Every mom is busy. You may be at home with a newborn, or making the transition back into the workforce. Alternatively, you might be working from home or juggling a troop of small children. The common factor is that your life is very demanding. In order to manage all the stresses on your time when you’re on the go, here are some simple tips to help you save time.
1. Double your dinners
This is such an easy one to do and can be a magnificent time saver. Rather than making one lasagne, make two and freeze one. The same for a beef casserole or bolognaise. By storing one in the freezer you’re helping yourself out for the days ahead when things may not go to plan and you run out of ingredients, or physically don’t have time to prepare dinner. Rather than spending money on take-aways you can reach for a nutritious dinner you have stored in the freezer and use that instead.
2. Share lifts
If you have school age children it is really sensible to chat with the parents who live in the same area as you and assess the feasibility of sharing lifts. As well as being a great time saver it is a good way to build relationships with your local community.
3. File effectively
Bills and paperwork can pile up at alarming speed when you are a busy mom on the go. Instead of ignoring it, take control and implement a practical system. Go through your mail on a daily basis and have a filing tray for your correspondence. Label them 1. Action, 2. Reply, 3. To File, and follow it up at the end of each week on a regular basis. By investing a little time on a day-to-day basis it can save huge amounts of time, or late payment in bills in the long-term.
4. Use a timer
Sometimes it is surprisingly easy to waste time, especially when you are busy. So set yourself a timer. This might mean you spend fifteen minutes focusing on cleaning your kitchen. Once the timer goes off you move on to the next chore, which might be paperwork or finishing off some work documents. You might not have completed the task fully but it means you will have made a good dent in it. The timer will have kept you focused on the task at hand rather than drifting from one thing to another.
5. Get up earlier
This might seem like a very unkind tip, particularly if you have had a broken night’s sleep anyway. However if you can get up even fifteen minutes before the earliest riser in your household you are giving yourself some peaceful time to get organised for the day. It means getting dressed in peace and gathering your thoughts for the day ahead. You can use this time to plan for the day and to prioritise tasks in order of importance.
6. Use your Apps
There is a wealth of Apps available to help busy moms on the go to save time. Don’t be afraid to check them out and use them. From online shopping Apps to daily planners you have a wealth of practical resources at your fingertips. Always check the reviews on the Apps before you buy them though to make sure they are suitable for your needs.
7. Have a back-up bag
All busy moms needs a back-up bag stored in their car or when they are on the go. As a rule of thumb, make sure to have a clean top in there, a sanitary pad, a snack, water bottle and if you have little ones in tow as well you’ll need to have a change of clothes and wipes for them as well. It just means that you’ll save yourself a trip home or to the pharmacy if you get caught short anywhere or have a spill of any kind.
8. Have your own secret drawer
This is the drawer where you store the items that seem to have a life of their own in homes. Stash a scissors, glue, sticky tape, pens and any other practical item that disappears with regularity in your household. Make sure the drawer is well out of reach of small children and for your use only. It’s a great way to ensure you don’t waste time traipsing round the house looking for those things.
9. Have a contacts file
You will inevitably go through a time where your computer or phone breaks or needs repairs for some reason. So have a hard copy of your contacts filed away in a plastic wallet to call on if you need it. Keep a list of all your emergency contacts at the front of it and then those of family and friends behind it. It can be a huge exercise organising your contact book again if you lose it so always have a hard copy as well.
10. Use sales to stock up
It is amazing how much time can be taken up shopping for birthday party presents and finding wrapping paper and cards as well. Use sales to go in and stock up on a present that is relevant to the age group you need to have a gift for. If you have multiples of them you can save yourself a great deal of time and hassle by having a stockpile of presents at hand for each birthday occasion. Do the same with the wrapping paper and cards as well. The other bonus is that you’ve usually saved money by buying them on sale as well.
