Category Archives: Organizing

How to Have More Spare Time to Do the Things You Want to Do

I love having spare time to do things that I like to do such as reading, relaxing or even working online blogging, don’t you?

The fact is, spare time is a luxury for moms who are very busy trying to keep order in the house.   Moms are multi-taskers who have to make sure that meals are prepared, clothes are clean, the house is clean and that the kids have their needs met regarding education, appoints  and events, etc.

The good news is that you can do certain things to make every precious minute count and in turn leave you with more spare time…

1.  Plan ahead – Create lists.

If  you have errands to do, you can save gas and time by doing them all on a certain day.  Using a list will help you make sure that you don’t get distracted and forget anything while you’re out.

Keep a shopping list on your refrigerator and immediately add anything that you’re running low on while you’re cooking.  This will save you time from constantly running to the store.  You’ll also save money because each time you go to the store, you’ll more than likely pick up extra items.

Also try to go shopping in the evenings or at least on days when there are less people in the store. Why waste an hour fighting the crowds when you can be done in 30 minutes.

2.  Plan meals – Thaw foods in advance.

Plan meals for the upcoming week so that you can add the ingredients to your shopping list. Keep your meal plan handy on the fridge so that you can know what foods need to be thawed in advance. This will save you extra time and money.  You won’t be tempted to pick up fast food or run to the grocery store when you already have your food thawed and your meal planned.

3. Buy in Bulk - Stock up on sales.

If you have sufficient space, then plan ahead and buy things in bulk. Also, watch for sales on items that you frequently use and stock up on them. You’ll save money and precious time by not having to go to the supermarket so often.

4. Pay Your Bills Electronically – Create a workstation.

If you’re able to do this, then you’ll even more time by not having to write out and mail checks. If you really can’t or choose not to do this, then set up a work station to keep your checkbook, stamp, envelopes and pens close at hand.

You can also have a calendar with all your important dates and appointments written on there. Go a step further and have an inbox for mail and papers that need to be filed. You’ll never waste time looking for those things again.

5.  Don’t Let the Housework Pile Up – Schedule tasks throughout the week.

There’s nothing worse than spending your weekends cleaning. If you do a little bit each day you won’t ever need to spend a whole day cleaning. For example, do a load of laundry daily rather than letting it all pile up for Saturday.  Schedule other tasks such as vacuuming and dusting on certain days throughout the week.

Once the weekend comes around, the house should be fairly organized gaining you some spare time. You may just have to give the bathroom and kitchen a little extra cleanup attention, leaving you with plenty of time to enjoy your family.

6.  Eliminate Time Wasters -   Lose time wasters and gain extra time.

Many people complain they have no time.   The fact is, we all have 24 hours in a day.   Check to see if there are some big time wasters that you can eliminate such as talking on the phone, playing games on the computer, watching too much TV, etc.   Ah, instant time gained!

7.  Eliminate Unproductive Tasks - Give up perfectionism.

There are some tasks that we always feel just “must” be done…yet, if we were to really consider it more… it’s really not as necessary as we think.   Gain more time by giving up perfectionism or tasks that are meaningless.  Nobody sees the dust underneath that cabinet.  Try cleaning it once or twice a year instead of weekly and save tons of time!

8.   Delegate – Create a family team and work together.

Sometimes we feel like we must do everything ourselves.  Learn to ask for help.  We deprive our children the joy of helping and learning to work when we force ourselves to do it “all”.  Tell your family that you are a “team” and then work together on many household projects.

9.  Organize Your Life – Don’t waste time hunting for lost stuff.

Don’t you hate wasting time looking for stuff?  Save this wasted time by organizing your house.  The time spent doing this will save you a lot of time and hassle in return.

Create a home and place for everything. For example, have a place near the front door where you can hang your keys and purse. Don’t forget items like umbrellas, hats, gloves and scarves for those rainy or cold days.

Some additional things to pay attention to: set up storage for the kids toys, get creative organizing your clutter in baskets or containers near the area where you’ll use the items and create a system to organize all those magazines and books.

As a final word, you can’t buy more time.  The key to having more spare time is simply saving time that you already have.

Feel free to share you time-saving tips with us here…