How to invite your household
Updated October 2026 · 2 min read
Quick answer
Send an invite link. People who join share your plans, list and pantry, and keep their own preferences.
Send the link
Open Profile, then Invite, and share the link by text or email.
What they see
They see the shared week, the grocery list and the pantry. They keep their own food rules.
Dinner votes
Start a dinner vote and everyone answers on their phone. No account is needed to vote.
Privacy
Each person keeps their own food rules and preferences.
Why share the plan at all?
Dinner is easier when everyone can see it. People stop asking what is for dinner, and the person who shops no longer has to guess. A shared plan also splits the work, which is the real point.
Who should you invite?
Anyone who cooks, shops or eats with you most weeks: a partner, an older child, a roommate, a grandparent who helps out. Each person keeps their own food rules, so someone's allergy does not get lost.
What does everyone see?
| Shared | Personal |
|---|---|
| The week's plan | Each person's allergies and dislikes |
| The grocery list | Notification settings |
| The pantry | Private account details |
| The week's plan | Each person's allergies and dislikes |
| The grocery list | Notification settings |
| The pantry | Private account details |
How do dinner votes help?
Asking everyone what they want usually starts an argument. A quick vote with two or three choices ends it. People feel heard, and you get an answer. Keep the options few, because too many choices slows everything down.
How do you keep the shared plan calm?
Agree on a few simple rules. One person owns the grocery list each week. Anyone can swap a meal, but tell the others. Dinner is decided by a set time. Small agreements prevent most household friction.
What about kids?
Older children can pick one dinner a week and help cook it. That gives them a voice and takes one decision off you. Younger children can choose between two vegetables.
Is it safe to share a link?
Only send the link to people you trust. If a link ends up somewhere you did not intend, write to hello@plenishly.com and we will help you sort it out.
What if someone leaves the household?
People move out, relationships change and roommates come and go. When that happens, tell the others and update who is in the household. If you share a plan with someone who no longer eats with you, you may end up buying food for the wrong number of people.
How do you handle disagreements about food?
Keep it simple. Decide a few shared rules, such as who shops and when the plan is set, and let everything else be flexible. If two people want different things, offer a vote. Most disputes are about being heard, not about the food.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Household Mode tracks who bought what and who owes what.
Yes. Each person who joins signs in with their own login, so they keep their own preferences.
Yes. Each person keeps their own preferences, even in a shared household.
No. People can answer a dinner vote on their phone without one.