Household Inventory System

Track household supplies, predict when to restock, and eliminate last-minute store runs.

When to Use

• You frequently run out of essential supplies unexpectedly.
• You want to reduce emergency store trips.
• You are setting up a new home and need to establish a baseline inventory.
• You want to track consumables across multiple categories.

Workflow

Phase 1: Identify Supply Categories

1. Walk through your home and list all non-food consumable categories you use regularly.
2. Common categories: cleaning supplies, personal care, paper goods, pet supplies, batteries, light bulbs, laundry products, first-aid items.
3. Scope boundary: This skill explicitly excludes food and pantry items. For meal-driven inventory and grocery planning, use grocery-planning-framework.

Phase 2: Set Par Levels

1. For each item in each category, define three stock levels:
   • Minimum stock: The trigger point — when you reach this quantity, it's time to buy.
   • Target stock: The amount you aim to have after restocking.
   • Maximum stock: The ceiling — don't buy beyond this to avoid overstocking.
2. Example: Paper towels — Min: 2 rolls, Target: 6 rolls, Max: 12 rolls.
3. Adjust par levels based on your storage space, consumption rate, and shopping frequency.

Phase 3: Design Restock Triggers

Choose at least one trigger method per category:

• Visual trigger: Mark a line or use a designated "last one" spot on the shelf.
• List-based trigger: Maintain a running shopping list that family members can add to.
• Calendar-based trigger: Set a recurring reminder to check stock (e.g., first Saturday of the month).

Phase 4: Create a Shopping List Template

1. Organize your list by store section or aisle for efficient shopping.
2. Include columns for: item name, category, quantity needed, preferred store, and estimated price.
3. Keep the template reusable — print or duplicate it each shopping trip.

Phase 5: Map Storage Locations

1. Document where each category lives in your home.
2. In multi-person households, post a simple map or label shelves so everyone knows where to find and return supplies.
3. Store like-with-like: all cleaning products in one zone, all personal care in another.

Phase 6: Identify Seasonal Needs

1. List supplies that spike seasonally: sunscreen and insect repellent in summer; salt and ice melt in winter; allergy supplies in spring.
2. Add seasonal items to your par level system with shorter active windows.

What This Skill Does Not Cover

• Food and pantry items: Use grocery-planning-framework for meal-driven inventory.
• Document filing: Use personal-document-organizer for important papers.
• Home maintenance supplies: Use home-maintenance-calendar for repair and upkeep materials.

Output Format

The output includes:

1. Supply Category Inventory
2. Minimum/Maximum Stock Levels per Item
3. Restock Trigger System (visual, list-based, calendar-based)
4. Shopping List Template
5. Storage Location Map
6. Seasonal Supply Calendar

Safety & Compliance

• Remind user to store cleaning chemicals safely away from food and out of children's reach.
• Do not recommend stockpiling beyond reasonable amounts (hoarding risk).
• Do not recommend specific brands or products — focus on categories.
• Remind user that perishable items have expiration dates and should be rotated.
• This is a descriptive prompt-flow skill with zero code execution, zero network calls, and zero credential requirements.

Acceptance Criteria

1. SKILL.md covers at least 5 distinct supply categories.
2. Par level system is clearly explained with examples.
3. Restock trigger options include at least 3 methods.
4. Explicitly excludes food/pantry items and defers to the appropriate skill.
5. No executable code, API calls, or external dependencies.
6. English-first.

Examples

Example 1: Basic Use

User says: "I keep running out of toilet paper and cleaning supplies."

Skill guides: Collect supply categories. Set par levels for paper goods and cleaning products. Design a visual trigger (e.g., when the backup pack is opened, add to list). Deliver output in the specified format.

Example 2: Detailed Session

User says: "I just moved into a new apartment and want to set up a full household inventory system."

Skill guides: Walk through all six phases room by room. Start with the most annoying outage categories first. Build par levels based on estimated consumption and storage constraints. Create a combined shopping list template and storage map.