A shared grocery list that ends the "did you get milk?" texts
A shared grocery list you both add to from your phones means no more "did you get the milk?" texts, fewer doubled-up purchases and no more standing in the aisle trying to remember what you needed. Setting one up takes a few minutes.
Why a shared list beats a group chat
- Items don't get buried under other messages.
- Whoever is at the shops sees the list the other person updated five minutes ago.
- Ticking an item off tells the other person it's done, so you don't buy it twice.
Set it up
- Create one list called "Groceries". Keep it separate from your other tasks so it never gets lost among the jobs.
- Add things the moment you notice them. The rule is simple: if you use the last of it, you add it. Doing it on the spot is what keeps the list complete.
- Group items so shopping is quicker. Tags such as produce, dairy, pantry and cleaning let you filter the list to match your route round the shop.
- Put the staples on repeat. Milk, bread and eggs come round constantly. A repeating task that returns each week saves re-adding them.
- Tick off as you go. Completed items drop out of the way, so what's left is what you still need.
A starter list of staples
If you're starting from nothing, this is a decent base to adapt:
- Fridge: milk, eggs, butter, cheese, yoghurt, and whatever fruit and vegetables you'll cook this week.
- Pantry: rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, olive oil, flour, sugar, cereal, tea and coffee.
- Freezer: frozen vegetables, bread and a few easy dinners.
- Household: toilet paper, dishwashing liquid, laundry powder, bin liners and sponges.
Tips that keep it working
- Decide who shops. One person shopping from the list, with the other adding to it from anywhere, is the smoothest setup.
- Be specific when it matters. "Milk, full cream, 2 litres" saves a phone call.
- Keep the list lean. Delete anything you've decided against so it doesn't clutter.
- Add a "to try" note for new things you'd like to taste, so they don't get forgotten.
Where TickOff fits, and where it doesn't
TickOff works well as a shared grocery list: you both see changes straight away, you can tag items, and you can repeat the staples. Because it's a general-purpose shared list, the same app can also hold your jobs and reminders.
It isn't a recipe manager or meal planner, though. If you want to import recipes from websites and plan meals around your shopping, an app built for that, such as AnyList, will serve you better. Plenty of households use one of those for food and a shared task list like TickOff for everything else. We compare the options in our roundup of shared to-do apps.
Common questions
Do we both need the app open at the shops?
No. Whoever is shopping needs it open. The other person can add items from anywhere and they appear on the shopper's phone.
What about patchy signal in the supermarket?
TickOff keeps a copy of your tasks on your phone, so you can still view the list and tick items off when the signal drops. Your changes sync once you're back online.
Can we use it for more than groceries?
Yes. Most couples end up with a groceries list plus a general jobs list. See our guide to a shared to-do list for couples.