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Happy Tuesday, Listonic users 👋

We've made some changes to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and we wanted to let you know about them before they come into effect on May 6, 2024. So here’s a super quick update on the upcoming changes to our core documents. 

📌 Key changes:

• Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are now in plain and simple language.
• We've unified our Terms of Service across all apps and services for simplicity and coherence.
• We’ve updated our documents to comply with recent amendments like the Digital Services Act.

View the updated versions here:

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You can also view the previous version of our terms and policies . 

This update will come into effect on May 6, 2024. By continuing to use Listonic after that date, you acknowledge and agree to these changes. If you don't want to acccept them, you can always email us with questions or delete your account. Please keep in mind that it cannot be undone.

Buckle up! Releasing such a big update doesn't come every day. We’re all itching to show you the new fresh look of your shopping list app, along with some long-awaited features now available in Listonic for Android. Let’s dive in! 

Fresh Look ✨

The idea behind the refreshed design was not only to make it smoother & more pleasing to look at but above all to help you navigate through the app easier. 

After all, running errands can sometimes feel like a full-time job, so we wanted to make the shopping organization as easy and smooth as possible. 

The interface is now more transparent and runs like butter. Literally. We’ve refreshed basically everything from lists view and search to settings and the list of item categories. Give it some time to get used to it and you’ll see why it’s such a big deal for us. 

💡 You can also keep the screen turned on when Listonic is running. Go to settings in the left menu of our app.

New Features ✔️

We can all agree that appearance matters, but it’s what’s inside that really counts. You may not see all the work that went under the app’s surface, but can certainly feel it. With rebuilt code, the new Listonic is faster than ever, and new quick actions make it even faster-er. 

However, these improvements are not supposed to only save you time, but add up to a smooth and intuitive list organization experience.

It’s also a nod towards you guys, as these are the features that you’ve requested in your emails, comments, and messages the most often. So go ahead, check out all the little tweaks that make out your new shopping experience:

1. Swipe to check off or edit/delete an item

There’s no one good way to manage your lists. Some like to check items off, others swipe. In the latest update, we introduced swiping to give you more ways to manage your shopping lists, while not changing what already works.

If you prefer to tick cute circles and hold items, go for it. But if you feel like swiping, there’s nothing holding you back.

Swiping in a nutshell:

➡️ swipe right on an item to check it off

⬅️ swipe left to access two options: edit or delete an item (swipe to the edge to delete it)

❌ if you want to turn swiping off, go to setting in the left menu of the app

2. Uncheck all items at once

The less tapping, the better. Period. We know from your feedback that a lot of you like to reuse shopping lists instead of creating new ones every single time - which makes a lot of sense. We took that in heart and developed a new option to uncheck all checked-off items with one tap. 

It will come in handy when managing repeatable lists like: 

✓ weekly/monthly grocery lists

✓ packing preparations 

✓ recipes

3. Improved checking-off animation

Don’t you love this feeling when you check off the last item on the list? Now you can enjoy it even more thanks to a cute animation we introduced in the latest version. 

It’s no new ground-breaking feature, but it’s one of those little things that make up your shopping experience, so you know, why shouldn't we make it pretty? 

💡 TIP: You don’t have to wait till an item gets checked off. Tick as many items as you need one by one

Dark mode 🖤

One of the most requested features is finally here! For all those not afraid of the dark, we’ve got a new theme that’s soft and more gentle on the eyes. It’s a perfect match for green and blue details such as a progress bar or check off circles, but you don’t have to take our word for it, see for yourself.

💡 TIP: Turning on/off the dark mode is super easy. Just go to your app settings in the left menu, tap “Dark Mode”, and choose the option that suits you best. 

Why are these changes for the better? 🤙🏽

• The refreshed design makes the app more transparent & intuitive
• More ways to manage your list mean more freedom
• Rebuilt app’s structure will help us take Listonic to a new level
• Editing multiple items is now super easy
• Dark mode - need we say more?

What about iOS? 

Relax, we haven’t forgotten you ;) We are working on the development of our App Store app as we speak, but we need a few more months not to make a false start.

We'd love your feedback! 📢

This update is special for us for one more reason. We wouldn’t make it without brilliant feedback you share with us every day. Seriously, shout out to you. We read it all, note it down & discuss ideas. You can imagine, we’re really counting on your thoughts again. 

Get your hands on our latest features & tweaks, and drop us a comment at  so we can answer each and every one of you. We can’t wait to hear how you like it.

Happy shopping!

For all the tips, tricks, and hacks that you online for you to save money on your groceries, there has always been one simple solution that has consistently found to be the most effective: use a shopping list. This works because, when you're using a shopping list, you're not going to be tempted by the grocery stores use to make you spend more. Falling for these can see you put up to 50% of unplanned and unnecessary purchases into your basket. So, use one of these 8 best shopping list apps to start saving you money in 2020.

7 Best Shopping List Apps 2020

#1 Listonic

It's no surprise that we're including our own app in this list. But it's not just because it's some cynical marketing ploy: it's because we really think our app is great.

Why do we think that?

It's because Listonic has been heavily developed over the 10 years of its existence by the feedback and suggestions of our users. Recently, we added custom categories and the ability for the price of items to be remembered by the app.

What's more, our app offers more features for absolutely free than any other app.

There are no limits and nothing to "unlock" from the moment you download and start using Listonic. We fund the continual development of the app via ads, which you can make a one-off payment, or buy a small subscription, to disable.

So, why not take a look at the  to see exactly what Listonic has to offer.

#2 That Shopping List

We highly rate this shopping list app for the same reason we think our own app is pretty good: all the features are free and unlimited from the start. You can pay a one-off fee to remove ads for good.

It might not have as many features as Listonic, but it still gets the job done and is easy to use.

#3 AnyList

AnyList is a powerful and comprehensive shopping list app that gives its competitors a run for their money. Their biggest selling point is the built-in meal planning function, which helps you plan your grocery shopping by adding planned meals into a calendar. It's just a shame that this feature is only available to premium users.

Otherwise, a small but mighty feature is the ability to rearrange items on your shopping list using drag and drop to change their categories. You can also drag and drop the order of the shopping list categories to match the route you take around the supermarket.

#4 Bring!

Bring! is a shopping list app like no other. Its interface is centered around arranging your items into a grid of lovingly drawn pictures. This makes it very different from any other shopping list app. But that doesn't mean it's not functional.

This makes Bring! the perfect shopping list app for people who want a more visual experience and approach to shopping lists. Indeed, it has a large dedicated user-base and great reviews and ratings on their app store pages.

#5 Our Groceries

Our Groceries is a shopping list app that is clean and easy to use. It's definitely an app for users who want something functional without too many bells and whistles attached.

In saying that, it doesn't mean Our Groceries is devoid of flexibility and ingenuity. You can add items using your voice if you're too tired for all that typing. Plus, if you pay for their premium service you can even add items by scanning barcodes using your phone.

#6 Out of Milk

Out of Milk is a real heavyweight contender in the shopping list app market. It's feature-rich with many similar functionaliies as Listonic.

But its main draw is the "Pantry" function. This allows you to add what's stored in your pantry, and also for you to keep track of how much you have, choosing from "low" or "full". This function is perfect for large families where your pantry might be quite full making it difficult to see at a glance what you may or may not need. It also means you don't have to keep doing an impromptu stocktake every time you want to make a shopping list.

#7 Buy Me a Pie!

Buy Me a Pie! isn't the pie-ordering app it sounds like. Instead, it's a shopping list app that's far from "crusty".

It's got a colorful and uncluttered interface that means making and using your shopping list won't be a hassle whatsoever.

The biggest drawback is that there are limits on the number of lists you can make, and the number of collaborators you can share your lists with unless you pay for Buy Me a Pie! Pro. However, if you can live within the free limits, it's a solid and noteworthy shopping list app.

Veganism is big news in the UK. Long-standing vegan campaigns, such as Veganuary, have gone from being a little known thing to something that everyone knows someone who did it in 2019. But how has the growing exposure of veganism affected Britons' shopping habits over the past 5 years? Are British shoppers putting less meat and more vegan products on their shopping lists? Or, is the vegan buzz just bluster?

2019: It Began With Vegan

"Vegan" has been perhaps THE buzz word of 2019. This year, Veganuary had the most ever official participants (over 250,000), Piers Morgan gagged on a vegan sausage roll live on television, and KFC customers made their vegan burger sell out almost immediately nationwide.

But what is veganism?

Veganism is a dietary choice that rejects food and products made from or by animals. It is touted as the most ethical and sustainable lifestyle, having a minimal environmental impact, and also free of animal cruelty. This is especially relevant in a time where we're seeing a global climate crisis and are at risk of a complete collapse of the natural world.

However, veganism is nothing new and has been around for many years. It's only now, in recent years, that there's been a lot of the pomp, fury, and fanaticism surrounding it.

But what effect has this plant-based bravado had on British people's shopping lists?

Well, the only way to find out is to look at them.

What We Did

Listonic is one of the world's top-rated and most download shopping list apps. With permission, we're able to see what items users have put onto their lists.

We looked specifically at the number of items UK users have been putting on their lists from "vegan" categories ("produce" and "grains and pasta") and "non-vegan" categories ("meat" and "dairy products") over the past 5 years.

If veganism really is a dietary choice more and more Brits are making, then their shopping lists will show the UK buying less meat and more plant-based products.

Brits Have Been Buying More Vegan Products Since 2016…

British users' shopping lists have indeed seen an increase in products from vegan categories. But it's only since 2016 that there has been a definite upward trend in the % difference gap between vegan and non-vegan products. They were buying 9.00% more in 2016, 15.67% more in 2017, and 17.58% more in 2018.

There has also been a significant increase in the frequency of specific vegan products added to lists such as almond milk, soy milk, Quorn, and tofu in the same period.

...But Are Not Buying Much Less Meat and Dairy

However, when looking at the amount of space items from vegan and non-vegan categories take up on a shopping list, it seems like UK users are not buying much less meat and dairy.

Whilst the amount of space vegan products take up on shopping lists increased +4.14% between 2016 and 2018, non-vegan products only saw a minuscule reduction of -0.77%.

Brits are Becoming More Flexitarian

These findings suggest that Britain is not really going vegan. However, the vegan message does seem to be getting through, as the evidence suggests that British shoppers are starting to turn flexitarian.

But what is ?

Well, it means that people are increasing the amount of plant-based products and decreasing the amount of meat and animal products in their diet. However, they will not exclude non-vegan products completely.

In fact, this reduction of meat, dairy, and eggs is actually what the scientifically-backed , which was announced in January this year, says we should do. This dietary approach is said to be able to feed the planet and prevent the collapse of the natural world.

Veganuary Only Started Effecting Shopping Habits in January 2018

Surely, with Veganuary seeing nothing but increasing publicity over the past few years, January should see the most vegan products added to users' lists compared to months, right?

Well, it only seems to have had a significant impact in 2018. Here, it saw January have the highest monthly % difference between vegan and non-vegan products for the whole year: +22.08%. This suggests that Veganuary has only started having an impact on shopping lists since then.

In previous years, the summer months (May-July) saw the highest difference between vegan and non-vegan products.

Almond Milk is the Most Popular Milk Alternative in the UK

Out of all the information available to us from our users' shopping lists, we couldn't help but peek at some of the vegan products they're putting on their lists.

Almond and soy milk have been established and popular dairy milk alternatives for some time. However, it turns our almond milk is the clear favourite among British shoppers: it's 47% more popular than soy milk!

Conclusion

So, there you have it. British shoppers seem to be moving more towards flexitarianism than they are veganism, buying more vegan products, but not reducing their meat and dairy purchases by as much. If you want to know more, you can .

A kitchen is an essential part of any home. People spend up to two-thirds of their time there every day. However, if you don't find the kitchen a pleasant place to be, you might not be able to embrace it and muster up the enthusiasm to cook anything. To prevent this, learn how you can embrace your kitchen and get yourself cooking with these kitchen motivation tips.

Kitchen Motivation Tips

Arrange, Organize, and Conquer Your Kitchen

The kitchen is where you need to have everything at hand. But if you have too many utensils and pieces of equipment scattered everywhere, you can become overwhelmed and stressed just looking for something as simple as a spatula.

So, it's time for a cleanout and a tidy up!

Decluttering your kitchen can improve the atmosphere and make cooking less bothersome. Place common utensils you use a lot in easy reach of your cooking and preparation spaces. Consider buying things like pots or stand for your utensils to organize them better. If you have anything that's duplicated, broken, or simply isn't useful anymore, get rid of it.

Try and make better use of surprising spaces, too. Put equipment and items you don't use often on the top of cabinets or even the fridge. You can even hang temporary hooks, using things like suction cups or removable strong adhesive, off of surfaces like the side of a cupboard of your refrigerator.

One of the most useful and surprising items to organize your smaller items is a peg-board. Not only can you hang small utensils off of the tacks, but you can also pin up pictures and grocery lists. What's great about this is that it can be constantly re-arranged and changed to suit your needs.

Once the decluttering is complete, you'll find cooking in this tidy and well-organized space a breeze.

Brighten Up Your Kitchen to Brighten Up Your Day

Believe it or not, lighting is very important in your kitchen.

Why?

Because spaces with low lighting tend to make you drowsy and unmotivated.

So, to boost your energy in the kitchen, make sure the lighting is nice and bright by replacing low-light bulbs with brighter ones. Also, try and add some additional lighting, such as getting an extra lamp, to brighten up some of the darker corners of your kitchen.

Turn Up the Music

To increase your enthusiasm in the kitchen, try listening to some music! It's a great way to get the energy flowing through the room and put you in the mood for making food. Use upbeat and energy-boosting tracks so your time in the kitchen is energetic and enjoyable.

If music isn't your thing, try having a friend to chat with on speakerphone while you cook, or have the TV on in the background to break the silence.

Use it for Entertaining

Using your kitchen as an entertaining space can increase your bond with it. Try organizing some casual gatherings or birthday parties there.

By making your kitchen the center of attention and associating it with fun moments will make you feel more comfortable and happy in it.

Go for Simple Recipes

If you want to stay on good terms with your kitchen, try cooking recipes that are simple and easy. This is certainly an ideal option if you are new to cooking. Otherwise, you might get frustrated after trying to cook complicated and difficult dishes.

Also, be on the lookout for kitchen tricks and cooking tips to make cooking easier and more enjoyable. At least to embrace your kitchen as a new starter.

You might also want to look for some food decoration and presentation tips to make your dishes look extra scrumptious. By doing this, your kitchen will also become a creative space for you, making you even more eager to get cooking.

The cuisine of European aristocracy in the Middle Ages, despite the different cultures across these countries, was very similar. This was because they all delighted in the same rare and exotic food. They would acquire these delicacies the same trade routes, as each country was merely a different stop along the way. Another similarity was that all these dishes would be extravagant. But what did this look like, and what would have been on a nobleman's shopping list?

A Feast for The Eyes And Senses

Before we can even begin to look at what was on a nobleman's , we need to understand how they ate.

How would you eat like a nobleman?

Well, one thing you'd definitely do is throw a massive feast for your well-to-do friends.

The aim of the feast would be to dazzle and impress people, and to show off how much power and wealth you have. But, a feast didn't have to only taste good, it had to look spectacular!

What Was the Feast Like?

So, how did nobleman impress their friends with food?

One way was simply by offering a number of dishes with ingredients that you simply couldn't get if you were nothing less than noble. Plus, there would need to be plenty of wine and beer to gulp down.

But the presentation of the dishes was no less important. History has shown us that some of the presentation could rival that of modern haute cuisine. Aristocrats and noblemen were masters of serving surprising spectacles.

Starters

For starters, there would be dishes such as:

• Hare patties
• Pottage (a thick soup with vegetables, grains, meat or fish)
• Miniature pastries filled with meat
• Beef marrow fritters
• Eels in a thick spicy puree
• Saltwater fish

In addition, the table was laden with small snacks like freshly baked bread with bowls of whipped butter, sugared almonds, and honey-mustard eggs.

Main Course

Then, the main course would be something quite spectacular.

One way to impress people with the main course was to include plenty of meat. To organize a feast, sometimes several thousand animals were killed.

Yes, thousands!

The animals that were unlucky enough to be served up include boars, deers (venison), young rabbits, and hares (leveret). Birds that were hunted as part of this grand feast included quails, partridges, wild ducks, pheasants, sparrows, and larks.

Dishes include things like de volaille with truffles, lamb in mint sauce, turkey and sardines. But it all depended on the chef's creativity.

But the nobility didn't just stop with the sheer variety of meat and dishes on offer. They also pulled out all the stops in the presentation.

One grand way food was presented was by creating things known as "deceptions". These were delicately arranged dishes consisting of meat, fruit, and vegetables made to imitate the appearance of various animals.

The aristocracy also used to have an unusual way of preparing rooster (capon). This would be cooked and then sewn to the back of a young pig. Then, the dish was stuffed and roasted on a spit. The finished rooster-pig was then decorated with egg yolk and saffron.

One of the most shocking and impressive ways of presenting a dish was to hide live birds inside a pie which would fly out after cutting it open. Just like in the nursery rhyme, "Sing a Song of Sixpence".

Dessert

But what was for dessert?

Sugar was reserved for nobility because it was very expensive at the time. So, to impress, it was used with pretty much everything. Even meat was sweetened with sugar.

As for the actual desert, the influences of different countries would play an important role here. There could be anything from Austrian strudel to Italian sorbets. Fruit with various creams or compotes were also enjoyed by aristocrats.

What Was On the Aristocracy's List of Food?

Only the richest kitchens had access to the best ingredients imported from the farthest corners of the world.

But what exactly was some of this exotic food?

Salmon was imported from as near as Scotland because it was then available nowhere else in Europe. From farther afield, exotic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and cumin were imported from the Far East.

Many of the food and delicacies that are widely available today were formerly only accessible by kings palate and the aristocracy. These include coffee, tea, chocolate, ice cream, spices, and sugar.

The court cuisine was changing with travels to new places and new discoveries. Important changes were introduced by Katarzyna Medycejska, who entered the French court due to her marriage to the King of France Henry II. Thanks to the new queen, French aristocracy appreciated broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, carp, and truffles brought from Italy.

La Varenne, author of the first cookbook, was another figure that significantly contributed to changes in Western European cuisine. He developed new recipes, introduced a wide range of vegetables and fresh spices, such as thyme, parsley, tarragon, and sage. Thanks to these recipes, aristocrats were able to broaden their horizons and indulge in even more exquisite feasts.

Nobleman's Shopping List

So there you have it. The details of a grand feast, and an even grander list of ingredients. If you fancy shopping like a nobleman, use this shopping list to do so. However, we absolutely do not condone putting live birds into pies! Bon appetit!