Open the app and enter your email. We send you a sign-in link, so there is no password. If you don't see it, check your spam or promotions folder.
Name your household and add your first name if you like.
Choose Start with sample numbers to see how everything works, or Start blank to begin with zeros. You can switch at any time from the Household tab with Clear all stock and prices or Load sample numbers.
How the 180-day gauge works
The big number on the Overview tab is how many of your 180 days are covered right now.
Every item has a target, the amount you want to have for six months, and an on hand count, the amount you have today. Larder 180 divides one by the other, so having 6 of a target of 12 counts as half. It then averages all your items, and that average becomes your days.
3 of 6 cans = 50% 12 of 12 rolls = 100% 0 of 4 lanterns = 0% Average = 50% of 180 days = 90 days
Two things to know:
Every item counts equally. One lantern moves the gauge as much as one can of beans. A target of 40 lip balms counts the same as a target of 1 stove, so set targets for what you really need.
Having more than the target does not help. An item stops at 100%, so extra rice cannot cover missing medicine.
The same idea applies to each category on the Overview tab, so you can see which areas are behind.
Set your targets
The starting targets are a general six-month plan, not a rule for your home. Open the Stock tab, choose a category, and use Edit on any item to change its target to fit your household.
Raise targets for foods you eat every day and for more people.
Lower or remove items you will never use, so they don't hold your gauge back. Edit an item and choose Remove item.
Add your own items with the form at the bottom of each category. Pick the group, name the item, and set a target.
Prescription medicine is counted in days of supply, so a target of 180 means a six-month supply. Ask your pharmacist and doctor what is possible for your prescriptions.
Prices and unit cost
Prices are optional, but they turn the app into a budget. Open an item with Edit and enter Price each.
Price each means the cost of one unit, the same unit the target is counted in. If the target says "of 12 rolls", enter the price of one roll. If the target says "of 40 cans", enter the price of one can. Larder 180 multiplies by your target and by what you have, so the total stays correct.
Stores often sell packs. A 24-roll pack of toilet paper for $21.60 is $0.90 per roll, so enter 0.90. Don't enter $21.60, or the app will assume every roll costs that much.
Actual spent is for when what you paid differs from price times quantity, such as a sale or a bulk deal. Leave it empty and Larder 180 uses price each times on hand.
Use Store or notes for the brand, where you buy it, or the expiry date.
Items without a price are left out of the money totals. The Shopping list tells you how many have no price.
Price-per-unit helper
Enter the price of the pack and how many units are inside. Use the result as Price each.
Price each: enter both numbers
Rounded to the nearest cent. If you buy several packs, the helper still gives the price of one unit.
Budget and shopping list
The Overview tab has a budget table by category: the target cost, what you have spent so far, and what is still to buy.
The To buy tab lists every item that is below its target, with the amount you still need. Tick what you bought and choose Mark selected as stocked. The app sets those items to their targets.
If you bought less than the full amount, change the on-hand number on the Stock tab instead.
Share with your household
The Household tab shows your members and, when sharing is turned on for your household, an invite link and code. Send the link to the people you live with. They open it, sign in with their email, and join your plan. Everyone sees the same numbers.
Only share the link with people you trust. If it gets out, choose Reset invite. The old link stops working right away.
Founding households can share with up to four people free for 12 months. The Household tab shows the end date.
Anyone in the household can Leave household. The owner can delete the household, which removes its items for everyone.
Tips
Start with water, medicine, and the foods you already eat. Those give the most protection per dollar.
Update your counts when you use something, so the gauge stays honest.
Check the expiry dates in your notes twice a year, and use the oldest items first.
Not sure how to set something up? Email us at larder180@gmail.com and we'll help.