Groceries via templates (iPad friendly!)
I see a lot of posts about using e-mail, completed tasks, and/or duplicating tasks to create templates (for groceries, etc.), so I thought I'd share my methodology. This methodology was designed to be convenient to use on the iPad app, once set up.
SETUP: I've created a "Groceries" list, into which I've added an item for every thing I want to keep in stock. (Milk, Eggs, Beef, etc.) When I add new items, I mark them "due today" and "repeat after 3 days". Then, I have a smart list called "Shopping List" that searches for "list:Groceries and (due:never or dueBefore:tomorrow)".
USAGE: When it's time to go shopping, I pull up "Shopping List". I complete items that I have in stock already. (basically doing a quick kitchen "inventory") I've found that I'm less likely to miss something by positively affirming that I already have it, rather than trying to think of "what do I need?". Everything that's left is my shopping list for the day.
When I pull up the list again next week, all the items have automatically reappeared, and I can repeat the process.
If there's an item I need just one time (spices, something exotic, etc.) I just add it to "Groceries" without due date/repeat and it will still show up in "Shopping List", but it won't reappear for future trips.
This should work for any list of tasks that you want to repeat on a regular basis, as long as you can define a repeat period that will be safely between the time you need to complete the tasks and the time you'll want to repeat the list again. I go shopping once a week, so 3 days is a nice middle ground in case I don't get all the shopping done in one day.
SETUP: I've created a "Groceries" list, into which I've added an item for every thing I want to keep in stock. (Milk, Eggs, Beef, etc.) When I add new items, I mark them "due today" and "repeat after 3 days". Then, I have a smart list called "Shopping List" that searches for "list:Groceries and (due:never or dueBefore:tomorrow)".
USAGE: When it's time to go shopping, I pull up "Shopping List". I complete items that I have in stock already. (basically doing a quick kitchen "inventory") I've found that I'm less likely to miss something by positively affirming that I already have it, rather than trying to think of "what do I need?". Everything that's left is my shopping list for the day.
When I pull up the list again next week, all the items have automatically reappeared, and I can repeat the process.
If there's an item I need just one time (spices, something exotic, etc.) I just add it to "Groceries" without due date/repeat and it will still show up in "Shopping List", but it won't reappear for future trips.
This should work for any list of tasks that you want to repeat on a regular basis, as long as you can define a repeat period that will be safely between the time you need to complete the tasks and the time you'll want to repeat the list again. I go shopping once a week, so 3 days is a nice middle ground in case I don't get all the shopping done in one day.
angelakaypea says:
Excellent!! I love this, and it works for me. I also added locations to each grocery item, so I can make smart lists based upon which store - Whole Foods, Costco, Brookshires, Farmer's Market, etc.
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