This week, please join us in welcoming back our favorite guest blogger, Shelby! She’s like a Together Teacher super-secret double-agent spy – working for us and also working inside the teaching world at the same time. Here’s her latest report from the field:
As I drove home from my latest grocery/big box store trip, amidst my smug sense of accomplishment for actually being productive, I remembered, “Oh, shoot! Wasn’t I also going to get a pair of scissors???”
Given the 10 passive aggressive comments I made to my new husband earlier that morning when I stubbornly insisted on relishing in my Amazon shipments via box cutter instead of scissors, I’m not quite sure how I forgot to buy them. Making this purchase was clearly important for my productivity and for my marriage!
Over time I have given up on the shopping list. I found fault in all my methods:
- Paper & Pen: I never seemed to have a pen with me when I wanted to add items in the moment. And I didn’t really feel like crossing things off, either. Plus, I was always juggling my phone (forever in hand) with my list.
- Evernote: Boy, do I love Evernote!!! But the tiny check boxes were just too hard to check off when I was walking through a store. Plus, scrolling within a note and having to sort my items into departments felt too inefficient.
Enter my latest savior: Listonic! Listonic is my new favorite FREE app for life and for teaching!
- Department Sorting: Listonic automatically sorts my items into departments for me (and lets me override when they get it wrong). No more running back to the produce section when I realize I need fresh broccoli instead of frozen.
- Multiple Lists: Listonic lets me keep multiple lists. I keep lists for Wegmans (the best grocery store ever), Sam’s club, assorted household items, and my classroom (teaching teachers at Relay GSE).
- Easy Add and Delete: I can add items mid-shopping trip and check items off my list with a swipe. Since I’m usually fielding text messages as I shop, I don’t have to juggle anything but my phone and my cart.
- Web AND Phone Access: I love that Listonic syncs my lists with their website for a few reasons. First, instead of having to remember everything Chris wants from the store, he can just add it to the grocery list from his computer. If I had a co-teacher, I imagine this would be super helpful for my classroom list too! Second, while I always have my phone with me at home, I don’t always have it with me at work. Here, I can just print my list and check in the supply closet before I go buy something on my own.
- Great Interface: Listonic is pretty and easy to use. That keeps a smile on my face while I’m battling elbow-wielding parents and teachers in the school supply aisle.
One drawback is that Listonic doesn’t prioritize – so be sure to add bigger classroom items to your Upcoming To-Do List. Alternatively, you can create a “nice to have” shopping list on Listonic that you can check out when you have a little extra cash (or budget from your school!).
I hope you love using Listonic too!
Discussion Question: What items would you add to your classroom list? We’d also love to hear from anyone who’s tried out the Listonic price recording feature!
