Shared Kitchen Food and Fridge Inventory

Who this is for

Whose food is whose, and what is shared. A shelf plan gives each housemate their space, the inventory records every item with its owner, place and use-by date, and a weekly clear-out list keeps the fridge from filling with forgotten food.

Students and housemates sharing a fridge, freezer and cupboards who want less waste and fewer arguments about missing milk.

What this helps you track

• Which shelf, drawer and cupboard belongs to whom
• Whose each item is, or whether it is communal
• What can be shared and what is off limits
• Use-by dates, so food is eaten before it goes off
• A weekly clear-out that everyone knows the steps of

How to use it

1. Write the flat and the week starting date, and agree a shelf, freezer drawer and cupboard for each housemate.
2. Add items as they go in: what it is, whose it is or communal, where it is kept, the date bought and the use-by date.
3. Tick Shared OK for anything the owner is happy for others to use, and Used up when it is finished.
4. On clear-out day, work through the checklist and start a fresh sheet or browser page for the new week.
5. Stick the paper copy on the fridge door; the browser version saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why write use-by dates down when they are on the pack?

Because packs get pushed to the back. Seeing every date in one list shows what needs eating first and whose food is about to go off, before it becomes a clear-out argument.

How do we handle communal items?

Write Communal as the owner and keep them in an agreed place. The shared bills or expense sheets can record who paid for each communal shop so the cost is split.

What does Shared OK mean?

That the owner is happy for housemates to use some of it. Anything without the tick belongs to its owner only. It settles the milk question without a note on the carton.

Does it say how long food keeps?

No. Go by the date on the pack and the storage instructions. The sheet only records what you copy from the label.