45+ Printable Grocery List Templates (Word, Excel, PDF)

A Grocery List is a form used to write down a list of grocery items one intends to buy at a supermarket or a grocery shop.

A grocery list is meant to help in preparing for shopping. The list captures is meant to write down the grocery items you need to shop for so that you don’t miss or forget any while at the grocery store. Additionally, by having a list, people avoid shopping for what they do not need, and thus, it is a crucial tool if anyone intends to shop within their budget.

What is a Grocery List Template?

A grocery list template is a fillable form that outlines blank sections where users can write down shopping details such as grocery items, quantity, price, and other essential details. We have provided our readers with downloadable and printable grocery list templates on our website that they can use to create their grocery lists. The templates are easily customizable and offer users a quick option in creating their grocery lists. So kindly download to make your grocery list today!

Item Category (e.g., beverages, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, produce, personal care, etc.)	Item Name (e.g. eggs, sugar, etc)	Brand	LLP (last purchase price)	Quantity (e.g. tray, liters, etc)	Store’s Name (e.g. Lakewood store)	Aisle No. ( for example 3rd )	Coupons
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Grocery lists are simple forms that can have a significant impact on anyone’s shopping habits and budgeting. To illustrate how the decision to use a grocery list anytime you go shopping can be beneficial to you, this article will highlight some of the benefits of using a grocery list.

They include:

Saves money

A grocery list is a prioritized list of only what is needed from the store. This way, it reduces the likelihood of buying unnecessary grocery items as only the items on the list are the primary focus, thus saving you money. Since when creating a grocery list, you have to take inventory of what you have or don’t have, money can be spent on what you don’t have and reduce having too much of one thing which would go to waste, leading to loss of money.

Saves times

Having a shopping list with you helps keep your shopping trip focused, and instead of having to wander through aisles in the store trying to figure out what to buy, you can simply go to the aisle with the things you need. This will ensure you spend as little time as possible at the store, and you can get more done at the store in a short period.

Effective meal plans 

Grocery lists can help you plan your meals. When taking inventory, you can note what diet items are missing in your stocks, which can be included in the list. This way, meal plans can effectively be implemented in a household. In addition, if you wish to try new recipes, a grocery list is an effective way to track what ingredients and grocery items you don’t have for new recipes. 

Healthier food choices

 When making your grocery list, you can outline healthier grocery items to keep watch of your diet. Grocery lists are records of what you have been eating; this way, one is able to plan what to add to their diet by referring to previous grocery lists. Grocery lists give you an opportunity to create a healthy diet and vary the different food choices in one place. By sticking to the list, you avoid buying unhealthy foods.

Relaxed grocery shopping

Any type of shopping, grocery shopping not excluded, can be tedious and frustrating. Having a grocer list helps in doing a more organized and focused shopping experience. After all, you are certain of what you want to buy, how much to get and where to get it.

Free Grocery List Templates

Coming up with an organized grocery list does not have to be a complex process. Using a readily available platform such as Microsoft Word is an easy and equally effective way of creating a grocery list. Using an already prepared template is definitely faster, but you can also create a personalized template that includes specific details about your shopping experiences.

This article will look into how you can do this below:

Insert a 7×6 table 

Open MS Word, go to the “Insert” tab and insert a table with seven columns and six rows. The columns represent the item details of your grocery list. You can create a 7×6 table for all the food groups or categories to be bought.

For example:

Snacks, groceries, non-food items, etc.

Include the item category 

Next, start filling out the table with the category sections. Select the entire first row and right-click the selection and “Merge Cells” such that you have one blank row. Click on the box and name that table the item category you want, say “Vegetables.”

Examples of other categories of food are:

• Bread, rice, cereal, pasta
• Fruits
• Meat, eggs, poultry, fish, 
• Fats, oils, and sweets
• Miscellaneous foods (spices, spread, baking powder, etc.)
• Household items (soap, bulbs, detergents)

If you are creating a meal plan-based grocery list, using categories such as carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, drinks, etc., is also effective.

Add the serial number 

Once you have labeled the table with the desired item category, navigate to the first column. Label the first column as “Serial Number” or “No.”. Having a serial number is important for identification purposes. The first item on your list will have serial number 1; the second item will have serial number 2, and so forth.  

Enlist names of grocery items

The next step is to list all the grocery items you intend to buy. Write the names of the items, examples of grocery items are carrots, peas, milk, onions, eggs, etc.  The second column should be labeled “Item Name” in order to capture this information. In this section, you can also include brand names, flavors, etc. Grocery items will normally be dependent on your stock in the pantry and fridge or meal plan.    

Include LLP (last purchase price) 

After, navigate to the third column and label it as LLP (last Purchase Price). This is the price of the items the last time you bought them. Having the last purchase price in a grocery list facilitates budgeting.  

Add the quantity of the items

The next item detail to add to the table is the quantity of groceries. Label the fourth column as “Quantity” or its short form “Qty.” This section is meant to capture details such as kilograms, packets, liters, units, etc.

Write store’s name

In some instances, there will be different stores offering the items you want. It is therefore important to note the store where you will get each item. Label the fifth column as “Store” or “Store’s name.”

Include aisle no. for convenience

Items in stores will always be organized in aisles to assist customers in locating what they need. Since you want the grocery list to help save you the trouble of having to look for items throughout the store, it is essential to have a section where you note down the aisle where you can find different items. Label the sixth “Aisle no.”

Add on the coupon numbers, if any 

Lastly, label the seventh column as “Coupons.” Having a place where you can note down any coupons or special offers on different shopping items is important. Coupons and offers can help you save money. Therefore, planning beforehand how to maximize their availability can lead to overall effective budgeting. For example, if an item that runs out fast is on offer, it would be wise to stock up more than you planned.

Grocery List Templates

When shopping, everyone should be aiming to save as much money as possible while at the same time getting the exact products they want. Remember, a good grocery list is one step in shopping within a budget. You need to first have an overall monthly budget o be used as a guide. Once it is clear how much is available for shopping, this figure can be incorporated into the shopping list.

Implement the following to ensure you shop within your budget:

Separate variable vs. non-negotiable costs

Whenever preparing to shop, always separate variable costs from non-negotiable (fixed) costs. Fixed costs are the items you have to pay for regardless. Examples of such costs are rent, water bills, electricity, etc.  Variable costs include foodstuffs, entertainment items, snacks, etc. By noting down these costs, you are able to prioritize your shopping list.

Count while you shop 

Once you have settled on a budget, always refer to it as you shop. Measure how well you are sticking to it so that any bloat in the budget can be corrected as soon as possible. This is a simple process of additions on your phone or calculator of the price of everything you have already placed in your basket; however, its benefits are enormous when it comes to following your monthly budget.

Choose a small basket 

Most grocery stores will provide their customers with oversized shopping baskets or carts to influence them to fill the basket instead of shopping for what they want. Having a small basket ensures that you get exactly what you want from the store, unlike huge baskets, which make it seem like you have fewer items than you do in actuality. Always try to use the smallest basket that fits the things you need.

Pay for your groceries in cash 

Another helpful technique in ensuring you shop within your budget is opting to pay for groceries in cash. Using cash is very effective in avoiding overspending. However, it also means taking money out of your account and physically distributing it to the different expenses on your budget. Use envelopes and label them according to the expenses and keep the money allocated to these expenses in those envelopes.

Look at the lower shelves 

Supermarkets and grocery stores use a technique where they place the most overpriced items at eye-level or at the top shelves where you can see the items without struggling. However, the same items at more affordable prices are placed on the lower shelves; therefore, always check the lower shelves to get better-priced items.

Order online

Nowadays, most stores will have online platforms you can shop and pay from. Therefore, shopping online is very convenient as you can shop from wherever you are and have them pack and deliver the items to you. This way, you can save on the time taken to visit the grocery store and move through aisles.

Don’t shop when you’re hungry

Always try to shop on a full stomach. Shopping when hungry can cloud your judgment where you end up shopping based on your need to eat rather than the grocery list or budget. Ensure you eat before you go shopping, and this way, you cannot make unnecessary purchases.

Compare prices by weight 

The decision to purchase an item should not only be based on retail price; always compare prices of similar products by weight. The best way to go about this is to price each item per 100 g. A product could appear affordable by the retail price, expensive price, or by weight. For example, two brands of soap could be priced at $2 and $4. While the first option would seem more affordable, you might find it is priced at $2 per 100 g, while the second option is priced at $1 per 100 g, making it more affordable.   

Shop around

Different stores have different pricing of similar items. You will often need to research which store offers the best products at the most affordable prices. This might mean going from store to store or navigating through online pages looking for the best prices. Note the difference in prices for items you normally use within the house. Getting the most affordable prices for your grocery list items will help with shopping within the budget. Periodically review these prices as they are bound to change with the seasons or applicable promotions.           

Buy groceries according to your meal plans

Base your grocery list on your meal plans. Having meals plans will help you estimate how much you need of your grocery items, and consequently, planning for expenses becomes easier. Another benefit of shopping based on meal plans is that you can avoid buying excess items, which limits overspending. 

Experiment switching the brands

Always try to mix up different brands of shopping items. Experimenting can be very rewarding, where you end up discovering a good product for a cheap price. This can positively impact your budget and might help you save money that would have otherwise been spent on expensive brands.

Implement meat-free meal plans at least one day a week

 Meat and meat products are indeed pricy. Organic and healthier meat products are even more expensive. Therefore, creating meal plans without meat at least once a week can save you money. Such a plan ensures you can add your greens intake to your weekly diet, which is positive as far as health is concerned.

Grocery Budget Templates

How well a grocery list is implemented during shopping determines whether one will reap the benefits of using a grocery list.

To improve the efficiency of a grocery list, you should aim to do the following:

Track monthly expenditure 

Always keep track of how much money you are spending and on what. Having a better understanding of your spending habits can help in keeping the same in control when shopping.

Track your expense

After your shopping trip to the grocery store, note down how much you have spent, then enter the figures in your monthly expense tracker. The grocery list then becomes part of the financial record of your expenses.

Take inventory of staple items

Before creating the grocery list, take inventory of items already in stock and how much is left. Your grocery shopping should be a continuous process, not a one-time process done every week or month afresh.

Have a running list

Always keep a running list within the house where you note down items you have run out of between two shopping trips. Always consult the running list when creating the grocery list.

Start your list early

Do not wait to create your grocery list at the very last minute you’re heading out. Having a running list is one way of starting preparations early. Creating a separate list where any finished staple items or new additions that need to be bought are written down. 

Check it off as you go

Cross off every item once you have obtained it. Remember, it might be a long shopping list, and it is easy to forget what you’ve already taken. This can save you plenty of time, a goal anyone intends to achieve when using a grocery list.

Stick to your list

Anyone can come up with a well-prepared grocery list; how much you choose to stick to it is where the difference comes in. Create a list that captures everything you need to avoid a situation where you have to shop for items not on the list.

An organized list serves better

Organize your grocery list in a simple and clear manner. A well-organized grocery list is easy to use and saves you time trying to locate details on the list. Note down items in the appropriate categories to avoid forgetting certain items because they were not in the appropriate category.

Start making simpler dishes on the menu

Having simple dishes on the menu can help in coming up with a simple grocery list. Complex recipes will usually be stuffed with a lot of ingredients that can eat into the groceries budget. Meals with five ingredients at most can be considered simple meals that can help with saving money. Opting for recipes that require the same ingredients is another cost-cutting solution for your grocery budget.

Following are some free downloadable templates for you:

When going shopping, having a grocery list should be a priority for people who want to spend less time at the store and avoid overspending. A grocery list will indicate the shopping items, quantity, last purchase prices, names of stores, and other relevant details that simplify the shopping experience. There are two ways to make grocery lists, the more traditional way is pen and paper, but it can also be electronic, for example, an app.

A grocery list should be well-organized and straightforward to make it easy to use. Using free grocery list templates is therefore encouraged as they are easy to use and readily available. One can create their personalized grocery list template with Microsoft Word using the guide we have provided.