Will this iPhone app change the way you shop?

Is there nothing that folk won't try to turn into an app? Today, the humble shopping list. Buy Me a Pie! has been around for a while but recently got a complete revamp for iOS 7, and who are we to resist its new flat looks?

It's fabulously simple: you create a new shopping list, start typing in the things you need and Buy Me a Pie! immediately starts flashing up a cloud of colour-coded suggestions.

Once you've built your shopping list (you'll find the built-in suggestions a little on the American side, but it won't be long until you've populated the app with your own favourites that it'll subsequently gravitate towards) you can head to the supermarket and tap things on the list as you toss them into your trolley; they're crossed out and greyed out and put at the bottom of the list.

Of course, you're doubtless wondering why anyone in their right mind would need an actual shopping list app. For one thing, what's wrong with the time-honoured process of just scrawling things on a piece of scrap paper? For that matter, what's wrong with simply remembering all the things you need to get at the shops?

And while we're on the subject, if you absolutely need to put a shopping list on your iPhone, why not simply open up the Notes app and write it there? Why not do that instead of paying actual money for an app, you idiot?

These are all fair points, we have to admit. However Buy Me a Pie! has an excellent extra trick up its sleeve: once you've signed up for an account you can use your details to access your shopping lists live on other devices and desktop browsers, and add things to them.

Granted, it's not exactly hard for someone else to let you know by other means that they need something else picking up from the shops, but it's a nice touch and if it saves you just once from getting in trouble when you get home, because your other half decided she absolutely needed some crème fraîche and you didn't look at your phone while you were doing the shopping, well, it's done its job.

Key info

• Works with: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
• Price: $2.99/£1.99
• Developer: Skript
• Version: 4.0
• App size: 7.8MB
• Age rating: 4+

Words: Jim McCauley

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