Kitchen Inventory?!

[prepared101]

Shamelessly posting here for traffic having just bought 4 tins of baked beans at the supermarket and coming home to find 6 already in my cupboard.

AIBU to ask how you keep track of what's in your kitchen!? Is there a good app!? If it's cheaper than the cost of 4 tins of baked beans it'll be worth it!

[BarbaraofSeville]

I think the tip about organising your cupboard into lines is the easiest. Then for tins its just a matter of putting it on the shopping list when you get to the last can or two.

Because like the OP has identified, it's much cheaper to buy multipacks/offers of things like beans, tinned tomatoes, pasta sauce, soup, pulses so good to do unless you have absolutely no space and/or no money.

I think this is one area where an app would be overcomplicating things, for it to work, you'd have to be constantly stock taking your cupboards, which sounds like a time consuming bore.

[Stressofherregard]

you are very welcome!

[HardStareBear]

Have a look at the Whisk app. It lets you meal plan (if you want to), save recipes from almost anywhere online, has 'communities' of people that share recipes, and, the bit that you want, a shopping list that's easy to add to (for things you've thought of yourself and for specific items in recipes that you've stored on the app). It's not perfect but it's damn near.

[IJoinedJustForThisThread]

You’ve all inspired me and I have just made a list of everything in my freezer - what it is, best before/use by date (thank you @Stressofherregard ) and quantity.

Too late to do any more tonight, but tomorrow I plan to start on the cupboards to make a list of what is in there.

I’m going to start using up everything in the cupboards before buying more. I have a tendency to “stock up in case I get snowed in” and I need to start using up tins/packets that I have already bought instead of buying more.

Next project will be learning to make a shopping list before I go to the supermarket.

[WinnieTheWinsomeWitch]

@prepared101

@Gubu glad to know I'm not alone. Vipers are out in force tonight.

I'm not sure why wanting to use an app is so ridiculous when it's literally the phone version of pen and paper! I always have my phone with me- I don't also carry a notepad or a magnetic shopping list

If you haven’t worked out in 20 years of adulting that you can take off the top page of a notebook and just carry that little bit of paper with you, I can’t help you any more.

[mathanxiety]

Nobody carries the notebook with them, or the magnetic shopping list - they stay in the kitchen where the food is stored, so you can easily jot something down when you run out.

If you use your phone for most of your organizing, then use Notes. But you have to check your cupboards and fridge/ freezer to find out what you already have first. After you've done that you can use apps or whatever else floats your boat for list making.

[IJoinedJustForThisThread]

@Stressofherregard

I have recently audited all my food and store cupboard items. I put them in a spreadsheet so that I can easily check what I have. It was mostly to avoid having multiple jars of herbs and spices but it was easier to just include everything. Next job is to add BB dates so I don't waste anything. BTW I only have a tiny kitchen

Would you like to come and visit me for the day? 😊

[mathanxiety]

I have a whiteboard where I compose a shopping list as we run out.

I only get what's on the list, though there are staples like crushed tomatoes or black beans I buy if I'm in Aldi, because I know they'll be used. I usually have about three tins of each in the kitchen.

Maybe take the time to do a kitchen inventory. You might have items that are past their prime which you should throw out.

[prepared101]

@Gubu glad to know I'm not alone. Vipers are out in force tonight.

I'm not sure why wanting to use an app is so ridiculous when it's literally the phone version of pen and paper! I always have my phone with me- I don't also carry a notepad or a magnetic shopping list

[NeverDropYourMooncup]

@prepared101

I can't often remember what I went upstairs for let alone what I have in a cupboard before I go to the supermarket 25 minutes away!

Take a photo pn your phone, then?

[mirrorballer]

I meal plan then check the cupboards to see what we have/need. I usually do an online shop for everything except fruit and veg.

It's really not that hard to check what you have and write a list.

[Gubu]

@prepared101

Nope, I don't do any meal planning how have I survived for over 20 years of adulthood

Thank god, I was starting to think i was the only non meal planner in existence. I have a pad on the fridge door and a note on my phone but have been known to come home with yet another unnecessary bag of pasta.

I don't have a set time for shopping so I'll often go after dropping a kid to an activity and realising I have 45 mins to kill so as I ran out the door from a meeting to pick up said kid from school, no, I don't have time to work out if those three tins at the back of the cupboard are beans, soup or something someone took a notion for 3 years ago. So I've no solutions for you, OP, only solidarity!

[KitKattaktik]

We have a "deep store" of all foods so basically there's some in the cupboard and in use and a lot more in our store room. We've got a database of what's in the freezer, and in every storage box. We meal plan (not hard and fast, we plan 7 days meals but not Monday we're eating this, it's Monday, we can eat any of these 7 meals planned for this week if that makes sense!)

We need the freezer contents recorded as we buy fish straight from Grimsby twice a year in huge quantities so we must keep track of what we've got!

[Newnormal99]

I run a shopping list on alexa who lives in my kitchen. It's really easy to just say alexa add x to shopping list as I notice it.

[FourTeaFallOut]

The shelf life of baked beans runs to years. Just, eat them later?

[Confusedmeanderings]

Like pp I meal plan, writing a list for what I need before I go shopping. That way I can look in the cupboards to make sure I'm not buying things I don't need. We also use Alexa - when one of us notices we are low on something we tell Alexa and it is sent to our phones.

[IveNameChangedAgain2020]

I don't know why people are being so rude OP. I used to do this all the time and then my daughter came around when we'd moved and basically ordered my fridge and cupboards like a store. Ie all the ketchups in one line, baked beans, tuna etc. ie it's not all jumbled up. When a line runs down, I immediately add to my online shopping list!

[orwellwasright]

AIBU to ask how you keep track of what's in your kitchen!? Is there a good app!?

Yep. I use this great one called openthecupboardorfridgeandlookinside. It's free for both android and iPhone.

[WinnieTheWinsomeWitch]

@prepared101

Nope, I don't do any meal planning how have I survived for over 20 years of adulthood

You’ll have survived fine, but probably spent way more than you needed to on groceries 😁 With the cost of living rising so much you’ll thank all us oldies for recommending our magnetic shopping list pads and a pen.

[Ohthatsexciting]

@prepared101

Nope, I don't do any meal planning how have I survived for over 20 years of adulthood

It is a bit baffling to get to adulthood, have children, presumably work and have a load of responsibilities and then start a thread asking mumsnetter how you can grocery shop without buying items you already have In your cupboards.

No genius trick OP.

Just look in your cupboards before you go to the shop and / or keep a list on your phone of items that you notice need replenishing

[prepared101]

Nope, I don't do any meal planning how have I survived for over 20 years of adulthood

[MintJulia]

I cast a quick eye over the contents of the cupboard before I go shopping. And I have a strict 'use the last one, put it on the list' rule.
My app is the notepad on the side of the fridge 😀

[HappyCup]

@prepared101

I can't often remember what I went upstairs for let alone what I have in a cupboard before I go to the supermarket 25 minutes away!

Do you not write a list before you go?

If I was planning on having, or potentially having, beans in the upcoming week I’d check if I had them before putting them on a list.

[yikesanotherbooboo]

I keep a list to add to as things run out.
I tidy out the fridge on a Saturday or Sunday and then write my list for the week checking as I go along .
I do get a few little mountains if things have been on three for two or whatever but don't have enough storage space for too many gluts and they tend to be of things that I use regularly.

[BashfulClam]

Get Alexa to add things to my shopping list then
use it as I go around the shop. Although I would say open and screenshot the list before you go as sometimes you can’t get a signal.