A grocery list in aisle order
Most supermarkets are laid out close to the same way. Produce is by the door. Bakery and deli tend to be nearby. Meat and dairy run along the back wall, with the packaged stuff in the middle aisles. Frozen comes near the end. Write your list in that order and you stop doubling back to produce for the one lemon you missed.
Below is a list in that order, with the things people buy most in each section and a couple of blank lines for the rest. Print it and stick it on the fridge. Circle things as you run out.
1Produce
- Bananas
- Apples
- Lemons
- Onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Avocados
2Bakery
- Bread
- Bagels
- Tortillas
- Burger buns
- English muffins
3Deli
- Sliced ham
- Sliced turkey
- Hummus
- Rotisserie chicken
4Meat & seafood
- Chicken breasts
- Ground beef
- Bacon
- Sausages
- Salmon
- Shrimp
5Dairy & eggs
- Milk
- Eggs
- Butter
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
6Frozen
- Frozen vegetables
- Frozen berries
- Ice cream
- Frozen pizza
7Pantry
- Pasta
- Rice
- Canned tomatoes
- Beans
- Chicken stock
- Olive oil
- Pasta sauce
- Ketchup
8Baking & spices
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
9Breakfast
- Cereal
- Oats
- Peanut butter
- Jam
- Honey
10Snacks & candy
- Chips
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Chocolate
- Popcorn
11Drinks
- Coffee
- Tea
- Juice
- Sparkling water
- Soda
12Household
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Trash bags
- Dish soap
- Laundry detergent
- Foil
13Health & beauty
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo
- Deodorant
- Soap
- Painkillers
14Baby
- Diapers
- Wipes
15Pet
- Dog food
- Cat food
- Cat litter
16Other
Making it fit your store
Your store won't match this exactly. Walk it once with the list in hand and number the sections in the order you hit them. Whatever the layout, leave frozen and anything cold for last, so it's still cold in the car. And get the heavy stuff early (cans, bottles, cat litter) so it ends up on the bottom of the cart and not on the bread.
Sharing it
Paper works until someone else in the house finishes the milk and doesn't write it down. pantry is the same list on a link. Anyone you send it to can add from their phone, and things land in these sections on their own. It still works at the back of the store where there's no signal. It's free and nobody signs up.