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How our family never forgets the staples

Updated October 2026

Every family has its staples. In our house it's cheese sticks, Brussels sprouts, corn and low carb tortillas. We buy them on almost every grocery run and we always want them in the fridge. For years the system was simple: someone noticed we were out, told me, and I forgot by the time I got to the store.

That's the reason GroceryGret exists. Here's how we use it, and how you can set up yours.

Add your staples once

The first thing I did was add our staples. Type a few letters on the List tab, pick the item, and it's saved as an Everyday item. That's it. You never type "cheese sticks" again. It stays in your family's list for good, whether you need it this week or not.

  1. Add it once. On the List tab, type a few letters and pick from the suggestions. Everyday items like milk and tortillas go to Everyday. Turn on Bulk for things you buy at Costco or Sam's Club.
  2. Mark it when you're out. When someone finishes the last cheese stick, they tap it so it shows as Need it. That puts it on the list for the next trip.
  3. Check it off at the store. On the Trip tab, check items off as they go in the cart. Everyone at home sees it within seconds.
  4. It's waiting for next time. After the trip, your staples go back to the “don't need right now” section. They're still saved, ready to tap the next time you run out.

The whole family keeps it up to date

This is the part that changed things for us. My wife and kids have the app on their phones, on the same family list. When the kids finish the corn or the tortillas, they tap it. I don't have to remember who told me what, or dig through a group text. When I do the grocery run, the list is already right, and we don't miss an item.

Before I go, I also look at the Deals tab to see what's on sale at the stores near us that week, so I don't miss a deal on something we were going to buy anyway.

It's consistent

Because the staples are saved, the list looks the same every week. Same items, same order, sorted by the section of the store on the Trip tab. Nobody has to rebuild the list from memory, and new things are easy to add on top.

Recipes, events and holidays

Staples are only part of it. When we're making something new, we use Recipe to list: take a photo of the recipe or paste a link, and the ingredients land on the list. Items added only for a recipe come off after the trip, so they don't clutter your staples.

For birthdays, cookouts and holidays, start a separate list with New list, like Thanksgiving, and share it with whoever else is bringing food. It stays separate from your everyday groceries. See the Thanksgiving list guide for how that works.

Start small. Add the five or six things your family buys every single week first. Once those are in, the rest of the list builds itself as people run out of things.

Try it

GroceryGret is free and in beta testing on iPhone. Join the beta and you'll get the install link right away. More guides: all how-to guides.

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