Excel is an all-in-one spreadsheet application that can be used for various purposes. If you are searching for a tool to stay organized, it is one of the best choices out there. Managing a grocery list is also a piece of cake using built-in tools and functions of Excel.
It allows you to easily create and update your shopping list, categorize items, track prices, and even calculate your total spending as well.
Using apps such as a To-do List and Notes is helpful but will fall short sometimes.
For example, they aren’t the most effective way to manage hundreds of grocery items in one place. Excel has that capability. You can easily manage hundreds and thousands of grocery items, recipes, and other essential items in your kitchen.
This is a quick guide discussing the Top 5 Grocery List Excel Template. Additionally, we are about to discuss the steps to create a brand new grocery list spreadsheet from scratch, so make sure to read the article till the end.
Why is a Grocery List Template created using Excel must-try?
Sometimes, you may find it difficult to remember every grocery item that needs to be ordered on the weekend. At that time, you can leverage spreadsheet programs like Excel to organize all those items like a pro.
There are various benefits of using Excel to manage household things, including grocery shopping, meal planning, budget planning, etc.
Here are a few of them,
- Accessibility – Excel is a popular desktop-based application. However, users can access Excel using their browser from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection. You can open it on all types of devices, including mobile and desktop.
- Ease of Use – The program boasts an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface. You don’t need any prior experience to add, edit, and organize information. It will hardly take an hour for you to understand and teach this program to your loved ones.
- Extensive Customization – A grocery list template built in Excel can be customized as per user preference without any limitations. They can use built-in tools to change the font size, color, type, and much more. From changing colors to highlighting the items that satisfy specific criteria, everything is a breeze in Excel.
- Short Learning Curve – A lot of third-party websites and communities are sharing fantastic and easy-to-understand information about using Excel. There hardly would be a time when you are stuck and won’t find the solution online.
From customizing to printing or accessing grocery lists from anywhere, Excel has got you covered. It is worth trying if you are looking for an excellent tool to manage grocery shopping, meal planning, and other kitchen essentials.
Top 5 FREE Grocery List Excel Template
There are tens of Grocery List templates available on the internet. We understand that you cannot try each one of them to find the perfect fit.
So, we have done the heavy lifting for you.
Here is a list of grocery list templates loved by the experts at SoftwareAccountant. We tested each template for its functionality and usability.
1. Grocery Shopping List & Budget Template by SoftwareAccountant
Click Here To Use This Template!
This template by SoftwareAccountant allows you to list all your grocery items and track the amount spent during shopping.
You can specify the budget before shopping and the template automatically calculates the remaining balance as you keep adding items to the cart. Start by entering the grocery items one by one on the main table. But always make sure to select the proper category and enter the quantity along with the unit price.
Note that the left side of the worksheet gives you a summary of your shopping journey.
It automatically calculates the total cost per item and the overall amount you have spent on buying your grocery items.
The template is well-optimized for both mobile and desktop. It also has a dropdown to pick categories such as Bakery, dairy, snacks, or beverages.
Another fantastic feature is that as soon as you purchase an item and tick the box in the template, it highlights the entire row with a light green color to help you shop quickly and more effectively.
2. Grocery List Template by Spreadsheet123
Click Here To Use This Template!
This is a comprehensive Grocery list template by Spreadsheet123. The main goal is to allow users to avoid buying the same product twice.
It includes an extensive list of food categories. You can easily organize your shopping by these categories and ensure you buy only what you need and avoid unnecessary purchases.
The template has three sheets:
- Settings – Here, you can select the currency symbol relevant to your country using the dropdown list. You can also create a list of the markets and shops from where you usually do your shopping.
- Grocery List – It lets you enter the items you want to buy, along with the store where you plan to purchase them and their prices. You can change, add, edit, or delete items from the predefined list and even add rows to accommodate more products.
- Shopping List – Use this final sheet to list down the quantities and prices of each item you bought. Excel will automatically calculate the Shopping basket total at the top using built-in formulas.
It is a highly customizable template but includes a lot of formulas. Please make sure you take time to explore the template and adjust the formulas after making changes to the Settings sheet.
3. Grocery List Template by SpreadsheetPage
Click Here To Use This Template!
Yet another simple to use template focusing on improving your grocery shopping experience. It allows you to manage your shopping list, track prices, and ensure that you stay within your budget.
It contains various sheets for different shopping lists and an “Overview” sheet to provide a summary of your overall spending. Each sheet has checkboxes to ensure that you have bought the product. The main goal behind those checkboxes is to avoid repeat purchases.
The template is designed to help users categorize their groceries, keep track of store-specific prices, and plan shopping trips more effectively.
It is easy to use and customizable without any limitations. Additionally, it has minimum formulas and even a user with zero knowledge of Excel will also find the template convenient.
4. Grocery Checklist By GooDocs
Click Here To Use This Template!
This template comes with an attractive design and best fit mid-level grocery shopping.
It is divided into various tables for listing grocery items such as fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, canned products, oils, sauces, and more. You can use this list while shopping at the store, and once the item is added to the cart, use the checkbox to mark it as done.
Note that it uses dropdowns for each category. In other words, you need to select the item from predefined values.
To add new grocery items, you need to click on “Data > Data Validation” and add the latest items in the Source field, as shown below.
Make sure to edit the template as per your preference by playing around with the formatting tools in Excel.
5. Grocery List Template by GFitness Online
Click Here To Use This Template!
This is our final pick on this list. The template uses dropdowns and checkboxes to aid your grocery shopping.
You need to start by selecting the grocery item and respective category from predefined values. Then, describe the required quantity.
While shopping, once you add the product to the cart, use the checkbox to mark it as done.
The list for the dropdown is managed by the second spreadsheet named “Data”.
Make sure to add grocery items in the respective category as per your requirements. You can also add new categories.
Note that all of the changes or new entries from the Data spreadsheet will automatically reflect in the dropdowns of the Grocery List spreadsheet.
How to create a Grocery List Template in Excel
Let us learn the steps to create a Grocery Template in Excel from scratch.
Our goal is to design a simple list and a few predefined categories, as shown below.
We will also use a checkbox to mark the items that will be added to the cart while shopping at the stores.
Let’s get started,
STEP #1 – Create the Template Header
You can skip this step, but a header will surely add to the aesthetics of the template.
Additionally, while sharing your masterpiece with others, adding a header to your grocery list template is a good idea.
Here are the steps,
- Open a new Excel worksheet
- Select the first row
- Increase the height of the first row as shown below,
- Select the cells from A1 to E1
- Go to the “Home” tab and click on “Merge & Center”
- Type “Grocery List”
- Change the cell background color to light gray (Hex Code – #efefef)
- Increase the font size to 30
- Make the font bold
- Change the font type to “Comic Sans Ms”
- Align the font to the middle
Our table header will look like as shown in the following image after following the above steps,
STEP #2 – Add the Table Headers
In this section, we will create a small table to accommodate all the groceries.
Let’s begin,
- Select the cell “A2”
- Type “Item Name”
- Next, select the cell “B2” and type “Category”
- Repeat the above steps and complete the header as shown below
- Select all the cells from A2 to E2
- Change the font type to “Comic Sans Ms”
- Change the cell background color to green (Hex Code – #34a853)
- Align the font to the middle
- Change the font color to white
Our table header is ready,
STEP #3 – Create a Grocery Category Dropdown
Here, we will create a dropdown to quickly select the appropriate category for grocery items during our shopping.
Before starting, let’s define the values that will be used in the dropdown list. For that, enter all the values in the cells U6 to U13.
Let’s start,
- Click on the cell “B3”
- Hover to the main menu and click on the “Data” tab
- Select the “Data validation” icon in the “Data Tools” group
- A “Data Validation” dialog box will appear
- In the “Settings” tab, choose the “List” option from the “Allow” dropdown as shown below,
- In the “Source” field, select the predefined values in the worksheet as shown below
- Click the “OK” button once done
STEP #4 – Add a Checkbox to mark the Purchase
To make sure that we don’t get lost in the list while shopping, let us use a checkbox to mark the items that will be added to the cart.
- Select the cell “D3”
- Go to the main menu and click on the “Developer” tab
- Choose the “Insert” dropdown in the “Controls” group
- Now, select the “Checkbox” icon from the options
You will notice a checkbox in the cell D3.
If you do not find the “Developer” tab in the main menu of your Excel worksheet, then follow the steps below to include it in the ribbon.
- Click on the “File” tab from the main menu
- You will see the following screen; select “Options” at the bottom
- Next, click on the “Customize Ribbon” option from the Excel Options popup
- On the right side, you will see a list of main tabs. Check the box next to the “Developer” option. Refer to the following image,
- Click on the “OK” button to save the changes
After following the above steps, you will see the “Developer” tab in the Excel ribbon.
STEP #5 – Insert the checkbox and dropdown for the entire table
For the sake of this article, we will consider rows up to 20 for our grocery list table.
- Select all the cells of the first row from A3 to E3
- Now, you will notice a small Fill Handle icon at the lower-rightmost corner of the cell “E3”
- Click on it and drag it to row 20
STEP #6 – Apply formatting to the table
Let us change the formatting of the table for it to look more attractive.
- Select all the cells of the table
- Change the cell background color to light gray (Hex Code – #efefef)
- To apply borders, go to the “Home” tab and click on the “Borders” dropdown as shown below
- Click on “All Borders”
- Change the default border color to white
Next, we will turn off the gridlines,
- Hover to the main menu and click on “View” tab
- In the “Show” section, untick the box before the “Gridlines” option
Finally, adjust the column width as per your preference.
After adjusting the formatting further from my end, here’s how the grocery list looks,
Click on the following link to download the template created by me using the steps described above.
Final Words
I hope you have found the best grocery list template for your needs from our top 5 picks for 2024. We have also discussed how to create a new template from scratch using the features of Excel.
If you are stuck somewhere or having any particular issues while creating your own grocery list template, feel free to comment below. Our team will reply to all of your questions as soon as possible.
For more tips and tricks to use Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets like a pro, refer to our blog section.