Always Out of Household Essentials? Use a Staples Checklist

I wonder how much mental capacity you’ve spent trying to remember that spice you ran out of recently. Or if you have enough shampoo. Running out of medicines, printer ink, batteries, toilet paper. The list goes on. This is why keeping track of household essentials with a staples checklist is so important.

With the right tool, you can keep everything you need and want on hand at all times – without having to mentally keep track of anything!

Using a household items list has been one of the most mentally freeing tools in my experience caring for our home and easing the burden of life admin.

I’m excited to put over 100 suggestions all in one place so that you can create your own household essentials shopping list that meets your exact needs!

• What is a Household Essentials Checklist, and Why Should I Use One?
• What Should I Include in My Household Essentials Checklist?
  • Ingredients in fridge and freezer
  • Pantry items and spices
  • Toiletries and medicine
  • Household items and cleaners
  • Home maintenance and office supplies
• How do I Use My Household Essentials Checklist?
  • Make it Reusable
  • Inventory & Stock Up for a Set Time
  • Use Your List to Capture Other Items

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What is a Household Essentials Checklist, and Why Should I Use One?

A staples checklist is simply a list of items you always want to have on-hand; it’s all the things you rely on having in your home. Others may refer to it as a household essentials list.

It is as unique as your home & family, and the more comprehensive & specific, the better! It can be broken down into multiple sections, including a pantry staples list, and a household supplies list.

The most obvious benefit is the reliability of never running out of your needed items!

Just as important, though, is the relief it provides from keeping track of all of it in your head and relying on memory.

• With a simple household consumables list, you can streamline your meal planning and grocery lists to focus on the main ingredients.
• Like the examples at the beginning of the post, you don’t have to wrack your brain for the miscellaneous items you’ve recently run out of!
• While everyone can benefit from one of these, it’s also great way to gather essentials for a new house!
• At regular intervals, you can restock based on your checklist – and then actually trust that everything you need is taken care of. Big breath 🙂

What Should I Include in my Household Essentials Checklist?

Grocery Staples List Overview

I suggest you include items you always want on hand for every area of your home:

• Ingredients in fridge and freezer
• Pantry items and spices
• Toiletries and medicine
• Household items and cleaners
• Home maintenance and office supplies

I also suggest you view your staples checklist as a work-in-progress.

1. Start by using the template and reviewing the suggested items.
2. Then, go through each area of your home and visually inventory what’s there. What items should you add to your staples list that are missing?
3. Allow yourself 1-2 months to continue to add things to the list as they come up. This is why it’s so helpful to have an electronic version you can continually edit.
4. Lastly, as your season of life changes or your family/home’s needs change, simply add or remove items as needed. Let it serve you exactly how you need in this moment.

Below I have compiled a range of suggestions for each category mentioned above. Many items are from my own personal list, and others are from these incredible sites:

• Good Cheap Eats
• Self
• Real Simple
• Unpakt
• WifeyChef
• Project Dinnertime
• Out of Milk
• Household Management 101
• Molly Maid

Of course, every individual’s staples checklist will be as unique as they are. I have attempted to include as many ideas as possible without getting ridiculous. 😉

Ingredients in Fridge and Freezer

Milk (of choice)	Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, hot sauce)	Frozen vegetables (of choice)
Butter	Sauces or marinades (soy, teriyaki, worcestershire, BBQ)	Frozen fruit
Eggs	Salad dressings	Meat, tofu
Cheeses	Lemon or lime juice	Fruit
Yogurt	Pesto	Vegetables
Cream cheese	Olives	Onions
Sodas, canned drinks	Jams, jellies	Garlic
Cookie dough, ice cream	Garnishes	Fresh herbs

Pantry Staples (ie. Dry Goods and Spices)

Flour	Bread, bagels (of choice)	Basil
Yeast packets	Dry beans or legumes	Cayenne pepper
Sugars (brown, white, etc.)	Canned beans or peas	Cinnamon
Honey	Canned fruit or vegetables	Nutmeg
Chocolate (baking, chips, cocoa powder)	Canned chicken or tuna	Chili powder
Nuts or seeds	Coconut milk	Cumin
Baking powder/soda	Vinegars	Curry powder
Oils (olive, canola, etc.)	Applesauce, fruit snacks	Garam masala
Coffee or tea	Tomatoes (sauce, paste, crushed, diced)	Garlic powder
Nut butter (of choice)	Pasta sauce	Onion powder
Maple syrup	Taco shells or tortillas	Oregano
Breakfast cereals/grains	Bread crumbs	Paprika
Chips, pretzels	Oats	Parsley
Crackers	Pasta or noodles	Pepper
Popcorn	Quinoa or rice	Red pepper flakes
Protein or granola bars	Extracts (vanilla, almond)	Salt / seasoning salt
Rice cakes	Canned soups, broths	Thyme

Toiletries and Medicine

Deodorant	Facial cleanser, moisturizer	Lip balm
Body wash	Cotton pads, Q-tips	Baby wash
Shampoo/conditioner	Sunscreen	Baby lotion
Toothpaste	Pain relievers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen)	Diaper rash cream
Floss, mouthwash	Allergy medicine	Diapers, wipes
Razors, shaving cream	Anti-nausea medicine	Bandages
Lotion	Cold medicine, decongestants	Hydrogen peroxide
Feminine products	Vitamins	Rubbing alcohol
Make-up	Cough drops, chest rub	Heartburn tablets or medication
Contact solution, eye drops	Antibiotics ointment (Neosporin), anti-itch cream	First aid kit

Household Items and Cleaners

Hand soap	Dishwashing detergent	Tub & shower cleaner
Hand sanitizer	Dish soap	Glass cleaner
Ziplock bags, freezer bags	Sponges	Cleaning vinegar
Paper towels	Disinfectant wipes	Furniture polishes
Napkins	Laundry detergent	Spot carpet cleaner
Trash bags	Dryer sheets	Toilet bowl cleaner
Toilet paper	Bleach (chlorine, oxygen)	Oven cleaner
Tissues	Fabric softener	Stainless steel cleaner
Aluminum foil	Lint roller	Essential oils
Cling wrap	Stain remover
Wax paper, parchment paper	All-purpose cleaner

If you’re looking for homemade cleaner recipes that actually work, I use these amazing recipes developed by a professional cleaner. Using on-hand items like cleaning vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, etc. they are so easy to make and to always have ready to go! Additionally, you can check out some of my favorite cleaning products on Amazon here!

Home Maintenance and Office Supplies

Batteries	Pens, pencils	Drain cleaner
Lightbulbs	Highlighters	HVAC filters
Matches, lighters	Permanent markers	Pest sprays
Tape	Correction fluid or tape (Wite-Out)	Lawn care treatments
Staples	Sticky notes, notepads	Gasoline
Printer ink, paper	Clips (paper, binder)	Duct tape
Filing supplies	Envelopes, stamps	Super glue
Glue	Gift wrap

How do I use my Household Essentials Checklist?

Make it reusable.

Keep your staples list in an electronic format like the one I’ve provided. This way you can reuse it each time and also update it as needed.

• I keep mine in a simple Google Doc to print off with the rest of my meal plan.
• You could also store it in a favorite to-do app like Asana, Trello, or ToDoist — or even as a checklist in Notes!
• If you love paper, just keep an original template and make copies 🙂

Inventory & stock up for a set time period.

Choose a regular interval of time that you want to stock up on your staple items.

This is how often you will review your staples checklist and identify what you need to buy. You can use your meal plan as a guide for how often to do this!

Personally, even though I shop once a week, I have a list of monthly household essentials to ensure I have what I need for those 4-5 weeks.

You can certainly do this more or less often, depending on what works for your family’s schedule, storage space, and frequency of needs.

Just remember to consider how much of each staple you will need until you do your next restock.

Use your list to capture other items.

Besides food and toiletries, what else will you need to buy for your home needs on a monthly basis?

From time to time, I still have items that run out that are somewhat “miscellaneous” and are not included in my list of household items.

I’m sure you have a place where you jot these down. Whether it’s a notepad, your phone, or even an Alexa list. Continue whatever system works for you for those urgent or miscellaneous items.

However, if it’s an item that isn’t urgent, you could keep a fresh copy of your checklist at all times and use this to capture all your upcoming needs in one place.

What’s next?

If you’re ready to build your own list of household essentials, download the printer-friendly, editable template and the master list of suggestions to get you started.

And if a reusable staples checklist sounds like it could save you a lot of mental energy & effort, I have a full guide on creating an entire meal plan that is reusable as well!

By: Brennan Brown

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