'Honey Do' Apps Keep Couples, Life On Track

I have a “honey do” list.

If you’ve lived with anyone long enough, you know the list. It’s riddled with tasks, events, grocery items and more.

My “honey do” list is actually for my wife as much as it is for me. Sure, she adds stuff to it for me, but it’s essentially a list of the myriad of things we need to remember to keep our family on track.

I asked my married friends about their lists, and immediately a few husbands responded (I’ve changed their first names to keep them out of the doghouse).

Joe’s wife still uses the tried-and-true pencil and paper lists. “She has this little note pad on her desk at home—make sure you note I said ‘her’ desk—and after a few days of notes, she’ll rip it off and hand it to me. ‘Here’s your list,’ she’ll say. God forbid I lose a list. It’s not pretty.”

Steve’s list consists solely of texts from his wife. “She literally texts everything to me, every appointment for the kids, everything we need at Walmart. It’s annoying. She sends so many random texts that, if I forget something, she’ll say ‘Well, I texted it to you.’”

As you might imagine, there are apps for couples consumed by to-do lists.

An app named Honey-Do List is available on Google Play. “Use this application to keep track of the tasks you need to complete,” the app description reads. “Email your updated list to your spouse to prove you’re actually working.”

There are competing Honey Do List apps for iOS and Android devices, and while they both look interesting, neither has stellar reviews.

Although I have sympathy for my friends, I’m not sure how these couples survive (let alone thrive) without a good “to do” app.

Here are a few (free) reminder apps that work well for on-the-go couples. Note that these apps work great for families, teams and other work groups:

1. Google Keep (iOS, Android; free). Create lists using text, image captures, and transcribed voice memos. Keep makes list creation easy, and a snap to share with family, friends and co-workers.

“It syncs across phone and web platforms,” said Mollie Hartup, assistant director of university events at Youngstown State University. “I can set reminders based on time or location. Simple and perfect.”

2. Trello (iOS, Android; free). Trello is great for teams, whether that team is at home or in the workplace. Customize different projects, add “to do” checklists, comment on tasks, and attach files from Google Drive and Dropbox.

“Trello is fantastic,” said Chelsie Hazenstab, project manager at iM Image Marketing in Canfield. “You can assign tasks, comment on cards, attach voicemails, email and PDFs. The organization is pretty much endless.”

For other great “to do” apps, check out Wunderlist, Any.do and Todoist.

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