My Review of SplashWallet (Part 3)

We’re up to part 3 in reviewing SplashWallet. What have we seen already? We have already looked at SplashID- a password and private data manager and SplashMoney- a personal financial manager. Today, we will look at SplashShopper (which is one of my wife’s favorite programs on her Z22) and see if it is about the groceries!

It’s time to shop!!

SplashShopper comes with several preinstalled lists in which you can edit to your own needs or you can add more lists. For our last few shopping trips, my wife and I have tried SplashShopper out. I wanted to see how effective it would be for us.
My wife would check the cupboard or the refrigerator and mark which items we needed via her Z22. She then beams the list to my Lifedrive so I can pick up the needed groceries after work. The list is very thorough (which I’m thankful for)! I have aisle numbers, prices, store location, and notes about a coupon for that particular item. It even saves my wife from my phone calls asking her where something is. Really it’s a wife’s perfect solution to get her PDA-lovin’ husband to do the grocery shopping! I enjoy SplashShopper as I can use my favorite gadget, my Lifedrive, with one of my least favorite chores.
As my wife checked the items we needed it would add them to the need list. That way you could see exactly what you needed and nothing more. Your list becomes your need list that you can check off each item that you got. As you check off your groceries, the prices of the items are automatically added for you. I remember using a calculator to do this when we first got married and how sometimes I would lose our total because I pressed the wrong button or forgot to press the plus button. With SplashShopper, there’s no need to worry. You check the item it’s added- don’t need it, uncheck and it’s subtracted! It’s a relief to have the total cost of groceries not lost because of my error. Now, I will have an accurate amount and not have to try and figure out what the previous amount was or re-added all the groceries! If we need a food item and it’s not on our list; we can add it very simply via our handhelds or SplashShopper Desktop. The desktop application is a must when setting up the lists. Once your list is set though, your handheld can do the rest.

The lists…

While SplashShopper does shopper lists, it can also be used to create other kinds of lists. While it is designed to be a help in your shopper, you can create other kinds of list. For example, I put together for my personal use a list of Bible verse I wanted to memorize. I created a new list called Scripture Memory and then I changed one of the custom fields to “verse reference” and the other custom field to “Date completed”. I used the item field as the topic of the verse and then I made categories for the verses I wanted to memorize. So then my list looks like this:

I see other possibilities as well to the type of lists you could create. Try create new lists and see how much more productive you will become.
I really believe the desktop to be essential to list making as creating a list on the handheld while it can be done is tedious. You can choose to view of certain columns in a particular list and only view the items in a particular category (i.e. like fruits, breads, etc.). It makes it quick and easy to view the items you want to pickup or want to put into the need list.
Keep in mind you can create an unlimited amount of lists with their own categories, custom fields, and their own icon which they have some built right into the program. Also with the SplashShopper lists, you can customize the column display, row coloring, and sort order for each list making each list unique and specific to your needs.

In SplashShopper Desktop and handheld app, you have the option to create quick lists. Quicklists are real time savers. Let’s say your basic needs are bread, eggs, milk, and Pepsi every week. With the quicklist feature you can create a list of these basic items that you need every time you go shopping. Click on your quicklist and the items are automatically marked and placed in the need list. I see this being helpful as you don’t have to input these items in every week and you won’t forget something that you really need. It’s a great time saver in many ways.

Conclusion:

I can’t imagine now going grocery shopping with out SplashShopper; it’s a great way to make a mundane chore fun. It has proven its worth to be my wife and me. With its possibilities for making other lists besides shopping, I see this program as an essential to any handheld user. It provides an easy and fun way to shop and a great way to stay organized. SplashShopper is a part of the SplashWallet suite and you can check it out here. The SplashWallet Suite sells for $59.95 and thus far in my opinion is worth every penny. By the way, SplashData also has a special that if you purchase just SplashShopper you will get SplashMoney free! It's a great deal be sure to check it out!

Joshua Burdick – Associate Writer (Buffalo, NY, USA)