My Favorite App - Grocery IQ

I love Grocery IQ. First, the fine print: it’s free and available on iPhone, Android and iPad. So you don’t even have to think about whether or not you want to spend the money or whether it’s available on your phone. It isavailable, unless you have a Blackberry, of course, but if you have a Blackberry, you’re already used to getting the short end of the app stick. (It’s free because Coupons.com owns it and wants you to use their coupons. I don’t have a problem with that.)

This is my favorite app, hands down. I use it every day. It solves a problem I have – multiple grocery/drugstore/Target lists laying around on pieces of scrap paper, scattered around the kitchen, and NEVER IN MY PURSE WHEN I NEED THEM. It also solves the memory/responsibility problem. What’s that? It goes something like this:

Chris: We’re almost out of paper towels. We should remember to get that next time we’re at the store (transferring the responsibility to remember to me).

Me: (scrambling for one of my scrap papers OR barely listening/registering what he said because I’m wiping snot off my son’s nose) – Uh, yeah, sure, and uh, we need garlic. I think we’re out of garlic. Do you know if we’re out of garlic? And lemons? (transferring the responsibility to look to him)

Fast forward to the next day at Publix as we’re cramming the kid into a “car” cart and rushing to the bakery for his free cookie:

Me: what was that thing you said I should remember to get?

Chris: Uh, uh, uh . . . oh gosh, what was it? (wiping chocolate off son’s mouth)

This app SOLVES all that and more. Next time you run out of something, whip out your phone, and add it to the list. You can choose which list because the app lets you organize by store. Which is perfect for me because some of the items we like are only available at certain stores. So I have a Whole Foods list, a Publix list, a Target list, and so on. The app is smart and uses predictive text, so as I start typing, it pulls up a list of suggested items – including brands they carry at your selected store. Once you add the item, it automatically categorizes by department, so all your produce items are grouped together, deli items together, etc. How freakin’ awesome is that??? (I know, it's the little things sometimes.)

Maybe you don’t care which store you get your toilet paper from. That’s fine. When you add your item, just pop it in the list for “any store” and it’ll show up on your list no matter which store you’re at.

Back to the kitchen and the oatmeal you just ran out of. You also have the option to scan the barcode and pop it into your list that way. Nice. Or click on the coupons tab and see what deals are out there. You can send those coupons to your printer straight from the app, too.

Or, let’s say you’re working late and don’t have time to go to the store, but your husband does. You can EMAIL HIM THE LIST right from the app! (Or, if he has the app on his phone, too, you can sync the lists.)

I’m telling you, GroceryIQ is the THE MOST USEFUL APP EVER. Well, next to the app I developed (NameBuddy). But that's a story for another day!