How do you keep track of food stores etc?

[ifIwerenotanandroid]

I've managed to gradually get in some extra supplies in case of future difficulties, e.g. having to self-isolate.

How does anyone keep track of it all, when things are coming in & being used all the time? We went through all the food in the house & listed it with its use-by dates, but it's become chaotic again. I have a tiny kitchen, so I can't just fill up multiple cupboards & put the new stuff at the back.

I feel like there should be a database system for this: types of food, dates, meal plans, where the stuff's stored, etc!

We just used to do a big weekly shop & knew that we'd get what we needed - but it's not like that any more, as my top favourite supermarkets aren't delivering/won't add new customers. So I get whatever's good from a variety of places, but I never know exactly what's coming. We also used to eat ready meals but now we're cooking (& loving it), so there are a lot more individual items to keep track of. I regard it as an achievement that we haven't starved yet, but I need to feel more in control of this.

Anyone who wants to try & guilt me for sensible prepping/ being able to afford this, don't bother.

Someone on another thread recommended an app called 'Track It' which sounds like its what you need.
I got as far as downloading it but haven't added anything

Put things with similar use by dates in the same box (if you are using boxes). E.g. one box for use by 31 May-31 September 2021

No app but I buy things like rice, pasta and tomato puree in bulk. They keep for a long time 6-12months. I have enough cupboard space and order more if supply gets low, always putting the old stuff on top. Perishable food is bought on a weekly / fortnightly basis. I use the same system for freezer.

I eat it all!! 😀😀😀

I bulk buy stuff to cut down on number of shopping trips. It's served me well in recent weeks.

I have a tiny kitchen but a cellar with shelves. The cellar stuff used to be on a simple spreadsheet, but I've downloaded an app called NoWaste this week.

Expiry dates aren't my issue - it's forgetting what I have that makes me want to track.

An inventory ... updated daily, plus meal planning list.

A databse or app seems extreme.

If you are buying more than you can fit in the cupboard, then presumably you are storing it under the bed of something, so the same principle applies...... stuff with the shortest date in your cupboard, take stuff to restock your kitchen from the fron ot the box and add fresh stock to the back.
Not that it matters hugely - tins, jars, and 'store cupboard' stuff lasts for years. You aren't going to keel over from eating something processed or tinned a week after the recommended date.
Presumably you wouldn't be stockpiling fresh stuff.

Thanks for the replies which are all helpful. (I envy those cellar shelves, though!)

No, I'm not stockpiling fresh stuff & yes, most of the reserve isn't in the kitchen. It's stored in a semi-organised way according to date but some records of what we've got haven't been updated, & things like paper goods which won't go out of date have gone unrecorded. We've also taken some things out of the reserve to use. I feel I don't know what I've got & what I need to buy.

I'll investigate those apps. Thanks again to all.