How I Save Time

 

One of the things that I struggle with daily is the issue of saving time. I'm always looking for ways to make life easier, to have to 'do' less, to make things more seamless. I've rounded up my favorite time saving tips and services that undoubtedly make my life better! So that I have more time for things like couch snuggles with P and watching Outlander.

I order my groceries and have them delivered. I've oscillated back and forth on ordering groceries over the years and currently I'm in an ordering phase. It's not always perfect, I don't always get exactly what I want, but it's close enough and honestly, that's good enough for me when it saves a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. Currently, we use Fresh Direct and have been pretty happy with it.

I hired a cleaning service. We had a cleaning service, then decided to cut back, and now we are back on the train again. The reality is that with both of us working full time, neither of us is willing to spend a couple of precious weekend hours really cleaning the place. And let's be real: I'm never going to do the kind of deep clean that the professionals will.

I wash my hair less. Once upon a time I was a religious daily hair washer. Over time, I've gotten down to about twice a week. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't even tell you how this has singlehandedly changed my life. Not only is my hair less greasy, looks better more frequently, but I don't spend precious morning time grooming. I still shower (hair goes up in a bun), bust out the straightening iron for a touched up look, and of course put on a least a touch of makeup, but not having to wash, dry and straighten hair daily is such a time saver.

I got an Amazon Prime subscription. Ok, it's technically Shaun's, but we both use it and it is awesome. Whenever we run out of diapers and wipes, there are no trips to the store. I simply place an order on Amazon Prime and it arrives in two days. Upcoming birthday party or gift giving occasion? Almost everything can be found on Amazon. Even if I need to update my sock drawer, Amazon is my go to. It has eliminated so many trips to the store, I can't even say enough how this service changes our life daily.

I spend a little time each week meal planning. A quick daily meal plan informs my grocercy list and also keeps me sane during the week when I have less time to think/plan/worry about what we will be having for lunch or dinner. It also allows me to keep meals simple and not waste any food.

I do some food prep on weekends. Admittedly this doesn't always happen and on some Sunday's I feel as though I could prep all day long and still not tackle enough, which is not how I want to spend a Sunday. I do what I can, and every little bit helps! Yesterday, I made some shredded chicken in the slow cooker and hard boiled some eggs. Just that little bit makes packing breakfast and lunch a little easier.

I bathe Penelope every other night. I know you are probably questioning my personal hygiene priorities at this point, but in reality unless P has had a particularly dirty day, I don't see the need for a daily bath. This alleviates so much time pressure a few nights a week.

I use commuting time productively. I make a promise to myself to use my morning commute productively each day. Whether it's writing up a blog post in Notes, checking and making a to do list (I use Wunderlist which syncs across my devices), or simply checking in on my calendar for the week to get my head in the zone, I find this is a great use of my 15 minute train ride. And then I get the evening commute to read or just listen to music.

What are your time saving tips and tricks?

Comments

[Lauren at Keep It Sweet]

I do most of those things too, but I REALLY need to start meal planning / ordering groceries. It would be such a good time saver and we would be eating much better dinners haha.