Taming the Grocery List

Over the years I’ve struggled to keep up with a grocery list.  I’ve used fancy bound grocery list pads, Excel spreadsheets, post-it notes, and the back of envelopes, but I never have any of them when I remember that we’re almost out of toilet paper.  But what I do always have with me is my iPhone (TMI?).  It’s either buried deep in my purse or stuck in my back pocket at all times.

Using an app obviously makes sense for me, but there are hundreds of grocery list apps out there, not even including the plethora of multi-purpose To Do lists, so which one is best?  I still haven’t answered that one, but for now I’m using Grocery iQ.  It comes pretty close to doing everything I want a grocery list to do.

Grocery iQ - Grocery List iPhone App

Grocery iQ lets you put in custom items (like the Grace Fruit Juice item in the screenshot which is a reminder to buy the fruit juice that Grace likes), but also prompts you when you are typing to choose from a pre-populated list, including the generic name and brand names.  Choosing from the list means it groups it automatically in the correct aisle.  Custom items must be grouped in a separate step, if you want them grouped.

Choosing brand names often gives you options for coupons for those brand names.  I haven’t tried to use them because most brand names we buy, we buy from Amazon (Subscribe and Save option saves you 15% and delivers automatically), but they look like they’d be a selling point if you are a couponer.

The major reason I chose Grocery iQ is because it allows you to share your list with someone else, including those on the Android platform, like my husband.  If you have an iPad, it will sync to that too.  If the person you’re sharing with doesn’t use the app, you can email the list to him as well.  Of course, you can also login online if you happen to be away from your mobile.

Super organized folks will love that the app supports multiple stores, multiple lists, and lists per store.  If you need a full list of items, the online version also gives you a loooong list to help jog your memory.

You can click the blue arrow next to the item’s name and add quantity, size, and any notes.  This is where you add any pricing info if you, like me, like to keep up with that kind of stuff.  Honestly, it’s super helpful to know that the average cost for strawberries is $4.00 a pound so that when you see them on sale for $2 a pound you can stock up and save money on your fruits and veggies.

If you happen to carry your phone everywhere, like I do, you’ll also love the bar code feature.  On many items you won’t even have to type in the item.  You can simply point your phone’s camera at the UPC code and snap a pic.  The item will be added to your list.

Clicking the checkout button clears the items in the list, but still retains them in your history which makes making your next list super, super easy.  I love this feature!

We practice once a month cooking, with rotating monthly menu plans, and I’m writing a series of eBooks that offers up our menus, recipes, cooking and freezing plan, and the shopping lists.  I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use Grocery iQ for that, but the list sharing feature may or may not come in handy there.  Either way, I do have each month’s grocery list saved as a favorite and that has been a lifesaver.

The app is free, it’s obviously supported by those coupons, so don’t be ashamed to use them (your usage means more financial support for the app developers).  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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Tagged as: android grocery list, apple iphone, grocery iq, grocery list app, grocery lists, iphone grocery list