I Said Pureed Peas, Not Diaper Inserts!

Posted by Tech Mom

Last Saturday morning, the baby was up, changed, and fed before 8am, and I wasn't quite sure what to do next. He didn't want to fall back asleep yet, and we were trying to be quiet so his daddy could get another couple hours of shut-eye. So I strapped him into the Baby Bjorn so we could stroll down to the Walgreens and pick up a few things.

Fast-forward an hour, and we're plodding up the stairs to our apartment. We've had a lovely walk. I've drank a cup of delicious coffee. My shoulder bag is stuffed with purchases from Walgreens. But I forgot the wipes and the nursing pads, which -- not coincidentally -- were the very reasons I'd gone to Walgreens in the first place.

This is why I always need a list.

Whether you're as easily distracted by impulse buys as I am, or your little one keeps you so sleep deprived you can hardly remember how to get to the store, let alone what to buy there, a good list can save you money, time, and the hassle of repeat shopping trips.

The iPhone and Android app stores are littered with grocery lists, some of them super sophisticated like Grocery Gadget ($3.99 for iPhone/iPad, $2.99 for Android or BlackBerry, and currently $0.99 on Windows Phone). Grocery Gadget has all the bells and whistles: barcode scanning, photos, and price-comparison features. It syncs across all devices and an online portal. It's great, but almost too full featured -- using it felt too fussy when all I wanted was a list.

So now I just Buy Me a Pie. Well, not a real pie. Buy Me a Pie is a simple grocery list app for iPhone/iPod touch app that's still got the sharing power I need with the beautiful design and ease of use that means...I'll actually use it.

Updating it couldn't be easier. Just type in the name of the item, and optionally the amount. The app will suggest items as you type -- just tap one to add it. Color coding lets you sort by aisle or section of the store, but that's optional too.

As you shop, you just tap the items to check them off the list. Crossed-out items sink to the bottom of the list, and if you tap them again, they're added back on -- great for stapes like milk and eggs that you wind up buying every time.

You can have multiple lists (say, one for Safeway and one for Walgreens), and if you create an account by tapping the person icon in the upper left, your lists back up to Buymeapie.com, which means you can also add things from your computer.

More than one iPhone or iPod touch can use the same account, which means easy and automatic sharing with your sweetie, your roommate, or even a group of friends all buying supplies for a party. And it's easy to send lists by email, or by SMS text message to any cell phone too.

In Settings > Buy Me a Pie, you can turn on auto synchronization, which will alert you to new additions to your lists. You can customize how those alerts look in Settings > Notifications > Buy Me a Pie.

If I get back in the habit of using this faithfully, I'll be able to take one shopping trip a week (or better yet, send my husband) and not forget a single thing. That used to be a pipe dream, but now it's a pie dream.

3 back to preschool

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