Are you looking for practical ways to save time without cutting corners? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Here are 10 practical time saving tips you can start using today.
1. Menu Planning: Planning meals in advance not only saves time, but it also saves you money. When you plan your meals for the week, you won’t be running to the grocery store every day to get the things you need.
* Another plus to meal planning is not being tempted to eat out as often. Meal planning is simple and easy to do and, with a little research for recipes online, you can plan something different for every meal for a month or more.
2. Scheduling: By creating and sticking to a daily schedule, you’ll save enormous amounts of time because you can stay focused on the task at hand, instead of what’s next.
* You’ll also want to add events to a family calendar on the fridge, that way you’ll know when and where each family member needs to be for their different activities. Plus, you’ll avoid the last minute rush and forgotten appointments when your schedule is centralized.
3. Keep Lists: Having lists of all the things you need to do in a day will help you stay on task, while giving you a sense of accomplishment as you cross off each item.
* Without a list, you tend to be more scatterbrained. You’ll find yourself repeating unnecessary steps or thoughts in order to get things done.
4. Organization: Being organized is one of the biggest time savers there is. When you’re organized, it’s easy to find what you need and be on your way.
* When you’re physically organized, you’ll feel mentally organized, too. Also, once you get used to putting everything in its place, the stress of losing your keys or phone vanishes. The key is that, once you’re organized, you’ve got to stay organized!
5. Complete Your Errands In One Trip: When you need to get some errands done, try to schedule them into one morning or afternoon.
* The biggest waste of your time is the “in-between” time while you wait for the next task or appointment. As you know, frequently stopping and starting tasks stifles your productivity and wastes precious time.
6. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate! Whenever possible, delegate the daily chores or appointments to other capable family members or colleagues.
* We have the strength of communities, families, and teams for a reason. You don’t have to do everything yourself.
7. Get Rid of Distractions: If you spend most of your time on the computer, turn off the programs that easily tear you away from the task at hand. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can be a huge distraction that sucks up valuable time.
* When you focus more intently on getting things done, you’ll find that you’ll have more time for social networking and fun.
8. Learn to Say No: Once in a while, you’ll be asked to do more than time allows. In these moments, you must learn to say no politely, and then either delegate the task or re-schedule for a more appropriate time.
* By respecting your time, others will respect you, too.
9. Utilize Idle Time: While sitting in a waiting room or during your daily commute, use your time wisely.
* You can catch up on emails, work on that important report, or plan out your shopping list. Whatever it is, when you use idle time, you’re giving yourself more quality time with your family when you’re home.
10. Group Similar Tasks: Learning to incorporate tasks together that you can do at the same time will save you lots of time in the long run.
* Do the dishes or pick up around the house while chatting on the phone.
* When you go to the restroom, spray some cleanser in the sink and quickly wipe it down when you’re finished.
* When you de-clutter a table or countertop, dust it off at the same time.
* When you go to turn off the TV the kids left on, take a dust cloth with you and give it a couple of quick swipes.
Saving time doesn’t have to cut into your lifestyle. By adopting and incorporating just a few of these ideas, you’ll soon spend more time doing the things you want to do!
