy finished recipes at a grocery store, you buy ingredients.

I am the primary cook in my household, but I work from home most of the time, and therefore, about half of the time, my wife will pick up the groceries we need, since she passes by two chain stores on her way home.

When we decide she is going to do that, I usually email her the grocery list (straight from the fridge), and I DO rearrange the list on the email by category to make it easier on her. (All the produce first, followed by all the baking goods, canned goods, meats, refrigerables, and frozen foods.)

Rebuilding and reorganizing the list like that, immedately before shopping, is the optimal strategy to make the shopper’s life easier. Doing it in an email editor is ideal, since you can insert and move things around with little effort and no mess, until you have them in the right order.

Also, I like Nicole’s idea of using junk mail envelopes on which to keep the lists. I’ve done that in the past, but I keep acquiring little shopping-list-sized pads as gifts, faster than I can burn through them. Otherwise, I would be right there with you Nicole! :)

On the contrary, his tone was not at all angry or derisive. He simply stated, impassionately, the problems he encountered while trying to grocery shop using the document that Sarah had prepared as a guide. He followed that by what he thinks could be improved next time and the lessons he derived from the experience.

It wasn’t condescending or wife-bashing at all; I think some of you are reading WAY too much emotion into this post.

Trent just reminded me of it today – it’s been at least 5 years since I used such a list. We’ll see if my wife hates it as much as my old roommates did.

I only shop at one grocery store. I got the idea to write down the type of contents in each aisle and put it in a word document. I write down what I need on a whiteboard as the week goes on. Then all I have to do is jot it down in the appropriate column. It saves quite a bit of time, as I don’t forget things and have to run back on the way to the checkout, and it helps keep me from impulse buys.

I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t even need the list anymore. I’m able to write out the list in order from memory.

I’m now inspired by this post to do what she did.

Failing that, a magnetic whiteboard and pen on the fridge door, or painting that door or an adjacent wall in blackboard paint (recipes for all colors are online) work well.

You work at home. Making the list really should be your responsibility, and if she picks up the items on the way home from her outside work, gas, money, and tempers will be saved. Give the gal a break. Even teachers are being laid off these days, and she probably is shielding you from her worries.