I'm starting to use RTM for my to-do list and I've got things set up GTD-style (@work, @home, @errands, etc). So far this seems to be working OK. But, I haven't quite figured out a strategy for shopping lists.

I remember David Allen mentioned something about how he loves creating lists, lists of just anything, from shopping lists, to planning a trip, to organizing a banquet for 100, and keeping them handy even if they are not connected to any action. I think this would fit in with my RTM plan, but it would take some doing... I'm building a lot of intelligence and automation based on the assumption that everything on any list is either actionable, or waiting, or needs review.

I just thought of an idea, though... what about a list containing nothing but "completed" items? Like, my entire shopping list of everything I ever buy or might buy could be entered with @safeway tag, and then marked completed? Then when I figure something I need, I can find the item and hit "Uncomplete" to make it pending again, in the right context. Would this actually work, or do "completed" items get flushed after some period of time?

I had also thought of using an "archived" list but a few tests suggest that my smart lists avoid everything on the archived list... This is probably good for "template lists" like vacation planning. This has the added bonus of not showing the archived list among my tabs... some of these will be things that I don't even want to see or think about for months until the right occasion, and then *boom* it's important and actionable. Maybe keeping the "template list" archived and then when I actually do throw that banquet, I either unarchive it, or just copy it to a new list.

Thoughts?