What Is a Reverse Grocery List and How Can It Save You Money?

Let’s be honest. We’re all looking to save money at the grocery store right now. You likely already know about coupons and meal planning, but there’s an additional shopping hack you can try.

A reverse grocery list can help prevent excess purchasing and, in the end, save you money in the process.

What is a reverse grocery list? Essentially, it’s a way to maintain the inventory in your kitchen and prevent you from buying double or triple of items you already have on hand. The process might take some time in the beginning, but it’ll be easy to maintain once done.

To start, you’ll create a spreadsheet or a running list of all of the items you commonly keep on hand in your kitchen. Think spices, condiments, grains, dry goods, and anything else you tend to replace frequently. Once that list is made, go through your pantry and refrigerator and count the number of items you have on hand. Enter that into your spreadsheet or mark it down on your list.

Now that you have an inventory done, you can make your new grocery list without worrying about doubling those items and spending more than you need. Plus, it’ll save space in your pantry and fridge as you won’t be storing a multitude of duplicates.

The next time you’re ready to head into the grocery store, a reverse list might need to be part of your new money-saving strategy.