If you're worried because you've noticed your grocery bill inching upwards as of late, take a cue from your ancestors who had to make it through the Great Depression. They survived by carefully monitoring what they purchased each each with a grocery list and with food prices going up these days, the list is making a comeback.

A grocery list is helpful because it will help you plan ahead for what you really need instead of beind side-tracked by that tempting display of McCain Thin-Crust Multigrain pizza that's a whole 50 cents off this week. In other words, if you have a food budget, a grocery list can help you stick to it by avoiding impulse purchases and buying only what is necessary.

Britt Beemer, a retail analyst, has quizzed women on their shopping habits on a bimonthly basis for the past eight years and noticed the tides turning these days. While it used to be that about one-third of women owned up to making a list, these days about 59 per cent of respondents say they're writing down the essentials in an effort to save some money. Beemer has primarily made women the object of his research since they are typically the family members who handle the grocery situation.

"They're literally saying: 'I can't afford more than this. I'm buying essentials. I'm not going to go overboard,'" Beemer told Reuters in a telephone interview from his Florida office.

A shopper with a list will rarely buy more than two extra items, said Beemer, who is chairman of America's Research Group. Someone without a list will likely go to the checkout counter with many more items than she intended to purchase.

While those making lists once were mainly composed of single mothers trying to save some time and money, as well as women over age 70 worried about forgetting items, Beemer found these days the main purpose of creating a draft before hitting the aisles has to do with saving money. He also recommends scouring the local flyers to find items on sale during any given week.

» Reuters Environment