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There are plenty of mistakes you can make grocery shopping, but going list-less is probably the most costly one. Everyone has their grocery list routine, whether it’s scribbling ingredients on paper, updating a meal-planning app, or just locking it in by memory. For avid note-takers, that’s a lot of paper to run through, and unless you want to lug a whiteboard around the grocery store, there aren’t many alternative options.

But back in the 1950s, it seems like everyone’s grandparents had a nifty alternative to the standard notebook — a reusable grocery list that could fit right in your back pocket. Made of metal with little notches to check things off, the handy reusable list helped shoppers keep track of their groceries while being environmentally friendly. It also served as a grocery list template, reminding you of what you may need to replenish. The official debut of the metal grocery list is hazy, but the general consensus is that it emerged sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s and was a popular gadget for a couple of decades.

Read more: 13 Ways To Help Save Money At The Grocery Store

Why Don’t We See This Handy Little Shopping Aid Anymore?

For the most part, people simply reverted back to pen and paper, likely as more items became available in stores so that lists became more detailed. Based on the antique markets and auction listings, the reusable grocery shopping companion appeared to fade away by the 1980s. Then, once cell phones became a fixture in everyone’s hand, grocery lists shifted into the digital realm. The once common reusable list of groceries even became a little foreign to this century, as the items on it faded from the shelves. The now antique reusable shopping list includes products like catsup — which we’d now call ketchup — and vague items like “delicatess,” seemingly short for delicatessen, and the simple catch-alls of “vegetable” or “frozen foods.”

Once an image of the gizmo resurfaced on social media, however, younger generations were amazed, and drawn to its quirky appeal. Over on Reddit, one commenter said that their grandma had one and knew the position of each item by feel so didn’t even need to look at it to find what she needed. You can find different styles and designs of antique reusable shopping lists on sites like Ebay and Etsy, allegedly dating back to the 1920s. They were often referred to as household wants indicators, and ranged in size, with some designed to be left hanging in the kitchen. In fact, Amazon even sells a modern at-home version that you can magnetically attach to your fridge for when you run out of items. The most widespread small metal list seems to be stampless with no identifying marks, but Charles Letts’ 1920s version has Good Housekeeping Institute’s stamp of approval, and a serial number to match, and is available to buy on Etsy for over $350.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.