Organizing: The Grocery Shopping List

So you're putting away your grocery purchases and you look around thinking,

"I know I got ..."

but then you realize 

"no, I forgot ...."

and back to the grocery you go.

Or maybe you make a "honey, can you pick up ..." call.

What could have been accomplished in one trip has now become more involved.  But we want to simplify tasks to make more time for fun, right?

For me, this mighty app has been a great

planning.organize.simplify.get'er-done-the-first-time.tool.   

{Grocery IQ, the app I use to keep myself organized and sane while at the grocery store.}

I lose paper shopping lists.  I don't lose my I-Pod Touch (which runs Grocery IQ ... if you're a really cool kid with an I-Phone or I-Pad, Grocery IQ runs on those devices too).

My I-Pod lives in our technology hutch just outside the kitchen.  When I toss a product container in the recycling bin I immediately select that item from the I-Pod touch screen that displays my "favorites" list and the item is added to my shopping list.  Same for when I plan a menu and need to pick up ingredients to complete my supplies.

At the store I scroll through the touch screen list and tap an item when I toss it in my cart.  Grocery IQ immediately moves that item from "to get" (shopping list) to "got" (grocery cart).

{A Grocery IQ screen shot showing the active shopping list as well as items in the cart for checkout.}

When I tap "checkout" Grocery IQ removes the purchased items from my shopping list.  If I wasn't able to purchase everything at one store - and I seem never able to do that!!!!,  what remains to be purchased hangs out on the active shopping list.

The "favorites" list is basically a database of all the items (or however many you want to set up) you might purchase at the grocery.  Yes, it took me a bit of time to initially set up but that was my investment in simplified.grocery.shopping.  With today's version of Grocery IQ you can either type the product name, enter a bar code number * (so cool), or take a photo of the bar code ** (super cool) to add an item to your list of favorites.

{Add to the favorites list by typing, or ...}

{...or keying a barcode.  If you have an i-Phone you could also take a photo of the barcode, but I can't show you that since I don't have one.}

* if you've read my blog before you may have noticed I'm a big Costco shopper.  The bar codes for Kirkland products (Costco brand) do not work with Grocery IQ, but of course you can type the product name to add to your list
** an I-Phone is necessary to update your favorite list via photo

And of course I stretch the limits of Grocery IQ for all my shopping stops, not just grocery visits.  I just add descriptions like "dry cleaners" to my favorites along with a store name and it's there for me to select.  Here's a nonsense example:

{A Grocery IQ screen shot showing that non-grocery stops can also be added to the list.}

And you can email the shopping list to someone else ... "honey, can you ...".  It's good that you still have that option!

Hey, this app has really lessened my shopping forgetfulness and enhanced my shopping mood.  For a couple of bucks.  I would have even paid more.

Looking for more tips to organize shopping adventures?  Carol @ The Design Pages has a great post here.  Have any great tips you'd like to share ... we'd all love to read 'em in the Comments section below.

Now go happily shop 'til you drop, 

Disclosure: I have not been asked to post about this product nor am I compensated in any way for doing so.  These folks don't even know I exist.  I purchased my own Grocery IQ and my own I-Pod Touch.  Since Grocery IQ does run on Apple products I will say that I own one or more shares of Apple stock (what a good move that was!).

Pin It