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If I had a nickel for every time I bought a jar of spices<\/a> at the grocery store, only to come home and realize I already owned a jar (or more!) of rosemary or paprika or [insert spice here]\u2026 well, I\u2019d be able to buy at least another jar. And while I\u2019ve always been good at jotting down a makeshift grocery list on my phone\u2019s notes app, it\u2019s almost always a very loose sketch of my pantry\u2019s most-reached for snacks and ingredients. So when my friend recently told me how she approaches grocery shopping, I was both intrigued and inspired. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Instead of starting with a blank slate every week, she keeps a reverse grocery list and keeps a log of everything she has at home and\/or has run out of.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Basically, the reverse grocery list functions like a pantry list<\/a>: You can keep it on your phone, or if you want to share it with someone else, can create a living document on Google Docs or some other digital server. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Building your list is by far the most time-consuming part of the process. Depending on the size of your pantry<\/a>, you\u2019ll want to spend a weekend afternoon or a few minutes each day going through your pantry and writing down exactly what you have in stock. If the brand is important to you, you can note it in parentheses, and if you have duplicates, you might want to make note of that, too. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Arrange your groupings in whatever matter makes sense for you \u2014 I have different categories for spices and herbs; tea and coffee; baking supplies; general cooking supplies like oils and vinegars; dry goods like beans and rice; and canned or jarred goods like soup, salsa, and enchilada sauce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n My friend also recommends creating a subsection for items that you keep regularly<\/a> in the fridge \u2014 eggs, almond milk, and lemon juice concentrate are just some of the items on my \u201cfridge list.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Once you build your list, it\u2019s easy to maintain. If you run out of an ingredient as you go about your day, mark it on your pantry list. (I use emoji for an easy identifier.) Then, when you run to the grocery store, run to the list and replenish the items you\u2019ve run out of if you know you\u2019ll need them soon. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I built my reverse grocery list just before Christmas and New Year\u2019s, and already it has saved me money. Though I\u2019ve been trying to avoid last-minute grocery store runs in an effort to minimize my time outside of the home, I found myself at a Trader Joe\u2019s<\/a> at a time when there was no line in front. Rather than making a frenzied sweep of the store, I simply pulled out my list and got to work. (It\u2019s a good thing, too: At the time, I was out of the store\u2019s 21 Seasoning Salute, as well as their dried mango.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow to Use Your Reverse Grocery List:<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n