I've tested dozens of these tools and unfortunately most are quite disappointing lately. Out of Milk has become basically unusable due to the crashing, and AnyList is way too restrictive with its paywalls. Bring! is the only one that handles category sorting effectively for free in my experience. Before you download anything tho, are you looking for something that tracks prices or just organizes the aisles?

Building on the earlier suggestion, I've tried dozens of tools over the years and it's always a mess. Quick question tho—are you looking for price tracking or just the aisle sorting? IIRC Walmart Wishlist Creator is free and handles categorization well. Not 100% sure but someone told me it's way faster than most apps.

• Google Keep (use checkboxes)
• Simple Trello board Hope the toddler behaves!

Same setup here, love it

> Re: "Following this thread"

• OtterOrbit is totally on the money here! I have been burned so many times by apps that promise the world then glitch out when you are actually in the store. I remember one time my "smart" list just emptied itself while I was in the dairy aisle... I almost cried right there! Now I only trust the stuff that is rock solid and wont let me down. If you want to keep that $125 budget safe and avoid the stress, here is what I have found after testing everything to make sure it is safe and actually free:
• OurGroceries: I love this one because it is just so reliable! Pros are it is basically bulletproof and the syncing is instant so your data stays safe. Cons are it looks a bit old fashioned, but who cares when it works every time?
• Listonic: This is also fantastic! The big pro is how it sorts by aisle automatically which is amazing for getting in and out fast. The con is that it has some ads that can be a bit annoying if you are in a huge rush, but it never crashes on me. Honestly, stick to these two and stay away from the buggy ones that just want your data or your cash. You are gonna crush that grocery run tomorrow!

Just saw this thread. Honestly be careful with some of those free apps because they use so much data or drain your battery so fast it might actually cost you more in the long run if youre not careful. I usually just write stuff down on a scrap of paper because my phone always dies in the cold anyway... honestly the PNW winters just kill my battery life. Speaking of Safeway, have you noticed how they changed the layout of the one over on 4th lately? It is a total nightmare now. I went in there last Tuesday just for some milk and ended up wandering around the garden section for like twenty minutes because they had those new succulents in. I almost bought three of them but then I remembered my cat literally eats anything green I bring into the house. Poor guy gets sick every time but he never learns. Anyway lol sorry I kinda went off topic there.

Yep been there done that. Can confirm everything said above is spot on.

Just saw this thread, hope the grocery run wasnt too stressful. Are you strictly needing a mobile app or is a web-to-app sync crucial for you? If you want data-driven sorting, Listonic is decent for a few reasons:

• It uses crowd-sourced data to group items by store layout.
• The price entry feature helps track that 125 dollar limit.
• No paywalls for basic sorting. It basically automates the categorization so you arent backtracking.

Late to the party but this whole thread is 💯. Glad I found it.

Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.

Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.

Following this thread

Ive been through the ringer with these apps over the years, and honestly, many are just data-harvesting traps or they break right when youre at the checkout. In my experience, staying simple is the safest bet for your budget and your sanity.

• Google Keep: This is my rock. I make a list, use checkboxes, and just manually drag items into groups before I leave. Its fast and wont glitch on you.
• OurGroceries: My go-to for years because it doesnt crash. You categorize an item once and it remembers forever, which is huge for aisle-sorting. The ads are tiny at the bottom.
• Cozi: Good for calendar stuff too, but it feels way too bloated just for a quick trip to Safeway. Going the DIY route with a basic tool like Keep usually works best because you aren't at the mercy of some developer's buggy update. Youll find your rhythm soon enough. Good luck with the toddler tomorrow, those store trips can be a real workout!

Big if true