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michael.stainthorpe says:
If I decide that I want to cook a meal (which I cook on a regular basis and has a long list of ingredients) I send an e-mail to the RTM Import e-mail address containing the full list of ingredients to be added to my RTM Grocery List.

However, to save typing this e-mail every time I want to cook this dish I've saved the list of ingredients as a 'canned response' in gmail so, if I want to load this meal into my grocery list I just goto gmail and select this 'canned response', sent it to RTM and within a few seconds the ingredients have loaded into my grocery list.

I can then goto my store cupboard, complete the items which I already have (such as balsamic vinegar, olive oil etc) and I'm left with the list of items which I need to get from the store which I can complete as I put them in my trolley using the RTM iPhone app.

This could be used for any event for which you need a standard set of items. Say you were going camping, you could have a 'canned response' e-mail containing Tent, Mini Cooker, Walking Boots, Mosquito Spray etc.
Posted at 10:15am on March 13, 2010
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Hi Michael,

This is a really cool way to add tasks. I just wanted to let you know that you're this week's Tips & Tricks Tuesday winner -- we've upgraded your RTM account to have a free year of Pro. :)
Posted 13 years ago
c0debabe says:
Genius!
Posted 13 years ago
rossgoodman says:
Great Idea but how about taking it to the next level !!!

You can use GMail's filters to automate the process.

Check For:
Sender = Your.Own@Email.Address
Subject = Spag Bol

Actions:
Forward To = Your.RTM@EMail.Address
Canned Response = Spag_Bol

Now whenever you want to make Spagetti Bolognese you just email yourself with the subject Spag Bol and it goes into your list automatically.

The main reason I suggest this is when I'm at work I can only access my "work" e-mail, GMail is blocked. It's also easier for me to e-mail from my Blackberry than use g-mail on the phone.

Hope That Helps

Ross
Posted 13 years ago
shruti.katyal says:
Kanfused !!!!!!!!! = Confused Information overload... tears in my eyes... but seems all worth it !!!!! Thank u for yours posts.. help & support guys..
Posted 13 years ago
despise says:
How clever. I don't cook, but I'm supposedly on a diet. Since I should be keeping track of calories, I adapted this tip to do just that. Instead of ingredients, my canned responses are foods I typically eat and the amount of calories they contain. Because let's face it, I don't want to bother looking at labels all the time. For example, my breakfast email might look something like this:

140 - Oatmeal #Diet
60 - Honey, 1 Tbs. #Diet

The Smart Add tag sends it straight to my Diet list, no subject required. At the end of the day, I can complete everything. Now, if only RTM could add up the numbers for me!
Posted 13 years ago
(closed account) says:
Phenomenal idea. I Evernoted it for future reference and think that one of these days everyone will put all of these features into one program and rule the GTD world!
Posted 13 years ago
coachdan007 says:
If I am understanding this, could this also be used to create multiple "checklist" type tasks? I have long been looking for a way to create several checklists for work, e.g. "Do these 8 things after my first meeting with a new client".

Would/Could this gmail canned responses be used for stuff like this?
Posted 13 years ago
(closed account) says:
This is great, though a few cautions:

1. Unless you specify a more explicit date, the 1/2 gets interpreted as 1/2/2011. Switching to decimals yields inconsistent results. 1.5 stays as it is but 0.25 becomes 12/25.

Bottom line: Be sure to use ^today or whatever date you want on each line. (Or is there a way to specify this for all?)

2. The RTM app on iPhone chops off medium-to-long tasks so that you can't eyeball them so easily in the list. It would be nice if there were a way to change font size, or just wrap the task like Appigo's Todo and other apps do. The text wrap issue that RTM mentions in their email import instructions is relevant to gmail webmail.

Bottom line: Keep ingredients as short as possible.

Otherwise, love it!
Posted 13 years ago
davidg.hamilton says:
I've been trying to do something like this but it's apparent that I'm not getting something. It's actually making me very frustrated - enough that I'm unlikely to continue using RTM.

Could someone give me a sample of the body/subject for this idea so I can try it out?

thx in advance
Posted 13 years ago
ferryvink.nl says:
@david

Check out:

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/help/answers/sending/importemail.rtm

Subject: yourlist
Body text:

test1 example
test2 #computer ^today
test3 #someday
Posted 13 years ago
rkleijwegt says:
Hi Ross,

Great idea, but I'm unable to create a filter that only forwards a canned response. I can forward an email to my rtm import address and reply with a canned response. But forwarding a canned response does not seem possible.

Any tips on how to set up gmail the way you described it? Perhaps you can use the filter import/export labs feature to post the filter you created to this forum.

Thanks in advance!

Btw. I'm using the Google Apps version of Gmail.
Posted 13 years ago
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