I am right there with you, Andie :-) I use Excel spreadsheets for a variety of applications but can't imagine putting forth the effort to construct one just for a grocery list! Pen and pen/pencil work perfectly well and are fast and easy.

I am also not a fan of most phone apps either, but not sure why you couldn't just make your list in the notes or reminders feature of your smartphone.

Grainlady used spreadsheets I think. She worked with old folks on tiny fixed incomes so tracked the prices. If you're going to do that, and do it store by store, Excell would work, especially if you want to manipulate the data. You might also want to look at MealBoard app, which does that too. I just started using it just for recipe planning, but it has a whole system set up to track your pantry, freezer, etc, make grocery lists for each store, divided by aisle automatically (but you can correct and customize), record prices, etc. In Excel, you'd be able to have columns for Thursday special pring and all that, however.

If you're not using it to track prices and inventory, however, may I suggest that Word may be enough? You can put a text box next to your recipe for recording things you need to buy, then drag it to the next page to print.

What using an app, whether an assistant like Alexa (great for taking down the list while you're cooking) or a manager like MealBoard, is not having to be passing the store and have your list at home. Can you sync Excel to your phone through the cloud? Oh...or maybe you don't have a handheld device and are just using a regular computer?

It would help a lot in giving you suggestions if you explained how to usually write up a grocery list and how you want to improve your system.

I was thinking that a spreadsheet would allow me columns not only for the item but maybe the price I paid one day and where I bought it. I don't really use Excel but thought it could be useful in this case.

I do as I've always done, paper on the refrigerator and when I think of something I need I write it down. Yes, sometimes it's at home when I decide to stop by the grocery store. Excel should also allow me to categorize my items ie produce, dairy etc.

I would love something that would sync between my iPhone and my iMac. I would especially love something that allowed me to use the microphone instead of typing.

Thanks for the app suggestions Pillog, I will look into them.

I use the notes function on y cellular phone. I make rolling list, regular repeat purchases, separated by a couple bean lines, and immediate needs

I use Google Keep, and make separate lists for each store I shop at. It syncs across all platforms, so I can edit lists from whichever device I'm on. Keep also has checkboxes for lists, & I can check things off or add them back to a list as I wish.

I don't think most of the apps have Siri integration, but you should be able to use Siri to record items you want on your shopping list and copy them over to your master shopping list at your leisure. I think you can use it with Google Sheets if you set up shortcuts, so you could record prices right to a spreadsheet, and just cut and paste it into Excel. Or you could record your actual shopping list from Excel into Siri.

Google Sheets might actually be a good idea instead of Excel just it'll be available on your phone.

So, I'm not great with three dimensional spreadsheets. What I do know is that maintaining them is a lot of work. If you think it's fun, go for it. I did a little searching, just now, and there are some well favored apps out there. Favado and others show you the current prices at your local stores. Some of the shopping list apps will automatically scan your receipts, though I don't know if they import your purchase info, or just display the receipt.

If you're still interested in the spreadsheet, I'd start with a single sheet first. Excel is hugely powerful, but also works on a very basic level. A database might be more appropriate, but it would be harder to set up. So, classify your items by type: Staples, baking; staples, spices; staples, cooking; staples, cans, special, baking; special, spices;, special, cooking; special, cans. Special being things you don't usually keep around the house that are for particular recipes or events. Then the same for Produce, fresh vegetables; produce, fresh fruits; produce, dried; produce, nut and seeds; etc., etc. More categories seem like a pain to start, but in the end are a blessing if you want to find things.

The program will alphabetize for you, but that's only useful if you're careful with what you name things. So if you have a listing for milk, you can have one column say milk, another column say liquid fresh/canned/powder, another say full fat, low fat, non fat, and then you can choose to sort for milk, or for canned goods, or price. The more detail you put in, the more you'll get out.

just thinking on what a job I have just keeping up with my spice inventory, I really think this will be a big big job. Maybe do some more thinking on what you actually want it to do for you. Do take a look at MealBoard, which I mentioned above. You can do all the things you said in there, though I think you have to pay the $4 for the full app, if you don't like it you can probably get it refunded.

Also look at Grosh Intelligent Grocery List, which I haven't used, but sounds like a high powered app which lets you scan items and uses your patterns to help organize. I can't tell if Smart Grocery Price List is powerful or not by the description, but might fit your needs.

If you're convinced you want to use Excel, we can help with that. Make a list of what you want to record.

It's an app but I think a really good one, called Bring. Easy to share lists and you can have different lists, very versatile.

We use the AnyList app, will sync between my IPad, IPhone, can copy it to my husband so he can add to it at anytime. At times, he may be at the other end of the grocery store, purchase an item that’s on the list, etc. I use it for everything. You can create a grocery list, a basic list, etc. and the grocery list can be set up for the different aisles, food sections, etc.

If I find a scratch paper grocery list from 2009, ten yrs ago, in a coat pocket, it would not be much different than today. Especially basic pantry and crisper drawer staples. We used an app for a few years but back to a custom print-out.

Our favored grocery is produce at the entry, then bakery, seeds, nuts, deli, cheese monger, fish, then butcher, dairy and small frozen isle back, then dry goods, cleaning...

The header is the month and this never leaves the kitchen. Only thing for the up-coming weekend is AC vinegar, celery and a couple lemons. (garden is producing now)

Free download and easy once set up. My first two columns are produce, then as the store goes...lots of room at the bottom off the list for specialty items like lobster was 6.99lb last week. DH will shop thurs or Friday and snap a cell pic.

Click, HERE , for download

For example I have 'greens' then a blank space below. If I check that, he knows I mean whatever looks good like chard, kale, collards. Or I write out 'kale'.

Nice thing about having a MASTER list printed out is the reminders. I checked the recently purchased new potatoes but not so fresh so might add that if we want some roasted. I have corn flour for corn cakes, check that off. yada, yada.

In an attempt to maintain a healthy brain, I refuse to make a written grocery list of any kind. Just before I go out the door, I do an inventory of the pantry and fridge, making mental notes of what's needed. If there are items that I don't usually buy, I get them first then go on with my routine shopping.

Do I miss things? Occasionally. Do I get stuff I don't need? Again, occasionally. But most of the time I come home with exactly what I need and my mind is staying sharp... uh, what was the question?

You guys are the best! I appreciate all the ideas and especially the advice to find something other than Excel. Thank you so much!! Ginny

Using a spread sheet allows you to format print out on different kinds of adhesive address labels.

The labels stick very well on produce bags.

I print out a lot of the labels to stick on the bags to go into the freezer. No need to find a marker to write each time you need to put food in the freezer..

dcarch

I have heard that Wunderlist is good, too. I have downloaded, but haven't tried working with it yet.

I print out a lot of the labels to stick on the bags to go into the freezer. No need to find a marker to write each time you need to put food in the freezer..

You have mentioned that in the past and I just don't get it at all...I have never written the same thing twice when freezing anything. It gets the item and the date with a 99cent sharpie kept right in the kitchen drawer. "sous vide ribs 9hr, 7-19". "bbq sauce 7-19". "chicken for tacos 5-19". The item and the date. "smoked 1/2 chicken 4-19". etc.

Whatever method works for you, go for it. We went back to a 'master' list since we kept forgetting something every grocery stop. Working full time it is a pita to go out on a Saturday or Sunday morning for one or two items forgotten.

I go around my kitchen with my cell phone and I write a list right on a text by using my microphone. Once at the store as I pick up the item I erase it off my list. Very seldom do we forget anything as long as we go look in our cupboards and in our fridge and actually look at the list. We have a master list on a text that I have sent myself. Usually it is just as quick to just go around and say what I need

I use anylist as well, and love that I can sync with my wife who uses a different type of phone. You can arrange categories by your grocery store so your items on the list are arranged in order to how you go through your store. Also, for the busier folks, it integrates with Alexa so you can tell her to add it to your list before you forget to add it when you’re back on your phone. You can also add prices and comments for each item. It’s worth a look.

Thanks, Steve. I'd love the Alexa sync, so I'm going to check it out.

" sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

---------You have mentioned that in the past and I just don't get it at all...I have never written the same thing twice when freezing anything. It gets the item and the date with a 99cent sharpie kept right in the kitchen drawer. "sous vide ribs 9hr, 7-19". "bbq sauce 7-19". "chicken for tacos 5-19". The item and the date. "smoked 1/2 chicken 4-19". etc.----"

I have the habit of buying in quantity when something is on sale. For instance, chicken thighs at $0.59 a lb, I would buy 20 lbs or more. I would package two thighs in a bag and label the bags. Prime ribs with 6 ribs, that's 6 labels to write, ---------.

dcarch

I keep plain beige masking tape (good for taping freezer paper too) and a purple sharpie on my counter. It's not fancy, but I can label anything I want, whenever I want. It's often scribbles, but a name and date aren't really that hard to scrawl. I learned to write when I was 5. :)

"Out of Milk" is an app I learned about here on the CF a number of years ago. I love it, and it does just about everything, as far as I can tell, as all the other apps listed here. And it's FREE! It's on my phone, so I have no concerns about forgetting my list when going shopping. Most brand name items can be scanned into the list by their price code. Store brands can be added by scanning, then typing in the price code. They are then there next time you need that item. You can keep pantry inventory, refrigerator inventory, freezer inventory, lists can be by store, whatever. Alphabetical, date, category, however you set them up. And it is all very easy to do. Check off the items in the store as you add them to your cart.

Really a lot easier, faster, and more accurate then my previous favorite method, pencil and paper. :^)

And it's free. . . . . .

Rusty

I used to use Out of Milk and liked it too, but the Alexa support is not great. AnyList is a better app to use with Alexa.

I'm with Ricky, I don't use lists..... except for the odd thing and then I use Gtasks to jot it down.... and then I forget to look at the list! I go shopping a lot and pretty much know what I have on hand or what I need. I think that what works for me isn't for you and vice versa. I'm an accountant and I would never use Excel, but then again.... ymmv.

I am also pretty old school just like Andie and I do need a pen, a pencil and a piece of paper :DD. Only sometimes I am writing it all into my phone, in the notes app, as I do not know any other app good for this kind of purposes. My son was actually working on a similar app. His idea was that younger people prefer to have everything in their phones, and they would like to have this kind of spreadsheets. He is a specialist in moving gravity forms to google sheets so, setting up such an app would not be such a problem.

I might try Anylist, but I hate typing anything on my phone, and so if it requires much typing, I will never use it. I'm fine typing on a regular keyboard, however, but I never type with my thumbs, other than the space bar. What would be nice would be a list to keep inventory of what is in the refrigerator and pantry, along with expiration dates so that I will know when I need to use certain things. In the past, I have bought too much pasta and forgot to use it before its expiration date. I'm better with flours because I use them frequently, or else store them in the freezers.

I have several fountain pens and four different colors of fountain pen ink, and so I like to write my lists with pens. I used to write my grocery lists in Russian and German, partly to help retain my vocabularies and partly to help with my German and Cyrillic calligraphy. One roommate I had would get very irritated when he would find one of my grocery lists written in Russian, and so I made a point of leaving them around so that he could find them.

My brother and I still write all our lists on paper, but I use pen and cursive, and my brother uses pencil and prints. I find cursive to be much faster, and I'm very good at it. We get free notepads from real estate agents almost every week and find those very useful for our grocery lists.

One roommate I had would get very irritated when he would find one of my grocery lists written in Russian, and so I made a point of leaving them around so that he could find them.

I love your sense of humor!

I'm a list maker too. Right now there are at least 4 lists for different stores in the junk drawer.

Lars I never type on my phone because it would take forever and there would be tons of errors. I use the microphone all the time. The key to using the microphone is to talk slow and clear and have your mouth very close to the speaker. You will have to check it for accuracy and make a few corrections but making corrections gets easier. You should be able to say "new line" and speak the next item and on and on. Give it a try. I am using an iPhone.

I downloaded the Best Before app but have not started using it. I do not think that it makes grocery lists, but I don't need that. It is just too easy to write a list with a pen and paper, and we have a special place to store lists in progress. When I notice that I need something, I do not want to have to find my phone and then find an app in the phone, open the app and try to find out how to write down what I need. By that time, I may have forgotten what I need. I get instant results writing lists on paper.

I have not started using the Best Before app, and so I cannot comment on that, but this is something I definitely need help with. It is a bit of a hassle to rummage through my pantry, cabinet shelves, and refrigerator shelves to find out what needs to get used. I think also if I am more aware of what I have that I will end up buying less - I could use the extra space in my cabinets and refrigerators. Also, it is difficult for me to remember what I have in Cathedral City when I am in Los Angeles, and vice versa. There were certain pantry items that I meant to bring back to L.A. the last trip (notably excess dried pasta), and so maybe this will be able to help me with that. I have to make sure that it can store my addresses separately.

I use Alexa. I tell her to add things to my shopping list then hey presto, it's all on my phone for when I go shopping. Her french isn't very good so sometimes I do wonder what I needed to buy LOL

I make a pen and paper list then take a photo of it to take with me to the store.

Interesting to see this resurrected. Since the pandemic started and I've been shopping on my phone, I really have little use for many shopping lists any more, since I can just add or subtract things in my virtual shopping carts over several days before I check out. If I think of something, I just pull out my phone and add it to a cart.

The only store I still use Google Keep for is Trader Joe's, since there's no online shopping for that store.

What I like about a pen and paper list is that I can glance at it without having to open an app. I keep as few apps on my phone as possible and would delete more of them if I knew for sure what they were. Facebook makes my phone crash, and so I do not use that on my phone at all, but then I almost never use Facebook anyway.