Me too! I don't use symbols but I know the store by heart so I list every item I need by when I will pass by it so I can move quickly and get out of there... I get upset when I missed something and have to cross all the way back across the store... Sometimes I just decided to do without and go on and then when I get home I am upset because I really needed it, and I was too stubborn to go back and get it. Its always crowded and I get flustered and I just dislike it a lot, so thats all going to start changing for me and I like it a lot.
I order my shopping list based on when I will get to items in the store. Then I can just go straight down the list. It makes crowded shopping more bearable. Lately, however, I have been shopping in the middle of the night. I can walk to a 24 hour Walmart in less than 5 minutes. Since I don't have a vehicle at the moment, it's pretty much how I survive. Since that isn't an option for someone living in the middle of nowhere, try to shop as early in the morning as possible. Most people sleep in on the weekends. Not doing so is a great way of beating the crowds.