Free Printable Grocery List and Meal Planner (2024)

This free printable grocery list template and meal planner will help you get organized while saving you time and money at the store! Take this shopping list with you for an organized grocery trip!

You know I love all organizing printables. But if you forced me to pick my very favorite, I’m pretty sure that my grocery list printable would be it.

The grocery list template holds a special place in my heart because it was the first one I ever created and used myself! With as much as I adore it, I figured it would be pretty selfish to keep it all to myself. So of course I’m sharing both versions with you as well!

Free Printable Grocery List Template and Meal Planner

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

You see, I happen to be just slightly neurotic about my grocery list.

I used to just write it down on a piece of paper like a normal person. But when I realized that I was walking back and forth across the store multiple times to get the items I needed in different aisles,I began breaking my listinto categories. This allowed me to easily see what I needed from each section of the store.

Soon after that, I realized that I could just make a printable version and wouldn’t have to rewrite all of my categories all the time. (Plus it would be prettier, too. 😉 ) And my grocery list printable was born!

Start your grocery list by meal planning.

The first thing I always do when I go to make a grocery list is to plan out our dinners for the next week or two. This helps me to fill out the rest of my list more quickly and easily.

I know meal planning isn’t for everyone, but it has been a total time and money saver for me. We throw away much less food, and there’s never rarely the panic of “What am I going to make for dinner?!”

So when I was creating my shopping list printable, I was sure to add in some boxes for meal planning right on the same page.

See Also

A 7-Step Frugal Homemaking PlanHow to Make a Meal Schedule That Your Family Will Love ~ Such a Time As ThisThe Secret to a Great Stay At Home Mom Schedule - Making MommasThe Early Retiree's Weekly Schedule - Root of Good

An Extra Fast Meal Planning Strategy

Recently, I figured out a way to make meal planning go even faster. Rather than doing all sorts of research and coming up with a new set of meals every week, I instead started planning our dinners by category.

To do this, I established a consistent weekly routine for our meals.

Meal Plan Example

• Monday– CrockPot Meal
• Tuesday– Taco Tuesday
• Wednesday– Pasta Night
• Thursday– Soup & Sandwiches
• Friday– Homemade Pizza
• Saturday– Grilling
• Sunday– Breakfast for Dinner

There are enough variations from each category that we don’t get bored. (On Mondays we could have spicy chicken in the CrockPot or a roast in the CrockPot or a CrockPot casserole. On Tuesday, we could have actual tacos or we could do enchiladas or quesadillas, etc.)

I purposefully chose categories that would easily accommodate the food preferences/ allergies/ sensitivities of all of the members of our family. We have had a whole lot less complaining at dinnertime!

When I started streamlining my meal planning process by category, instead of spending what felt like hours planning, I could finish in about three minutes! Now I call that a serious win!

Add grocery list items when meal planning is complete.

Since we have the same general foods for breakfast and lunch every day, I can just add those to my list. I also add in any snacks, as well as household items that may be running low.

Then, using my meal plan as a reference, I can go through and add all of the ingredients I’ll need to make my planned dinners. So simple!

The One-Week Grocery List

I used to grocery shop each week, so my first free printable grocery list only had space for one week of meal planning. If you are a once per week shopper, this is the list for you!

The Two-Week Grocery List

Eventually I read the bookCut Your Grocery Bill in Halfby Steve and Annette Economides. They only do their grocery shopping once a month. And they share amazing tips for saving money in many areas of life, but particularly at the grocery store.

While I haven’t gone to once-a-month shopping yet,I did move my grocery trips to once every two weeks after reading their book. And therefore, I needed a two week list to accommodate my new routine.

I’m sharing that one with you as well!

Whether you grocery shop every week or once every two weeks, we have an organized grocery list and meal plan that can work for you!

Why use a grocery list template and meal planner?

Because I go into the store with an organized plan, I save money by only buying what we need for the next few weeks. And I save time since I know exactly what I need from each section of the store.

One day recently, I was in a rush and decided to run into the store without creating my list first. I overspent. I ended up with a hodge-podge of ingredients that didn’t really go together well. And I had to go back to the store a few days later because I had forgotten so many items. Going in with an organized plan is a must!

This grocery list template and meal planner is such a simple tool, but it really is one of the printables I use most in our day to day life! I hope it will be helpful for you as well!

Free Printable Grocery List Templates: Frequently Asked Questions

I like to print 10 or so copies of my grocery list and keep them in a folder in my desk, near where I do my meal planning. That way, I don’t have to go through the printing process every time.

I usually take a picture of my grocery list once my shopping trip is complete so I can easily access my meal plan on my phone. This also comes in handy if I’m having a particularly busy week and don’t have time to make a new grocery list. I can just pull up the image of an old list and use it for my meal plan and shopping list for the new week!

I’d love to hear your best tips and tricks for saving time and money at the grocery store! Drop them in the comments below!

Happy planning!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.