My “Map” Method Saves Me 15 Minutes on Every Grocery Store Run — and So Much Money

Since childhood, I’ve always treated grocery shopping as something fun to do. I loved sticking my head into the frozen foods doors during a hot summer day and asking my mom if I could get my favorite snack from every aisle. As an adult, I would still find myself getting distracted and freely roaming the grocery store instead of filling my cart with everything I needed for the week. 

When I moved in with my husband nearly eight years ago, he noticed my grocery shopping quirk and would constantly refocus my path to ensure we’d stick to our list. I started brainstorming some ways I could save time and money at the grocery store, which is how I came up with my “map” method I rigorously follow to this day.

My “map” method involves writing out my grocery list based on the order of where items are located in the store. For example, my local Vons at the time I first invented this approach had the deli, meats, and bread section near the entrance. Therefore, the top of my list would read turkey bacon, bagels, tortillas. In other words, I make my list beforehand according to how the store is mapped out, preventing me from needlessly browsing, buying things I don’t exactly need, going back and forth in the store or, more commonly, forgetting an item.

When I was first trying out this method, I took a video walking through the entire store so I could reference it the next time I made my list. Over time, of course, I memorized the layout and making the list became easier and easier.

Since my list dictates where I go in a grocery store, I tend to skip some aisles entirely and spend less time perusing shelves because I already know the exact item I need. This part of my method probably saves me anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes each grocery run compared with how much time I’d spend roaming around before. I also stick to the same stores — typically my local Trader Joe’s — so that I’m used to the layout and can make my mapped-out list without having to think too much. 

My method overall also saves me a pretty penny and maybe even a future cavity, since I used to frequently throw in snacks and sweets I didn’t necessarily need. Of course, this doesn’t mean I don’t still buy little treats and fun snacks — but they have to be on my list for me to buy them.

I’ve been shopping at my local Trader Joe’s for a year and a half now, and most of the time, I stick to my map method. There have been a handful of times, though, when my husband calls to tell me something we have is expired or we’ve run out of something unexpectedly. In those cases, I add those things to the bottom of my list and wait until I’ve completed my shopping to put them in my cart. 

Of course, every once in a while stores change up their layout or move certain items around, and in those cases I skip past that ingredient on my list and go find it once I’ve reached the end. I also make a mental note (or take a picture) to remember that layout tweak for the next time I’m making my list. 

Even though the “map” method has majorly streamlined my grocery shopping process, I do still have fun with it. Every now and then, if my list is shorter than usual, I’ll give myself a few extra minutes and dollars to splurge on a treat or just roam the way little me used to.