How to share a grocery list with the people you live with
Updated · PIICK IT!
A shared grocery list is one list that everyone at home can open and edit from their own phone. Whoever runs out of something adds it, whoever is at the shop ticks it off, and nobody has to remember what was said at breakfast.
It sounds obvious, but most households still run on a mix of a paper list on the fridge, a group chat and memory. Here is how to set up a list that people actually use.
Why the paper list and the group chat fail
The paper list stays on the fridge while the person shopping is at the supermarket. The group chat works for a day, then the list is buried under photos and "ok". Neither tells you that your partner bought the milk twenty minutes ago.
A shared list fixes the two real problems: everyone sees the same list at the same time, and an item ticked in the shop is ticked for everyone else too.
Set it up in five minutes
- Create a list for the house (for example "Home") and pick the Groceries category.
- Invite the others with the invite code. They join from any phone or computer, with nothing to install.
- Add the things you buy every week, or start from a template and keep what fits.
- Agree on one rule: if you finish something, you add it straight away.
- In the shop, tick items as they go in the trolley. Everyone else sees it in real time.
Small habits that make a shared list work
- Write items the way you would say them out loud: "oat milk x2" beats "milk".
- Use the list note for things that are not items, like "the recycling goes out on Thursday".
- Add a price when you know it, so the list shows an estimated total before you reach the till.
- Keep separate lists for separate groups: home, a trip with friends, your parents' shopping.
- After the shop, log what you paid. The app keeps the balance between members.
Who is a shared grocery list for?
Families with teenagers who finish the cereal and say nothing. Couples who shop on the way home from work. Housemates who share cleaning products and toilet paper. Anyone helping an older relative with their shopping from a distance.
Quick checklist
- One list per household or group
- Everyone invited and able to edit
- Rule agreed: finish it, add it
- Items ticked in the shop, not at home
- Shared costs logged after each shop
Lists to start from
Questions and answers
What is the best way to share a grocery list?
Use a list that updates in real time on every phone, so additions and ticks show up for everyone at once. PIICK IT! does this for free in the browser: create a list, share the invite code and start adding.
Can several people edit the list at the same time?
Yes. Everyone in the group can add and tick items at the same time, and changes appear for the others within a second or two.
Do the others need an account?
Yes. Each person signs up for free (with email or Google), so the list can show who added and who bought each item.
Try it with the people you live with
Create a free shared list, invite your household and see who bought what in real time.
Create a free shared list