Grocery list app
A grocery list app keeps a shopping list on your phone, often shared with someone else, and groups items by aisle. The three we read in October 2026 priced in-app purchases from A$1.49 to A$39.99.
A shopping list is the smallest planning tool there is, and the one that saves the most trips. We do not have a grocery list in the Daily Journal yet, and we will say so up front. This page explains what a good list app does, shows how to write a list from a weekly plan with the quantities worked out, and gives the real prices.
- A weekly shop worked out in quantities, with an example you can copy
- Prices of three list apps, read 20 October 2026
- Plan for a repeating Saturday shop in the Daily Journal today
- A shared grocery list is planned, and your sign up is the vote
What a grocery list app should do, and where we are
A grocery list app does a few simple things well. You add items fast, the list is shared between phones so that whoever is in the shop sees what the other added, items are grouped by aisle or section, and what you buy often is remembered. The best apps feel instant, because a list that is slow to add to is a list you stop using.
The Daily Journal does not have a grocery list yet. What it has today is Plan, where you can put a task such as weekly shop on a Saturday and set it to repeat every week, and the Food page, where you record what you ate. A shared list that is built from the food you log is the idea we would pursue, and we are asking whether you want it.
What is included
- Plan for a weekly shop task with a reminder
- A Food page that shows what you actually ate
- A free meal planner printable to write the list from
- Your vote on a shared list, counted at sign up
Who it is for
- Households that forget half the list in the shop
- People who plan meals and want the list to follow
- Anyone who has paid for a list app and used the free parts only
- Couples who split the shopping and the list
Write the list from the plan, with the quantities worked out
Lists go wrong when they are written from memory. Write the week's meals first, then count the ingredients. The table shows one adult's staples for a week as an illustration: the amount per day, the days, the total and what you would buy.
The point is the arithmetic, not these particular foods. Multiply per day by days, then round up to the pack size. Check the cupboard before you add a line, because the cheapest item is the one you already own.
| Staple | Per day | Days | Week total | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 2 | 7 | 14 | a 12 pack and a 6 pack |
| Oats | 45 g | 7 | 315 g | one 500 g pack |
| Bananas | 1 | 7 | 7 | one bunch of 7 or 8 |
| Milk | 250 ml | 7 | 1.75 L | one 2 L carton |
| Chicken breast | 200 g | 5 | 1 kg | one 1 kg pack |
| Rice, uncooked | 75 g | 5 | 375 g | one 500 g pack |
Illustrative amounts for one adult, worked on 23 October 2026. Not a diet plan and not personal advice.
A shopping routine that saves trips
This works on paper, in a notes app or in any list app.
- 1Plan before you list
Decide the dinners first. See the meal planner page for a twenty minute method.
- 2Check the cupboard
Open the fridge, freezer and pantry while you write. Cross out what you already have.
- 3Group by section
Fruit and veg, dairy, meat, pantry, freezer, household. Shopping in store order saves walking back.
- 4Add to the list the moment you run out
The list on your phone is only useful if it is the first place you reach when the milk finishes.
- 5Set a repeating shop
Put a weekly shop task in Plan with a reminder, so the day you shop stops being a decision.
What is in the app today, and what is not
The position on 23 October 2026.
| Feature | In the app today | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| A repeating weekly shop task with a reminder | Yes | Plan holds tasks and reminders on a calendar and can repeat them. |
| Log what you ate | Yes | The Food page adds up the day, so you can see what you really use. |
| Printable meal planner to write a list from | Yes | Meal planner printable, free. |
| A grocery list with ticks | Not yet | Not built. A list inside Plan is the first step we would take. |
| A list shared between two phones | Not yet | Not built. You can share your journal with one person, but not a list. |
| Aisle grouping, prices and totals | Not yet | Not built. We will not show prices without a source we can name. |
Sign up to your own free journal
- Free to start, no card needed
- Private by default, and you choose who you share with
- Your account opens straight away, on your phone or computer
Free to start. Takes about a minute.
What grocery list apps charge
Read from the Australian App Store listings on 20 October 2026. A range is a spread of the in-app purchases listed, not one price. Rating counts show how widely each is used.
| App | What we read | Read on |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping List - Grocery and Todo | One in-app purchase listed, A$12.99. 10,177 ratings. | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Our Groceries Shopping List | Three in-app purchases, A$1.49 to A$14.99. 6,944 ratings. | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Shoppylist - Grocery List | Three in-app purchases, A$1.99 to A$39.99. 1,016 ratings. | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Daily Journal | Free to start. No paid plan is set, and the list is not built yet. | 23 Oct 2026 |
ChatGPT, asked on 22 October 2026 which grocery list apps people name, listed AnyList, Bring, OurGroceries, Todoist and Woolworths. We have not read the prices of the others. Check each app's own page before you pay.
Why shared lists are what people pay for
Look at what sits behind the purchases in the apps we read: a shared list that updates on both phones, more lists, no adverts and sometimes a recipe box. The shared list is the feature that turns a note into a tool, because the second person in the shop sees what the first added at home.
That is the version we would build first. One list, two phones, ticks that sync, and a way to start the next list from the last one. Everything else is optional until people tell us it matters.
- Share one list with the person you shop with
- Tick items off as you go so the other phone updates
- Start next week's list from this week's
Set up a repeating Saturday shop
A free account opens in about a minute. Put the weekly shop in Plan with a reminder and never decide it again.
Sign up to your own free journal
- Free to start, no card needed
- Private by default, and you choose who you share with
- Your account opens straight away, on your phone or computer
Free to start. Takes about a minute.
Cutting the list and the bill
A shorter list is usually a cheaper one. Plan around a few staples you use several ways, such as eggs, rice, oats and frozen vegetables, and buy the specials around them. Check unit prices on the shelf and compare using the nutrition label panel, which our nutrition label guide explains.
If you are tracking protein, the protein calculator shows the daily amount to plan for, and the calorie calculator a target to shop under.
Plan, shop and log
Plan the week before you write the list.
→Meal planner printableA free one page week with room for the list.
→Food diary printableLog what you ate and see what you use.
→Calorie counter appCount what you ate with typed foods.
→Protein calculatorPlan the protein you will buy.
→Weekly planner printablePut the shop on the week's page.
→Vote for the shared list
Sign up free and choose Food. Your sign up tells us a shared grocery list matters to you.
Questions people ask
What is the best grocery list app?
It is the one that is quick to add to and shared with the person you shop with. AnyList, Bring, OurGroceries, Todoist and the Woolworths app are the names ChatGPT gave on 22 October 2026. Try the free tier of two before you pay.
Does the Daily Journal have a grocery list?
Not yet. Plan holds tasks and reminders, including a weekly repeating shop, and the Food page logs what you ate. A shared grocery list is not built, and your sign up counts as a vote.
Is there a free grocery list app?
Yes, most list apps have a free tier. In our 20 October 2026 read, the three apps we priced listed in-app purchases from A$1.49 to A$39.99, which means their free parts may be enough.
How much do grocery list apps cost?
Shopping List - Grocery and Todo listed A$12.99, Our Groceries A$1.49 to A$14.99 and Shoppylist A$1.99 to A$39.99 in the Australian App Store on 20 October 2026. Check the current price before you pay.
Can two people share a grocery list?
Yes in most dedicated apps, which is why many people pay. In the Daily Journal you can share your journal with one person, but a shared list is not built yet.
How do I make a shopping list from a meal plan?
Write the meals, list every ingredient, multiply per day by days, subtract what you already have and round up to pack sizes. The table above shows the arithmetic.
How do I stop forgetting things at the shop?
Add items to the list the moment you run out, and keep the list on the phone you always have. A list you only write in the car park is the one you forget.
How can I cut my grocery bill?
Plan fewer, repeated staples, check the cupboard before you list, compare unit prices on the shelf and avoid shopping hungry. A shorter list is usually a cheaper one.
Can I log what I buy and eat together?
The Food page logs what you ate with nutrients. Linking it to a shopping list is the idea we would build, and it is not built yet.
Can I use a printable instead?
Yes. Our free meal planner printable has room for a list, and many households prefer paper on the fridge.
Who can see my entries?
Private by default. You can share with one person or a group and stop at any time. The people who run the app can see counts, such as how many days you wrote, but not what you wrote. If anyone is ever given access to read your entries, your Profile page says so. The privacy policy has the detail.
How much does the Daily Journal cost?
It is free to start and no paid plan is set. If one is added you will see the price before you pay.
Where these figures come from
- App prices and rating counts: Australian App Store listings for Shopping List - Grocery and Todo, Our Groceries Shopping List and Shoppylist - Grocery List, read on 20 October 2026 and saved in our files.
- Which apps people name: ChatGPT, asked on 22 October 2026. Names only, not a ranking.
- The staples table is illustrative arithmetic for one adult worked on 23 October 2026, not a diet plan and not from a source.
- We have not read supermarket prices for this page. A figure not read from a file is written as unknown.
Updated 23 October 2026. A figure that was not read from a file is written as unknown. Prices change: check the supplier's own page before you rely on one. We are not affiliated with any app named here.
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