It is important to go grocery shopping with a list in hand that should be organized according to the sections of the store you usually buy your grocery from. Keeping a checklist of grocery items that you need helps you remember what you need to purchase and is time-saving since you don't have to roam around the store aimlessly, buying useless things. It also keeps track of your monthly or weekly budget. 

We recommend that one should try that they should buy their groceries from single or familiar stores when in a hurry or stress. This way, you would not only find what you need but also save a lot of time when you are on the go!

To prepare a grocery list, the first thing you need to do is check your pantry. Look for the items that you already have in your kitchen. You can then make a list according to what you need and how much quantity a particular item is required. 

Some useful tips to save money.
Shopping for groceries every month is a significant expense for most people where a prominent amount of money is spent. But there are so many ways that could help in making your grocery shopping affordable and budget-friendly. 

One of the essential tips to make grocery shopping affordable is to plan all your meals before. This way, you would know what ingredients you need to buy and what you already have in your kitchen pantry. 

The grocery list we are going to share with you all does not include chutneys, sauces, or frozen foods because we aim to provide you with an affordable list that provides for basic and essential items. You can easily make your tomato puree, ginger garlic paste, brown onions, and different chutneys at home, rather than buy readymade ones from the store. This would save you a lot of money, and your grocery shopping would stay within your set budget for the month. 

Supermarkets in Pakistan.
Pakistan is a place loaded with supermarkets and general stores throughout the country in all cities, located in every locality. Mostly, people prefer going to huge supermarkets to buy their groceries because all things are readily available in a single place. While some also prefer buying the grocery from local shops since they are a little cheaper than the same products placed in huge supermarkets.

Budget-friendly food grocery list.
Here's a potential grocery list that you could follow to stay in your budget and save money. 

Dairy Products.

Milk carton (12 packets)
Eggs
Yogurt
Butter
Cheese (optional)

Fruits.

Bananas
Apples
Seasonal fruits

Vegetables.

Potatoes
Onions
Tomatoes
Green Chilies
Ginger/Garlic
Cucumbers
Mint/Coriander
Lemons

Meat.

Chicken
Beef
Mutton
Fish (optional)

Bakery.

Bread loaves.
Rusk
Cookies (optional)

Drinks.

Tea
Rooh Afza
Coffee (optional)
Tang or Squash
Soft drinks

Spices.

Red Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper
Turmeric
Coriander Powder
Cumin Powder
Whole Spices
Other spices, if needed.

Other necessary items.

Black chickpeas.
Lentils
Rice
Gram Flour
Plain Flour
Wheat Flour.
Cooking Oil
Clarified Butter
Sugar
Pickles

List of things that one should have for the kitchen pantry. 
We recommend you to store food items in the pantry that have a long shelf life. Some of the things are listed below.

Pasta
Cereals
Ketchup
Other sauces
Vinegar
Mayonaise
Food color
Jelly powder
Custard powder
Cornflour
Vermicelli
Nuts (optional)
Jam/Marmalade

If you love baking, then you can also store baking items like 

Cocoa powder
All-purpose flour
Chocolate chips
Vanilla Essence
Icing Sugar
Cooking chocolate

Organizing the pantry.
Along with a smart shopper, one should also know how to be a good organizer. Otherwise, the intelligent grocery shopping you just did would not be entirely beneficial. To organize your kitchen pantry, you should start cleaning the kitchen cabinets and taking out all the spices and other products. For the frequently used spices, label the jars in which you store them and place them in such a way that they are easily reached when cooking. Throw away all the items if they are expired or put them in the refrigerator, the products that are about to expire. This increases the life of the product while preserving the taste as well. 

Adding cartons, crates, baskets, and racks to your pantry would make it more functional and give you a bigger space to store your grocery items and organize them well without forming a mess. 

That's about it. If you like this article, let us know in the comment section below! Also, share some other useful tips that you think we have missed mentioning. Happy shopping! 

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• Wardah Arshad

A person who takes food seriously with an "ask me anything about food" attitude. Here to share my love for food with people through interesting and fun blogs!