Why You Need a Reverse Shopping List & How to Make One

Today, I'm going to be talking all about how you can simplify meal planning by coming up with a reverse shopping list.

I touched on this subject briefly in a previous video about saving time on everyday tasks, and I was blown away by how many of you wanted to know more! I received a lot of comments and messages asking for more details, so today I thought I’d dive right in.

Why a Reverse Shopping List?

Now, I’ll admit, this video puts me a bit outside of my comfort zone because I don’t see myself as a great cook. I’m not someone who loves spending hours in the kitchen. We have pretty simple tastes around here—no extravagant meals—so I didn’t feel overly qualified to share too much about recipes.

But when it comes to productivity, I do feel like I have something to share, and that’s the route we’re going with today. I’ll show you how to create your very own reverse shopping list to help simplify shopping and meal prep.

Frustration in the Kitchen

Maybe you feel like I did—sick and tired of spending time in the kitchen, serving a meal, and having people complain about it. It’s so frustrating, right? I have five kids, and they all have different tastes.

My husband doesn’t complain about food, but the kids? It was a constant frustration when they wouldn’t like the meal I worked hard to make. So, I decided to do something drastic—make meals that I knew everyone would eat. I wanted to eliminate food waste and complaints.

My Solution: The Reverse Shopping List

I started by creating a list of nine meals that I knew my family would enjoy, and I put them on rotation. I’d begin on a Monday with meal number one, go through the list, and then start over again. Of course, this got monotonous after a while, so I eventually added more meals. Over time, I came up with six full weeks’ worth of meals that my family loved.

How It Works

I simplified the process even more by creating a shopping list that corresponds with each week’s meals, and this is what I call my reverse shopping list. Here’s how it works:

• I printed out a hard copy of all the ingredients needed for a specific week of meals.
• When it’s time to grocery shop, I review the list and cross off the items I already have in my pantry or fridge.

This system helps me make sure I’m using what I already have before buying more. It’s a great way to avoid buying unnecessary items—like the time I came home to find I already had 16 cans of tomatoes after buying more!

Step-by-Step: Creating Your Meal Plan

Here’s how to get started:

1. Grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
2. I’ve found that nine meals cover my family for an entire week, plus a couple extra meals for the weekends. My kids eat lunch at school, and my husband and I typically have leftovers.

Step 1: Create a Base Meal Plan

Write down nine circles on the side of your page. I like to make sure there’s a variety of meals to keep things interesting—no one wants pasta every night! Consider your family’s tastes and write down categories like:

• Soup with bread
• Casseroles
• Meat dishes with a side of potatoes

Fill in the categories with meals your family enjoys, and feel free to repeat the process until you’ve built out multiple weeks. But to start, stick with one week and rotate through it until you know everyone’s happy.

Step 2: Make Your Shopping List

Once you’ve got your meals, sit down and write out the ingredients you’ll need to shop for. If multiple recipes call for the same item, combine them. For example, if one recipe calls for four potatoes and another needs two, just list six potatoes total.

Of course, you’ll likely buy a bag of potatoes, so next time you use this list, just cross them off if you still have enough.

Step 3: Reuse the List

You don’t even need to type anything up (unless you want to). If you’ve got legible handwriting, just pop the list into a plastic sleeve for a binder.

This way, you can use a wet-erase marker to cross off items as you shop. When the week’s over, just clean off the sheet and reuse it next week!