Trader Joe's list for Out Of Milk
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This one's pretty simple. Out of Milk is a shopping list app I use on Android, with a common problem - I hate entering this data in interfaces I don't like. So I like this one in that they have a CSV import for this.

It's important to note that I do not work for Trader Joe's at all, I just like shopping there and like using Out of Milk (or would, in fact, like to use it). And as such, this is for those who also like shopping there and would like such a list.

The prices were taken from the store in Totem Lake, Kirkland, Washington - so exact prices in your location may vary.

With tonight's update we have the addition of the template file as to be used in LibreOffice Calc or OpenOffice Calc. Sorry, at this time I cannot guarantee this will work in Excel - I do not have a copy available to me as I run Linux. (Yes, it is a real operating system. No, you don't have to like it. Yes, you can get LibreOffice for Windows or Mac.) The first tab in this file is the README section, and I expect that I may add to even that. I encourage you to read it.

So how do you use this? It's simple:

  • Open this file in your favorite spreadsheet program (Excel, LibreOffice, Lotus 123, whatever) and edit the file to your heart's content. You can even add stuff or remove stuff if you want.
  • SAVE THIS FILE AS A CSV FILE
  • Import the resulting CSV file to your Out Of Milk shopping list (go to Out Of Milk's website and follow instructions to log in and/or create an account) - in your list, look for the import option and follow the on screen prompts

Note that you cannot import a list into an existing list - an import creates a new list. So to fix that, import as a new list, move everything over to the existing list (the interface is easy enough for anyone to figure out), and then delete the list created by the import. Note that I have not tested for duplicate handling, though; I'll update once I figure that out.

And with that, there's a trick I found to using Out Of Milk - because if you have an item that has any quantity that is not zero, it comes in with its price (and throws off budgeting, if that's your concern). I can't tell you how you should do it (you should figure out how to work with this if you know you eed something like this), but for me I came up with this:

  1. For starters, all items should probably start off as marked/checked (done=True).
  2. Un-check EVERYTHING.
  3. Adjust your list:
    • If an item quantity is zero, then it does not have an effect on the total. So if you aren't going to buy that 80/20 ground beef block, then leave that at 0.
    • Any item I want to buy is marked for the quantity I want to buy. That also, of course, means that anything I want to buy zero of is marked accordingly.
    • Anything that remains with a zero quantity is checked off as done; this means that it's out of the way and not obscuring your view of the stuff you want.
  4. Go shopping. Mark things off as you buy, of course. If you get three packages of the Jicama wraps, you don't want to get three more because you forgot you got three packs - that's just silly. (Yes, I would do that. ADHD brain.)
  5. Wait until you go shopping again and then start from the top.
Most recent list - updated 28 May 2020 (this list is incomplete)
Template file for use in LibreOffice Calc
Trader Joe's (does NOT contain price lists, and I do not work for them.)
Out Of Milk - note that the app is available for Android and for iOS on their respective app stores, and that the interface is also browser based so you can work on this from a laptop or desktop computer on any operating system with a web browser. (I do not work for them.)


© Dennis Carr - all rights reserved
Last modified Thu May 28 2020 18:47:12 PDT