*A permanent shopping list*

For the things from the local shopping center that you keep permanently in inventory (groceries, liquor, and the like), make up a list, roughly in order of their position in the shops, and typeset it on a 2.5-in. measure (dimensions here are for US stationery), two columns flush left & flush right, 5 in. high. Cut it out, and cover it with transparent tape on both sides. Clip it (using one of those springy clamps), centered, on a 3x5-in. card, so that 1/4 in. shows on each side. Then, when you notice you need something, put a tick against it, left or right as the case may be. The last entry should be OTHER, and a tick against that means that you have written something not on the list on the back of the card. When you go shopping, you can put the whole assembly in a pocket or tape it to the handle of your shopping cart. Afterward, you can turn the card over or throw it out and start with a fresh one.