How to Use OneNote for your grocery list

How do you organize your grocery shopping? Do you bring a pen and paper to the grocery store, struggling to cross items off from the handle of your shopping cart? Or do you type everything into your smartphone, then hope to remember to cross items off? And what if you forget something, or if your family asks you for a last-minute addition?

Microsoft OneNote is a powerful app full of possibilities: great for freeform scribbling with a stylus, it also works as a digital canvas to pin photos and a mood board so you can get into the right mindset. You can even use it to create a digital grocery list. Find out how it can simplify your next supermarket run.

How OneNote can enhance productivity

OneNote not only allows you to take notes and create sketches, but it also serves as a platform for keeping all your thoughts in one place. No matter what you write down, the blank page can handle everything you can throw at it in your life, work, or school. Cloud integration means you can access your notes online from any device, and you can easily share your notes and collaborate with others.

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It’s a digital notebook—but unlike a real notebook, it will never run out of paper. And if you’re planning a dinner party, meal prepping for the week, or have an intricate recipe in mind, OneNote can help.

Create a OneNote grocery list

Compared to your pen and paper, OneNote offers a world of organization. Here are some tips that can help you on your next grocery run:

OneNote can generate lists that you can check off as you shop. Under the Home tab, select To Do under the Tags section (or press Ctrl+1). OneNote will insert a list comprised of checkboxes: it’s as easy as typing out your items and pressing Enter.
You can also mark important items. In the Tags section, underneath To Do, is the Important list generator, marked by a gold star (also accessible by pressing Ctrl+2). Keep track of must-have ingredients with this additional list.
You can also keep organized from store to store, or even aisle to aisle. Create new tabs for different grocery stores, which will be handy if you visit specialty shops. Next to the name of your document, click the + button to create a New Section. Rename your new tab to the name of the store in mind to keep things organized.
Saving photos to your OneNote can come in handy as well. If you’re shopping at an international market, for instance, and you need to find an item based on its picture, pasting a picture of it from the Internet can help you or others identify it. You can add a photo by clicking on Insert and pressing Pictures under the Images section. You can also directly paste an image from a website.

Use a OneNote template

OneNote also supports the ability to apply templates, which can streamline the design of your list. While OneNote comes with its own templates, there are thousands of additional designs and formats available online. A digital grocery list template is no exception, either. You can even create your own templates that you can use and reuse on your next grocery runs.

Staying organized is vital to taking care of your family, friends, and loved ones—whether it’s the holidays or you’re planning an occasion, using tools from Microsoft 365 can keep you focused and productive, while saving you time.