Have you ever started cooking up a great recipe only to find, halfway through, that you don’t have enough of one crucial ingredient?  Have you ever loaned a book to someone and forgotten who when you really needed it?  Whether you create culinary masterpieces, collect comic books, or watch movies, an inexpensive home barcoding system may help you manage your lifestyle. 

Almost everything in your home comes from the store with a barcode.  This offers you a unique way of keeping track of everything you bring in the door.    Several manufacturers have designed home barcoding products that provide both the hardware and software you need in an inexpensive package.   Here are some of the top products in the home barcoding market:

 

IntelliScanner Products

Intelliscanner has several home barcoding products worth mentioning.  The IntelliScanner Classic is the cheapest, available at only $99.   It comes with software that looks up items you scan online and fills in details and pictures.  You can organize your inventory in several different ways and print various kinds of reports.  The IntelliScanner Mini comes with the same basic functionality, but in a very compact size. You can use the IntelliScanner Mini as a mobile inventory tool, since it saves everything you scan and automatically syncs with the software when you plug it in to your computer.   And if you want to add an item that doesn’t have a bar code, IntelliScanner includes Asset ID tags in the package for you to enter in your database.  In addition, IntelliScanner also offers niche products that focus on organizing wine and comic book collections.   

$99 to $179  |   http://www.intelliscanner.com/products/index_personal.html

Microvision Products

Microvision is another bar code scanner producer that is developing a line of products for household applications.  They have taken a slightly different approach, however.  Rather than including one proprietary software application, Microvision uses Scanner Wedge software to send scannedinformation as text to any active program on your PC or mobile device.   You could set up a database in Microsoft Access, for instance, and scan your media library directly into it.  They also offer SerialMagic Pro software that allows you to fine tune the way your computer interprets data sent from the scanner.  These tools allow for more customization, but they also require a little more technical know-how and effort to get them set up.

$159.99  |   http://www.microvision.com/barcode/industries/household.html

Groqit Barcode Pen

The Groqit Barcode pen is a unique product with an entirely web-based approach to home inventory management.  The highly portable pen has the capacity to hold over a million items.  When you plug into your computer, the barcode pen stores your information online on your Groqit.com account.  The provided web service automatically looks up products that you enter.  Even if the item doesn’t have a bar code, you can simply key in a description for it to look up.  Other powerful tools are included on Groqit.com, like UPC to ISBN conversion for books. 

$129  |  www.groqit.com

WaspNest CCD Barcode Scanner Suite

The WaspNest Suite is a complete package including a Wasp WCS3900 CCD BarcodeScanner,  Wasp Inventory Control software, and WaspLabeler label printing software.  It is marketed for both home and small business, but it feels very much like it is geared for small retail or office applications.  Unlike the other scanners we reviewed in this article, it cannot be used as a mobile scanner and it does not store information on the scanner, but it can be used as a POS device as well as an inventory / asset tracking tool.

$199  |   http://www.waspbarcode.com/barcode_kits/ccd_barcode_kit.asp