WFMW - Shopping List

Works for Me Wednesday
Ultimate Shopping List I guess "ultimate" is kind of an exaggeration, but one of the things that makes our weekly schedule work is the habit we developed as a family to make sure we didn't run out of things. The kids know I do errands on Tuesday. The kids have also been told over and over "If it's not written down, it won't get done. If it's written down, it will eventually get done."

Whenever someone either uses something up or opens something new - whether it's a bottle of salad dressing or can of peanuts, a box of tissue or tube of toothpaste, a package of paper or roll of tape - they are supposed to write the item down on the handy-dandy shopping list kept by the kitchen phone. OR they can write it on the white board in the laundry room. (See how accommodating I am to give them a choice?)

It didn't take long for them to learn that remembering to keep the cupboards stocked is a family affair. It's no fun taking a shower without shampoo, or having hamburgers without any pickles, or watching a movie without any popcorn, or completing a school project without colored ink in the printer.

Then, before my weekly shopping trip, I would add both lists to the main shopping list in my planner and take care of everything (as long as it fit within the budget). Writing the item down before it was used up usually gave us time to make it be in the budget. And having to wait until shopping day helped teach delayed gratification as well as the principle of planning ahead.

In addition, this little habit has saved me a lot of time. It's been years since I've had to drop everything to run around town finding poster board for a school project that was "due tomorrow" or even just to the corner market to replenish the toilet paper supply. Good habits are a wonderful thing, and this one works for us.
For more ideas, or to share something that works for you, visit We are THAT Family today!

Comments

Jerralea said…
I agree with you on the shopping list. I've been trying to train my family to write down when they are low on a supply or have used it up. I'm going to have to implement the delayed gratification step and make them wait until errand day to make it really work for me.

By the way, love the title of your blog. I'm never bored either - way too many things to do! I can never do all that I want to accomplish!
Mandate said…
I found your blog and saw a conference Jepardy that you did back in 08. Do you have one for this new april session?