Fridge Manager
Track household food inventory via conversation. Auto-calculates expiry from built-in knowledge base, logs all changes, supports cron-based expiry alerts.
Data
Store inventory in family/fridge.json (workspace-relative). Create on first use:
{ "items": [], "log": [] }
Item
{
"id": "a1b2c3d4",
"name": "牛奶",
"category": "dairy",
"qty": "1 carton",
"added": "2026-04-27",
"expiry": "2026-05-04",
"storage": "fridge",
"notes": ""
}
id— 8-char hex, generated via randomcategory—meat|seafood|dairy|vegetable|fruit|grain|condiment|leftover|drink|snack|otherstorage—fridge|freezer|pantry|counterexpiry— auto-calculated from knowledge base when omitted
Log Entry
Append to log[] on every mutation:
{ "action": "add|consume|discard", "id": "a1b2c3d4", "name": "牛奶", "qty": "1 carton", "reason": "", "ts": "2026-04-27T18:30:00" }
Workflows
Add (入库)
User says they bought/stored food → parse name, quantity, storage location.
- Look up category + shelf life in knowledge base (read
references/food-knowledge-zh.mdorreferences/food-knowledge-en.mdmatching user language) - Calculate
expiry= today + shelf life for the matchingstoragetype (fridge → refrigerated life, freezer → frozen life) - If item not in knowledge base → estimate conservatively, flag in
notes - Write to
items[], appendlog[] - Confirm: name, location, expiry date. Include one storage tip if notable (e.g., "蚝油必须冷藏")
Batch: "买了牛奶、鸡蛋和西兰花" → add all in one operation, single confirmation message.
Remove (出库)
Three types — detect intent from phrasing:
| Intent | Trigger examples | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Consume | "用完了", "喝了", "used 3 eggs" | Reduce qty or remove if zero |
| Discard | "扔了", "threw away", "过期了扔掉" | Remove from items |
| Batch cook | "做了番茄炒蛋" | Reduce/remove all ingredients mentioned |
- Fuzzy-match item names. If ambiguous (multiple matches), list and ask.
- Never silently delete — always confirm what was removed.
- Append
log[]for each item affected.
Query
| User says | Response |
|---|---|
| "冰箱里有什么" / "what's in my fridge" | All items grouped by storage, with expiry status |
| "什么快过期" / "what's expiring" | Items within 3 days of expiry, sorted by urgency |
| "有鸡蛋吗" / "do I have eggs" | Search by name → qty + expiry |
| "冷冻室里有什么" / "what's in the freezer" | Filter by storage location |
Status indicators: 🔴 expired · 🟡 ≤3 days · 🟢 safe
Expiry Alert (cron/heartbeat)
For scheduled invocation. Silent when nothing is urgent.
- Read
family/fridge.json - Find items where
expiry≤ today + 3 days - If found → send alert:
🧊 Fridge Alert 🔴 Expired: - 酸奶 (2 days overdue) 🟡 Expiring soon: - 牛奶 (1 day left) - 鸡胸肉 (3 days left) 💡 Tip: consider freezing the chicken if not cooking today - If nothing expiring → reply
NO_REPLY(stay silent)
Cron Setup
Users create a cron via OpenClaw with this task prompt:
Read the fridge-manager skill, then check family/fridge.json for items expiring within 3 days. Send a reminder if any found. Otherwise reply NO_REPLY.
Recommended schedule: daily at 9:00 AM user's local time.
Storage Tips
When asked "how to store X" or during add workflow, consult the knowledge base:
- Optimal storage method
- Special handling tips
- Common mistakes to avoid
Knowledge Base
Built-in shelf life + storage tips for 60+ common foods, organized by category:
- English: Read
references/food-knowledge-en.md - 中文: Read
references/food-knowledge-zh.md
Use fuzzy matching: "chicken breast" → poultry row, "西红柿" → 番茄 row.
Rules
- Match user's language — Chinese input → Chinese response
- Conservative expiry estimates when uncertain
- Confirm every add/remove with a brief summary
- Keep JSON clean — remove items at zero quantity
- Log every mutation