Return Window Buddy

A small local-first web app for tracking purchase return windows, receipt conditions, and calendar reminders before the last safe day slips by.

Live demo: https://bte808.github.io/fun-20260529-b-return-window/

What it does

• Add an item, store or owner, purchase date, return window, condition, and return path.
• See urgent, soon, expired, open, and completed items sorted by deadline.
• Get a plain-language next action for each item, including when to test it or act now.
• Copy a single-item return card for a receipt note, errand message, or shared reminder.
• Copy a ready-to-send checklist for a shopping trip or pickup errand.
• Download an .ics calendar file with one-day-before alerts.
• Keep data in localStorage; no login, account, server, or API key.

Why it is useful

Return windows are easy to lose because the important detail is scattered across email, receipts, packaging, and memory. This app turns each uncertain purchase into one small decision record: what to test, what must stay intact, and when the last return day is.

The single-item card makes the tool easier to use outside the page: copy one deadline, path, condition, and next action into a chat, receipt folder, notes app, or task manager without exporting the whole checklist.

Inspiration

This was built after a short scan of recent Show HN small-tool launches, including simple day-planning, window-switching, and family-reference utilities. The useful pattern was not another big workspace, but a single browser utility that removes a specific recurring friction point. The implementation and copy are original and do not reuse code, assets, or product text from those projects.

Run locally

Open index.html directly, or run a local server:

npm run serve

Then open:

http://localhost:4173

Test

npm test

The tests cover deadline math, status labels, next-action cues, checklist output, calendar export, and form validation.

Core workflow

1. Add or edit a purchase.
2. Check the next deadline, urgency summary, and next action.
3. Copy one return card for a specific item, copy the full checklist before leaving home, or download the calendar reminder.
4. Mark the item done after returning, keeping, or resolving it.

Possible extensions

• Receipt photo attachment with local-only storage.
• CSV import for bulk online orders.
• Browser notification reminders.
• Shared printable return checklist.