13 Hacks for Getting Your Shopping Done In Super Fast time at the Supermarket

The quickest way to do your shopping is online. I can do my weekly shop in 10 minutes on the Internet.

However if you prefer to go to the supermarket there are still lots of ways you can save time. Here are some top tips.

Be clever with your lists

It probably goes without saying take a list with you when you go shopping. However, a little bit of planning  with your lists can go a long way.

1.) Group foods on your list together as they appear in the supermarket.

Make sure your list is made with the supermarket layout in mind. So if you walk in and see fruit and veg, make fruit and veg the first items on your list. List all the food groups together to make it easier. For example, make sure all the dairy items are together so you don’t have to go back to the dairy isle.

2.) Make checklists.

Print out food lists with tick boxes next to them. This will save time when making your lists as you can just put a tick besides the items you need or cross off what you don’t need. It saves time writing out everything.

The kids and shopping

There are two schools of thought on this.

3.) Never bring the kids.

Kind of self explanatory especially if they are young children.

4.) Bring the kids and make them help.

This is fab if you have big kids. Set them up with their own basket and a checklist. Perhaps you can give them a checklist with all the items from the dairy aisle. They get the items on the list and bring them back to you. Then you send them off again. It keeps them occupied and they see the work going into shopping. If they are likely to nag you for food, say they can have a small treat of their choosing if they help you and when the shopping is complete.

5.) Go with somebody else.

If you can do shopping with the help of somebody else it will always save you time if you do it right. Give them a basket and one of the checklists for an area of the store and they can meet you with a trolley.

6.)  Choose the best supermarket and time.

Always go to a supermarket you are familiar with as you will know were everything is.

Choose quiet times. First thing in the morning, last thing at night or in the middle of a weekday. Normally Monday and Tuesday are quieter times too. Also school pick up time can be quieter.

7.) A military route through the supermarket

Be military with your route around the supermarket. Plan your route and keep to it. Walking back to where you’ve just been will always waste time.

8.) Keep to the outside of the supermarket

Some people avoid the aisles and stick to the outside of the supermarket. The outside of the supermarket is normally where all the fresh produce is, so this not only saves time it means you get healthier food too.

Most families with need to go in the aisles at some point. One way to get round this is to have a monthly shop where you stock up on all the tins, toilet paper, crisps and the like that you find in the aisles for the next four weeks. These foods have longer use by dates. During all the other weeks you then only have to go around the outside. It may take some planning but will save you time in the long run.

Or get the non perishables on an online order through the supermarket and then just go to the supermarket for the fresh stuff.

9.) If you can’t find something ask, it’s almost always quicker.

10.)  Never go shopping on an empty stomach you will always spend more time buying more.

Checking Out

There is never a direct science with a checkout but there are some things to consider.

9.) If doing a big shop, avoid the self service checkout

Unless the tills queues are really big the people at the tills are always quicker.

10.) Give a quick glance at the person working at the till to see how they work.

Are they quick, slow or are they wanting a chat with the customer. It’s always nice to chat if you have time but if you want to be quick look for somebody who is racing to get the customers through.

11.) Look at the people in the queue.

Do they look like they’re in a hurry too? Then join that queue. Avoid elderly people or those with young kids in toe (usually me – don’t get behind me!)

12.) Get in line behind a big trolley.

It takes more time to say hello, pay, wait for the customer to get their bags ready. So one customer with a big trolley is likely to big quicker than two customers with a medium amount.

13.) If there is a till with more than one cashier choose that one. 

The queue is likely to move more quickly even if it looks longer.