One of my mom’s biggest pet peeves is pulling together a grocery list, doing the week’s shopping, getting all the way home and realizing something was forgotten. Trying to get everyone to focus and add what they want to the grocery list is almost impossible. The text that said “Can you pick up shampoo?” on Tuesday will be forgotten by the time you’re at the store on Saturday.
In the interest of saving time, gas and your sanity, a grocery list that everyone in the house can collaborate on is the best option.
Check out these shared shopping lists that will ensure you only make one trip to the grocery store and everyone will be happy when you get home.
Cozi Family Organizer
Among other features, the Cozi Family Organizer (download for iOS or Android) is great for making shopping lists. The free app makes it easy for everyone in your house to see and add to grocery lists from a PC or phone.
You can access the list from anywhere and see any new items that have been added. Cozi lists are organized to make your shopping trip as efficient as possible. Items are organized under headers like dairy, fruits and vegetables. You can create one master list or different lists for each store you go to.
If you’ve planned out meals for the week, you can add the recipes to Cozi and the app will add the ingredients to your list.
Cozi supports up to 12 family members. Create an account, download the app with your family and add the names of the people who can access the account.
Cozi/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET
OurGroceries
The OurGroceries app (download for iOS or Android) syncs your family’s grocery lists across multiple devices so everyone is up to date on changes.
The app works with smart devices like the Amazon Echo, so you don’t need to have your device on hand if you think of something. You can also shop with your Android Wear watch.
Shopping is made simpler with the ability to add your favorite recipes to the app. The ingredients are transferable to your grocery list.
OurGroceries has a free version, but the Premium version unlocks a few extra features. Paying for the app lets you add photos to your items so you get exactly what you want. Premium also includes a barcode scanning feature.
OurGroceries/Screenshots by Shelby Brown/CNET
List Ease
You can share not only grocery lists (and any other list you can think of) with your family but with List Ease (download for iOS or Android) you can also share coupons across mobile devices. The app makes it easy to swap between a grocery list for an event or just items for the pantry.
Items are quick to add with the barcode scanner and you’ll get an alert when other users on the account are purchasing groceries or checklist items. List Ease also lets you know when you’re running low on something.
You can further detail your lists with measurements, quantities, prices and other notes to make sure your recipes are organized and you stay on budget.
List Ease/Screenshots by Shelby Brown/CNET
Out of Milk
The Out of Milk app (download for iOS or Android) makes it easy to share grocery lists with family or roommates so everyone is on the same page. If someone adds a new item, the lists can sync.
The app works on multiple devices and platforms and is compatible with Googleand Alexa voice assistants. It’s easy to keep track of your favorite items with Add From History and add new ones with the barcode scanner.
The Cart feature helps you keep track of what’s been purchased and what still needs to get picked up, lessening the chance you’ll forget something.
To make sure your house is running as efficiently as possible, Out of Milk also offers tips in blog posts about essential household supplies, list ideas, pantry management and more. You can even customize the list to look just how you want it.
Out of Mike/Screenshots by Shelby Brown/CNET
Kroger
If you shop at the grocery chain Kroger — the largest grocer in the US — the company’s mobile app (download for iOS or Android) can be very helpful when creating your grocery list. My husband and I use Kroger’s app every week, and it takes some of the stress out of shopping. Whether you’re doing Click List, the grocery pickup service or headed inside, the app can help streamline your trip.
If you buy the same items each week, the app can build a collection for you so it’s easier to add to your list or cart. As you search items, you can explore weekly ads, coupons and discounts to use with your Kroger Card.
We share login information and simply refresh the shopping list when we’ve added our items. You can easily add your grocery list to the cart if you want to do Click List. If you prefer to shop inside, the Kroger app helps you navigate the aisles more effectively.
Kroger/Screenshots by Shelby Brown/CNET
Mealime
As well as making grocery shopping easier, Mealime (download for iOS or Android) helps make your shopping list healthier.
The app helps you plan meals with more than 200 personalized options such as gluten-free, vegetarian, allergy restrictions, how many people you’re feeding and how many meals you need.
Once you build your meal plan, the ingredients you’ll need transfer automatically to your shopping list. You might even get out of the store faster because Mealime includes step-by-step grocery list optimization with standard store layouts.
The app offers a free and Premium version. Mealime doesn’t look like it has a built-in list collaboration feature, but family members could share login information to sync the grocery list.
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