It's a rare day that I don't fall into bed thinking about how busy the day was. I sometimes ask, what am I doing wrong? But when I talk to friends, they all say the same thing: life is busy, it's impossible to get everything done!
I refuse to accept this. There must be ways to save time and still enjoy life without it running us all ragged. So I polled some friends and got some great ideas. Then I tried them out. Read on to find out which tips worked for me - and can work for you too!
How do you save time? Tell us for the chance to win a $50 gift card to either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts (winner's choice!) and a cute kitchen timer. Plus, submit an easy recipe for a bonus prize. If we use your recipe in an upcoming blog post, we'll send you a $25 Amazon gift card to say thanks!
Most experts say that if you are doing two things at the same time, you are not doing either of them well. I beg to differ. On tasks when my brain runs on autopilot, I'm much more efficient when I multitask. For example...
Make a boring chore fun and you'll want to get to it, like ironing while binge-watching TV or cleaning the bathroom while listening to a podcast.
Exercise with a friend: you'll be getting healthier and finding out the latest gossip. Schedule in a weekly time on your calendar and you'll be more likely to stick with it.
Use waiting time, like your train-commute or your kid's gymnastics class, to cross a few things off your to-do list, That quiet time is perfect for finding dinner recipes, ordering groceries online, or doing vacation research. Alternatively, save that time to catch up on social media, and then resist checking your Facebook feed the rest of the day.
Plan for the unpacking while you are shopping: When unloading groceries from your cart to the conveyor belt at checkout, group them in order of where they go in the house, so they get bagged in that order (dairy together, fruit together etc). Then the groceries are easier to unpack when you get home.
Reminder: My kitchen timer gets a lot of use, but not just for cooking. It's the perfect way to remind me to get things done. For example, I put it on when I throw in a load of laundry so I don't forget to put the wet clothes in the dryer.
Deadline: Timers are also a good way to create an artificial deadline, like when I'm going through the pile of papers my kids brought home from school. I just put on the timer and try to get it all done in 5 minutes - it forces me to make decisions more quickly and keep me focused.
Note: Make sure the timer is in another room and doesn't stop beeping until you manually turn it off. Is it annoying? Definitely. But does it force me to stop what I am doing and change the laundry? Yes.
There are three ways to enter:
*One lucky commenter, Tweeter or Instagrammer will be chosen at random to receive a $50 gift card to the winner's choice of either Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, plus a Hitechway Cute Digital Count-Down Up Kitchen Timer. Giveaway is open through August 27th, 2017 to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entrants must be a member of SheSpeaks. If you are not a member, click here to join. Winner will be notified by email.
keep a cork board handy so you can make notes to remind yourself of things and stay prepared
My family loves tacos, so i will make a lot of hamburger and freeze it, then when it comes time to make all i have to do is heat up the meat,throw shells in the oven and cut up the salad super quick and delicious meal
I always cook with both hands - whether it is something that needs to be dipped in egg and breaded or simply a small snack - the items go away as fast as they are used. Clean up is a snap!
Plan ahead to be sure..that is first & foremost fro me...really! Toast and butter...just that simple...oh yeah! How's that? Hoping it works for you the way it works for me...sweet!
I get up an hour earlier than the rest of the family, make a plan for the day, enjoy a cup of coffee in piece to get my mind right, then start working on my plan. I can get A LOT done when everyone else is sleeping!
My favorite way to save time is to do easy tasks before bed the night before. It clears up my morning and that way if something isn't going as planned I still have extra time to cover it.
I organize my tasks by doing specific things on specific days - all my errands and appointments on Mondays, all my big cleaning on Thursdays, office work on Saturdays, etc. It helps streamline the process so nothing takes as long.
Take note of everything , and have a digital list
calendar, calendar, calendar! If my calendar is not up to date I literally cannot function!
I save time by multi tasking. My quick fix meal is tacos. Cook up the meat in the frying pan with taco seasoning and sauce whether it be chicken or beef, buy already shredded cheese and taco shells and your done. Also you can always add other toppings like sour cream and avocado.
Make ahead breakfast burritos to freeze. In the am, get up, pop in microwave and there you got breakfast on the go.
My go to recipe is crockpot ziti. I boil noodles and toss them in a greased crock pot. I toss in a small container of ricotta, 1 jar of sauce And shredded mozzarella cheese. I put it on low as soon as I come home and by the time my hubby hits the door... warm, cheesy goodness!!!
I make life way easier for me when I lay out my morning gym clothes and make sure my gym bag is packed and ready before I go to bed. I make sure it is waiting by the door for me when I leave in the morning and there is no hurrying or second guessing if 'I have everything '
I use my Google calendar for everything, sync it will apps and all my devices, and customize alerts.
Cook what I can ahead of time to save time. This breakfast sandwich recipe is a great example. 6 Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Rolls 6 Bacon Slices (or other meat choice) 6 Large Eggs 6 Slices Cheese Split rolls and toast, Set aside. Cook your meat of choice. Set aside. Add olive oil or butter to a small pan and place a 3-inch cookie cutter in the pan. Break the egg into the cutter, breaking the yolk and letting it cook for a bit to set. Once set, remove the cookie cutter. Flip the egg to the other side and fry until fully cooked. Cook all the eggs and set aside. Once all the ingredients have been cooked, start assembling your sandwiches. Lay out 6 roll bottoms and top with eggs, bacon, cheese and roll top. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap, store in a zipped bag or container, and put in freezer. To reheat the sandwiches, remove the plastic wrap, microwave on a plate for 30 seconds, open the sandwich and cook for another 45 seconds.