Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Too many gun posts. Let’s move on to something else……

Here’s the scenario: we keep a stockpile of goods, let’s say food, that we keep a spreadsheet for. This spreadsheet simply lists description and quantity. A printout of that spreadsheet sits on a clipboard, along with a pen, on the shelf with the stockpile. When something is removed/added to the stockpile a notation is made on the clipboard. Every few weeks I take the clipboard to my computer, open the spreadsheet file, update it, print out a new sheet, and replace it in the clipboard. A copy of that file sits in my iPhone so that when we are shopping I can, if we come across a sale on something, see if we should stock up to replace our inventory. Here’s the rub: the file on my phone is only as accurate as the last time the spreadsheet was updated and uploaded to my phone …. something that is only done every few weeks.

The alternative would be that every time I grab a can of tomatoes from the stockpile I go to my computer, update the spreadsheet, and upload a copy to my phone, the wife’s phone, tablet, her computer, my computer, and my work computer. Every time.

Gotta be a better way.

The first idea was to simply use iCloud or Dropbox to do file syncing as the master file was updated. This seemed okay except for one niggling detail. While it allows us to have the file updated on the devices where we need it, we still need a way to edit the file. There were apps for the iPad/iPhone but they were either a few bucks each (and we’d need several copies) or they’re crippled freeware.

Here is the solution we came up with. We uploaded our spreadsheet (a simple one page Excel document) to a new Google Docs account. This way any device that has internet connectivity and a browser can go to Google, log in, and edit the spreadsheet. The saved document is then referenced by any device that logs in and uses that stored copy. And we can edit the document online, so no need for additional software.

All of this sounds a little convoluted and complicated, right? Okay, here’s a real-world scenario for how this plays out:

I’m at CostCo and the wife is at the house. She whips up some curry or whatever and uses a couple cans of tomatoes and coconut milk. As she pulls them off the shelf she takes her iPhone out of her pocket, updates the spreadsheet, and heads to the kitchen. I’m at CostCo and see that cans of crushed tomatoes are on sale. No point buying them, though, if we already have plenty. Pull out the iPhone, log in, check the spreadsheet…it says the formerly abundant amount has now been reduced to a level that suggests buying more. Cans go in the cart.

More importantly, the ‘gap’ between spreadsheet updates is eliminated…meaning that inventory information is real-time (assuming updates are done as products are withdrawn/added to the stockpile).

Geeky, right? But its a tremendous leap forward in logistics and inventory tracking for us. I know some folks do a similar thing, keeping track of their inventories on spreadsheet, and thought I’d share this method of keeping the info handy and up-to-date.

ETA: Can’t believe I have to mention this, but apparently I do. The particular spreadsheet we have uploaded is a spreadsheet of our short- and medium-term groceries and housewares. Things like aluminum foil, spaghetti sauce, and paper towels. It’s not a spreadsheet of guns, ammo, gold, silver, freezedrieds, fuel, etc, etc. So, no, I’m not really concerned about Google handing it over to the feds.