Ennor (Flickr.com) Grocery List image:39257:0::0

It is not the Great Depression of the 1930's yet, but according to retail analyst Britt Beemer, the return of the shopping list shows shoppers are getting savvier at shopping. The shopping list was a sign of the penny pinching times when every penny saved was a penny earned. The recession is upon us and it seems that it's the right time to bring out the good old shopping habit of using lists. Britt Beemer says that a growing percentage of American women have got back into the habit of using shopping lists to plan out their purchases. It is an apparent throwback to the Great Depression when economic buys was the order of the day. Though the situation is not that bad, people are back to relying on lists to stick to family budgets.

American consumers are now paying 4.5 percent more for food than they paid a year ago, and they are also paying much more for the gasoline which they burn on their way to the shopping stores. The percentage of people using the shopping list has been steadily rising according to Britt Beemer. And the proportions are now comparable with the data on sending habits people had during the depression. It now stands at 59 per cent according to his research. He says,

” They’re literally saying: 'I can't afford more than this. I'm buying essentials. I'm not going to go overboard,' "

Shopping lists seem to be the most effective way to limit purchases to what is absolutely essential. According to Beemer's research, a person with a shopping list will rarely buy more than two unplanned items. The intention to save money is also marked out by the trend amongst consumers to focus more on brands offering discounts. As Britt Beemer says," We're not very far today from the mentality people had in the Great Depression."

But then during 'The Great Depression' we didn't have the television and the advertising lure to contend with. It is now more difficult to control those impulses, but the shopping list just might be the help when the will power isn't.