Motherhood is a full-time job. You are never off the clock. Even when I do get a babysitter, I am always thinking of them or even doing something for them while I'm out. I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom but I still have time-saving tips that I do daily to make my life a little easier. Besides spending time with my kids everyday, I have a list of things that I try to accomplish so I can have a productive day. Here is a list of 10 time-saving tips for making your life as a busy mom easier:
1) Always plan ahead for the next day. I always check my calendar each night to see if I have any appointments or play dates for the next day so I can plan ahead and be prepared for the next day. Whether it is laying out clothes or packing a diaper bag, it is the little things that save a lot of time.
2) Plan a weekly menu - I go through my pantry and freezer and see what items I have on hand and what items I need to purchase. This saves a lot of time in deciding what we will have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Since I am a stay-at-home, most days I have 3 meals to plan for.
3) Prepare shopping lists - With 2 kids shopping can be a hassle. I always check the sales ads, make a list and pull any coupons that I will need to receive the best deals and save money.
4) Save all errands for 1 day if possible - Running errands is very time consuming when you have kids. You have to be prepared when leaving home with kids especially if you have small children. I always try to make a list of places I need to go and I try to do them in an order that is the easiest. When running errands, you are constantly loading and unloading kids. I try to take things with us to keep them occupied because running errands is not the funniest thing to do.
5) Organize - Staying organized makes me feel better and makes each day a little easier. Being able to find whatever you need is so much easier when you are busy. I find it so much easier when the kids rooms, the kitchen and my bedroom is organized. When these rooms of my home are not organized, I feel like I can't do anything until they are.
6) Bank online. - I do almost all of banking and bill paying online. It is so much quicker and easier. You can schedule payments in advance and you don't have to worry about bills being paid late. I also don't have to worry about having stamps on hand to get things mailed on time.
7) Have a Gifts and Cards on Hand - It seems like someone in my family has a birthday each month. It is so convenient to have gifts and cards when you need them. Kids are also invited to birthday parties all the time, I try to keep gifts available for boys and girls. I am always checking the clearance and sale items for gifts to add to my stockpile. I also have a supply of gift bags, tissue paper and boxes for wrapping.
8) Keep Gas in the Car - As a mom I can plan ahead when we have somewhere to go but things don't always go as planned when getting kids ready to leave. You never know when one is going to get hurt and need a little attention and a band aid. I have found that having gas in the car has helped me get to places on time.
9) Shop Online - I find it so much easier to shop online especially for Christmas. You can find great deals and savings just like you can in the store. I also like to earn cash back when shopping online plus you save time and gas. Last year, I probably did 75% of my Christmas shopping online.
10) Have some "me" time each day. I have found that having some "me" time each night after my kids are in the bed makes me a happier person. As the saying goes....when moma is happy, everyone is happy. When I am happy, I am a more productive person hence making life my life easier by being able to do my time-saving tips. This gives me a few minutes to relax and just enjoy some peace and quiet.
Hopefully, you will find some my tips maybe helpful for you. What do you do to save time and make your life a little easier?
Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate,
click here.”
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