When did you last change your car's oil? Replace the furnace filter? Descale the coffee machine? If you paused, you have a memory problem — and the apps that solve it want your data in exchange.

Most "maintenance reminder" apps live in the cloud. They know what you own, how you live, and when you're due for a big repair. That's marketable. Let's fix the memory problem without feeding an ad network.

The idea: a private log of "last done" dates

You want one page that answers a single question: when did I last do X? Add oil changes, filter swaps, smoke-detector battery tests, plant watering, whatever. It reminds you before things go bad. Nobody outside your house ever sees it.

The tool for this is Grocy. It's built for household management — and its "chores" and "tasks" features are perfect for recurring maintenance.

Step 1: Run Grocy in one command

If you have Docker installed on any old PC, Raspberry Pi, or NAS, paste this:

docker run -d \
  --name grocy \
  -p 9283:80 \
  -v grocy_data:/config \
  -e TZ=America/New_York \
  lscr.io/linuxserver/grocy:latest

Open http://your-server-ip:9283 in a browser. Default login is admin / admin. Change that password first thing.

Step 2: Add your first chore

Go to Chores → Add. Create one called "Change car oil." Set the period to every 90 days (or 5,000 miles — track whichever you prefer). Save it.

Now do the same for the stuff you always forget:

  • Furnace / AC filter — every 60 days
  • Smoke detector battery test — every 180 days
  • Descale coffee machine — every 30 days
  • Water the fiddle-leaf fig — every 7 days

Step 3: Log when you actually do it

Every time you finish a task, hit Track on that chore. Grocy stamps the date and quietly resets the countdown. The dashboard shows what's overdue in red. No math, no guessing.

Step 4: Get reminded without email

Grocy shows due items right on its home screen. Bookmark it on your phone. Want a nudge? Pair it with a self-hosted notifier like ntfy and push alerts straight to your phone — still no third party in the middle.

Why this beats a cloud app

A cloud maintenance app builds a profile: your car's age, your appliances, your repair schedule. That data hints at your income and your next big purchase. Grocy keeps all of it on a box in your closet. The only person who reads your oil-change history is you.

Your takeaway: Spin up Grocy tonight and log the three things you most often forget. In two weeks you'll trust it — and you'll never overpay for a seized engine or a moldy filter again.