Prepare your Shopping List Like a Professional

When you are planning a party, or even planning an entire event, being well organized can set you apart from those who have a difficult time of it. Organization is your best friend when it comes to successfully planning and having a party or event of any size. And, the key to having successful organization skills lies in your shopping list. When you have an excellent shopping list, then you are sure to have all of the supplies you need on the day of your party or event.

It is very easy for most people to become overwhelmed when they enter a store or mall. You walk in thinking that you know exactly what you want, and then you find yourself amongst so much amazing stuff that you start to question your original thoughts and decisions. This often leads to purchasing things you hadn’t planned on. In the worst case scenario this means you forget vital items, in the best case scenario it generally means that you spend too much money and go over your budget. The simple way to avoid having this happen is to make a good shopping list and then stick to it when you shop.

1. The first step in preparing your shopping list is to gather up a pencil and a pad pf paper. You want to label the first page of the notepad with the date of your event and any location information you might need later, such as an address or phone number, if your party will not be held at your own home.



2. The second step in preparing your shopping list is to decide what the menu will be and what ingredients your menu requires you to have. Take the time to go through each recipe for your menu and write down each of the ingredients you will need to purchase and the quantities you will need. Each of these ingredients, with their amounts listed, will go under the heading of “food” on your master party shopping list.



3. The third step to preparing your shopping list is to decide on any beverages which you will be serving and the quantities you need to obtain. Each of your beverages, with their amounts listed, will go under the heading of “beverages” on your master party shopping list.



4. The next step to preparing your shopping list is to decide what party and paper goods you will need for the event or party. Consider things like plates, cups, silverware, serving bowls, centerpieces for tables, flowers, tables and chairs, etc… Make sure to write down anything you could possibly need on your master party shopping list.



5. Now that you have an all inclusive master shopping list, it is a good idea to break that list down by stores and times when you will be buying the items listed. For example, you will likely want to shop twice at the grocery store. The first time you will want to shop for everything which will last until the date of your event; the second time you will want to shop for perishable items such as fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and breads. This means that you want one page for the items you will purchase on the first trip, and another page for the items which you will purchase at the last minute.



6. As you make your sub-lists, you will want to add in your shopping times to your master party planning calendar. You will likely have two grocery shopping trips, a trip to the party store, a trip to the liquor store, and a trip to the florist as well. By taking the time to schedule shopping at each of these venues, you can ensure that you do not forget to go to one store or another, and that you will have the time needed to obtain all of the things you will need to have a successful party or event.

As you can clearly see, creating a master shopping list is the only way to plan a successful party or event like a professional party planner. And, through the use of sub-lists you can zero in on just what you want and ignore the other things in the store that might have otherwise tempted you.

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