Pantry Tracker | TheaterFire

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dkstr419@reddit

There are a few open source inventory programs available that might work for your project. These were created for tracking inventory for a small business. I was looking for something similar to track and manage a large physical media collection.

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RygarHater@reddit

plz post with names if you have any or in the future. this is a cool idea!

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AdhesivenessUpset503@reddit

try Panzy
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pantry-inventory-panzy/id6748056076

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PenguinsStoleMyCat@reddit

Grocy

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AdhesivenessUpset503@reddit

Hey i had EXACTLY the same issue before, you should try Panzy
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pantry-inventory-panzy/id6748056076
i hope this helpful :)

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RedditStories-43@reddit

here's an app. https://app--pantry-pal-ca51e862.base44.app

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speciate@reddit

obligatory

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Cute-Consequence-184@reddit

Technically, one could be easily made.

You could set up the sheets so that every time someone is removed from the list it propagates to a bulk list of foods. Then when that total gets low, the cell can change colors and even create a pop-up.

They are called MACROS and are fairly easy to learn. Windows will also allow you to record actions and you can edit the macro from there.

For example you pull out a week's worth of food from your pantry to cook. You go through your list and alter the cells to reflect what you pulled. That list can have macros that will respond accordingly with warnings.

I started learning Excel Macros at UPS way back in 1999. I haven't touched it in... 5 years? So I'm really rusty and the language has evolved some.

But it isn't hard to do, at all.

So you have a list. Say the list has

peas...6

green beans....12

Carrots....15

Each cell that carries a number could have a minimum and a maximum limit set. So you can have cell limits 2-15. It might change color when you are below a certain number, such as the 6. But it might change to a different color above 12. That is easy to set.

A macro could also be made that when the cell changed color, it creates a pop-up telling you to check that cell. It could also be as simple as having a bar at the top of your sheet that will propagate with all of the cells that need checked.

I am not a programmer, I was just a spreadsheet manager for a while and when you are dealing with a shared spreadsheet where several dozen were entering information each night, the changing colors and bars made it easy to see where the problems were rather than trying to keep track of each individual section.

And even when different cells require different numbers, it is relatively easy to setup. Like my house doesn't really eat canned carrots but they are used in soups, stress and in pet food. So I keep those numbers really low compared to green beans that are eaten several times each week and are included for pet snacks. So carrots are almost always below 12 while green beans can easily be 3 dozen.

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gizmozed@reddit

Not to be disagreeable, but I just use my eyeballs. And I am a retired software engineer that writes apps to do all kinds of stuff. But I quickly realized that trying to maintain an accurate inventory was a bridge too far.

If you are using the "deep pantry" approach, you are going to be in that SS all the time. It's not worth it. You are making the whole thing 3 times the work it needs to be.

All IMHO of course. YMMV. Or I might not understand your situation well enough.

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faerystrangeme@reddit

Ahaha, also a software engineer here and I have the same exact feels. But I think it's because I have a deep and abiding hatred of data entry.

Some people like that sort of thing I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Aint2Proud2Meg@reddit

I actually was tracking my inventory via the paprika app, I’ve recommended it several times for this purpose- it works great imho, however I came to the same realization. I’m doing extra work and taking extra time to make sure I have an exact count on things.

I still use it to track prep items, seeds, home canned items, and I have a “use up” category to keep things from being wasted.

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OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit

Also a retired software engineer. Where I found the spreadsheet invaluable was totaling up calories, amino acids, minerals and vitamins. No point in stocking a lot of food if you end up with rickets or scurvy because you screwed up your nutrients.

But once you've stocked enough of everything and the spreadsheet says you're set on everything - not just calories - then yeah. As long as you replace what you use (labeled shelves help here) then you only need the spreadsheet if you start making substitutions.

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MountainGal72@reddit

Same, same.

I’m a nurse, so high attention to detail and a bit of obsessive compulsive tendencies.

I know exactly what we have and where it’s stored.

I should probably take an inventory for my husband’s benefit, though. Jic.

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thomas533@reddit

I've used a paper par sheet (similar to this) for tracking my pantry since working in the resturant industry 25 years ago. It is really simple.

I have a page that lists off all the items I track. I have my "Par" number, which is the typical number I want to have on hand, and then blank spots to record how many I have and how many I need to buy. It takes me about 10 minutes each week to go through my pantry and do this. Then I sit down on the couch, turn on a TV show, and put in a online shopping order. I then pick up the order the next morning. If I see something is on sale, I might pick up extras.

It is super simple. I've thought about trying to do it digitally, but wouldn't relly save me any time but would probalby take many hours to create. Not worth it.

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Euphoric-Minute-5219@reddit

Foodless app. You can scan or add to the food manually and add a picture. You can customise the notification for expired dates.

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Astrolander97@reddit

I read this as panty tracker and thought we had a new tier of preparedness i was unaware of.

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PlannedObsolescence_@reddit

FoodShiner on iOS does this well, it's quite accessible to anyone who's not technical as it's just an app.

Best option is a self-hosted FOSS solution as you know it can never be taken away. But FoodShiner can run offline, lets you export your backup file to wherever your want etc. But not open source, and only iOS.

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dnhs47@reddit

I’m curious - have you often had someone “take away” your software? Someone stole it from you? Seems like an odd thing to worry about.

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PlannedObsolescence_@reddit

So there's two very real concerns with anything software based, will the software be no longer available, and will my data no longer be available.

If you have an app, where the data is stored within the app, then if you don't have an internet connection or the developer goes out of business or stops maintaining it - then you can still access your data, which is very important. Because your data isn't stored on their servers, it's on your device.

But even if the app stores the data on your own device, there will likely be a point where the developer no longer supports the app. When that happens, it's very important that you can export your data yourself. Also consider that when that happens, it will likely become impossible to re-install the app. You won't be able to install the app if the developer isn't actively keeping up to date with any developer API changes, Apple App Store Connect terms of service etc. This also impacts you when restoring your phone from a cloud backup or buying a new phone etc.

So it's very important when deciding on something that you're going to put a lot of effort into, how your data is stored, what control you have over your data, and if the software is still going to be around.

If the software was FOSS (free and open source, free as in freedom) - then the software will never be going away, as anyone can pick up the mantle of continuing to develop and maintain their own copy of it.

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dnhs47@reddit

But back to my question - have you often had someone take away your software?

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Super_Translator480@reddit

Any software that removes features and then puts them behind a paywall has effectively took away the software they gave you.

So really, any software with the capability of enforced automatic updates, or reliant on reaching out to servers hosted elsewhere to function, will be susceptible.

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daiko7@reddit

Yup. Google does it all the time.

I'm still pissed off about Google Music. As recently as last year, Fitbit killed their online dashboards that provided a much more useful experience than the app.

There were visualizations and features that just weren't available in the app or more user friendly.

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PlannedObsolescence_@reddit

I've had many friends and family members come to me, after they've had something that relied on a companies servers stop working when the company decided to no longer support it, or where the developer neglected it.

Back when iOS first came out, a family member used iTalk for recording voice memos etc because 'Voice Memos' the built in app didn't exist yet. They continued to use that for many years even after Apple released their first party app. The developer behind that app stopped updating it (understandably), and then in 2015 Apple released an iOS update that disabled the ability for you to run non-64 bit apps. They didn't know any better so updated their phone when it told them to. So iTalk was effectively disabled and any data within was now inaccessible, even though it was still stored on your device. Because the developer never updated it to support a 64 bit OS.

Companies stopping their servers is extremely common with smart home things, a family member bought many cameras that relied on the companies cloud servers, they all became bricks when they disabled the servers and said 'hey we'll give you 10% off our new models'. Of course they have a financial interest in planned obsolescence (or getting you onto a subscription plan).

I personally haven't had that many cases of someone taking away my ability to use something because I try not to use anything where that's possible. Although I certainly have had this happen with multiplayer for video games, where the publisher moves on to newer games and decides to kill the servers without offering a way for you to run your own.

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Opcn@reddit

100% yes there is software that I used to use that was either functionally diminished or completely eliminated by updates. Especially browser extensions. I fired up an old computer a few months ago and first thing it did when i got it on the new wifi was spit out a list of browser extensions that were permanently locked and which are no longer on the chrome store.

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Ra_a_@reddit

Never heard of an app but we prefer a simple xls grid we print and Talley inventory twice a year

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funnysasquatch@reddit

It's unnecessary.

Pantry building isn't complicated and doesn't need to be tracked to this level of detail.

You should be buying stuff you already eat. You start by buying 3 extra cans. When you use a can, you replace that can on your next grocery trip.

If you see a deal to get more cans because of a sale or promotion - you stock up extra.

More important than canned food is dried goods - flour and beans. But you can just buy that once. Store it properly. Check every week to make sure it hasn't been compromised.

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Any-Rutabaga-3575@reddit

Besides the ping to your phone when something is running low, you can do all this in Excel. A barcode is just a text string in weird format and the scanner just inputs the text and presses enter. An old colleague once printed out his username and password for the mailroom computer and put it on a sticker so all he had to do was use the barcode scanner and scan it to log in. It didn't last very long. But the point is a barcode is just a text string. You could get a blue tooth barcode scanner, link it to your computer, then scan everything into your spreadsheet. Have an input and output sheet so you scan everything in then scan everything out and just do one minus the other to get your overall stock. Then you can rig it up so that it gives a warning if you're running low when you scan something out.

The only issue you'd have is checking how long stuff has been on the shelf, but I think that'd be a problem no matter what barcode you used because I don't think every tin of something has a unique code, so there'd be no way to tell can from can unless you add a unique identifier. But I'm pretty sure that'd be true of any inventory management system.

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Ryan_e3p@reddit

I'm glad I re-read that headline, because at first I was confused.

I wouldn't personally rely on any apps or anything too complicated to maintain inventory. An excel spreadsheet, I can open and update on my phone, desktop, laptop, or even check it at work, and print out for hard copies with blank spaces for write-ins.

Relying on apps for notifications doesn't make sense to me since I alone maintain the inventory, and it's easy to set up goals for how much of an item you want, expiration date of batches, etc. The inventory is something I look at every week when I go shopping to see if I can bulk up on something. An app sending notifications would also require relying on a third party server, if not spinning one up for yourself.

It's not a bad idea if it works for you, but for me, just overcomplicates things a bit more than needed for my liking.

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blitzm056@reddit

I came here to say the same thing. Definitely not what I read the first time. Hahaha!

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OutdoorsNSmores@reddit

Great minds think alike! Or something like that...

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NotAnotherRedditAcc2@reddit

Horndog checking in

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nicachu@reddit

So glad I was in good company 😅😅

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podunkguy@reddit

"My pantry tracker" is an app that uses camera scanning with a data base that you can build on

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SendMeUrAnkles33@reddit

definitely read this as "panty tracker"

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Wide_Dragonfruit1058@reddit

I use ToteScan QR code stickers with the app. I used them during a move and fell in love, especially with stuff still in long term storage tubs, etc. so I never have to go, “Shoot, which fricking box did I store that thing in five years ago??” It has a built in wildcard search function so you can start typing what item you’re looking for, and it’ll show you all possible matches. You can also enter multiple quantities of an item, and adjust them if you add/remove stuff.

For food prep, I put stickers on my buckets, log the contents in the app with my own notes on measurements, weight, expiration dates, etc. I include the location where it’s stored (and for my many identical non food prep tubs, where specifically in the room and in its stack it is, so I don’t have to hunt). Then I write a few-word description on the sticker and log everything carefully in a paper notebook, in case electricity goes away. And I set electronic and paper calendar reminders for the expiration dates.

So not a full inventory solution, no low-supply warnings, but for an organized person, it’s a good cheap high tech tracking solution.

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TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit

ProvisionPlanner.com is a solid option. It utilizes barcode scanning to create an inventory with information =)

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bhuffmansr@reddit

Wouldn’t a simple rotation system be easier? New in back, old in front. There are also ‘Roller shelves’ wall mounted or sitting on shelves. You have many easier options than computers and printing bar codes.