The highlighted app for today, Groceries, is one that I use often, but I am not completely satisfied with it. I just have not taken the time to search for a different app that has all the features I would like.
Groceries allows users to create shopping lists to use as they shop at the store. Users can add as many shopping lists as they want to the application with the easy add feature. I have a generic list for items that I add as I run out or nearly run out of them in the house. I also have separate lists for the different stores I shop at where I enter the weekly deals.
The items do not have to be grocery items; users can also add toiletry, cleaning, and other household items. I have also added items like clothing to my lists because I know that if I do not have an item on my shopping list, I will leave the store without it.
The app comes with many preloaded items that include the aisle in the store where users will typically find the item: for example, the produce aisle for watermelon, tomatoes, apples, etc; the canned goods aisle for enchilada sauce, canned vegetables, and so on. Users have the option to add different aisles to the aisles list to customize it for the store they most often shop, and they can easily change the aisle of any item in the system.
The app also has an option where users can add the quantity that they typically purchase of the item. Unfortunately, this option remains with the item until the user changes it manually. That is one feature I wish the application possessed. I would like the ability to enter the quantity when I select to add the item to a list.
I would also like to find an app that allows users to enter the price when they add an item to the list. This would be most handy for remembering sale prices on specific items.
As users purchase the items on the list, a simple tap on the screen crosses the item off the list. Users can choose to have the crossed off items continue to appear on the screen or have them disappear from view. After users complete their shopping, they can choose to clear all the crossed off items from the list, or they can choose to uncheck the items so they reappear on the list.
In summary, I find this app useful because it gives me one place to enter the items I need to pick up from the store and I find that I am less likely to forget some key item that I needed if I place it on the list. I just need to be on the lookout for a different app that offers a few more features to make my shopping experience even better.
