How We Use Google Keep to Never Forget an Ingredient

There were so many times where we would start dinner only to realize that we had forgotten eggs or some other ingredient central to the recipe that we were following. Then, we'd play the nose game on who had to be the one to drive back to the store to grab what we had forgotten. Or, we would give up, go spend money on fast food, and break our weekly budget. Then, we discovered how awesome Google Keep is for grocery lists.

Why we love using Google Keep

Everything we need for every recipe we make is kept in one convenient place. Along with the ingredients, we will add the sides we want to have with the recipe (unless the side has it's own recipe).

We split our groceries between a couple of stores, so we are able to designate which store the ingredient comes from. We buy our meats and produce from Fresh Thyme and everything else from Walmart. We use Walmart Grocery Pick-Up to order everything online, then pick it up when it's the most convenient for us. If you haven't tried Pick-Up, you might as well because it's 100% free and will save you a ton of time. If you use our referral link, you will save $10 and we will get $10 towards groceries!

Since the ingredients are sub check boxes, you can check off all of the ingredients after grocery shopping and you're left with your meals for the week! With this meals of the week check list, you won't forget what you planned on making that week. (This keeps us from accidentally skipping a meal and going to spend money on take out.)

You can access it from the app or online. We can easily pull up our grocery list anytime, anywhere. This is awesome for those times when you're out to lunch and you remember you need more table salt, or you're at work and you remember you're almost out of toilet paper at home.

We have a check list that is shared between our two email addresses. This way, we can both update the list and see each other's changes. This is awesome because we both have accountability. If you want something specific, you add it to the list yourself.

So here's what we do:

Step 1. Add in the name of a new recipe. On a new line each time, add every ingredient that the recipe calls for regardless if you have the ingredient or not. Then, slide over the ingredients so they become sub check-boxes.

Step 2. Check off the items that you already have. When you check off an item, it gets grayed out and sent to the bottom of the list, but Google Keep organizes them under the recipe name. At the top, you're left with the recipe you're going to make that week and the ingredients you need for it.

How to get Google Keep
You can download the free app wherever you get your apps. If you have a Google Pixel, like we do, the app should already be on your phone!
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep&hl=en_US
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-keep-notes-and-lists/id1029207872