These six easy steps for creating a shopping list are guaranteed to help you shorten your in-store shopping time.

#1 Use your old receipts Take your register receipt from last week's shopping trip and cross off all the items you don't need. Spend a few minutes and do a quick check of the freezer, fridge and cupboard to make sure you do not add products that you already own to your shopping list.

#2 Add additional items Write down on the bottom of the list any additional items you know you need.

#3 Plan your impulse items Under the additional items draw a horizontal line for each of your "allowed" impulse items. Keep the number of impulse items fixed from week to week - don't vary it. That wastes time and money. For more on impulse items, check out Impulse Buying: When It's Smart, When It's Not.

#4 Shop when you're in the mood You've heard the rule: Never shop when you're hungry. You'll end up with all kinds of impulse items in your cart. Another rule is not to shop when you're stressed out. The crowds and lines will only make you more frustrated. Some people, however, find the supermarket to be therapeutic. Figure out which type of shopper you are, and shop when it suits your mood.

#5 Fax your order More and more supermarkets are accepting fax orders. Just write up your list, fax it in, and your order will be ready for you to pick up at the time you designate - or the store will deliver it to your office or home. Usually you pay for the groceries when you receive them. To make the process easier, get the catalog with the fax order form at your local store. That way you can use the catalog numbers to identify products. Don't forget to indicate whether you'll accept substitutions and whether you'll be using manufacturers' coupons. Even if your store does not have a formal fax ordering service, it's worth asking the manager if you can order by fax anyway.

#6 Order on-line As supermarkets embrace this new medium, there are more and more opportunities for shopping on-line. Several services already offer personalized ordering services on-line, and more are soon to follow.