by Mark Garro | Save Time, Parenting
Time saving tips for new parents aren’t hard to find, but who has the time to actually Google and implement the best ones! That’s why today we’re sharing out best tips on how to live a more efficient life without sacrificing any more of your precious energy.
Time Saving Tips for New Parents
Disclosures: The links in this post may contain affiliate links through which I can receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase after clicking on my link
Productivity Tips
Always have Dry Shampoo on hand! Even if you manage to find the time to shower, goodness knows the 2 year old will be pulling the curtain aside before you’ve got time to wash, rinse, and repeat.
Find on Amazon
This one might seem a bit “duh” but seriously – Shop online whenever possible. Not only can you save money (hello, Rakuten!) but you’ll save time and money. You won’t be as tempted by impulse buys!
Overwhelmed by the clutter? Develop a cleaning cheat sheet of your own. Better to spend 10 minutes tidying up each evening than 4 hours each weekend. Plus you’ll eliminate that time waste of pondering what to do next!
Along those lines, make lists for everything you can! We have a white board in our two biggest rooms that have “one minute tasks” on them – got a minute? Help tidy up! We also keep a board on our fridge to help us remember what’s going on each day so there’s no last minute rush to the door.
Find on Amazon
You should also get the kids involved. Even my one year old helps clean up before bed time. Give them a clear, consistent task and you’ll see a difference in no time. You can also make it fun by having them “race” to see who can pick up X number of items in X number of minutes.
Ban the burnout
Just keep moving. If you have a seemingly insurmountable amount of dishes to do, just keep moving and you’ll get through them. Just tell yourself to keep moving (and maybe put a little music on to help).
And while it may seem counter-intuitive, make use of your lunch hour. I know, it can be super tempting to spend 45 minutes playing Pet Rescue Saga while you enjoy your sandwich, but those 45 minutes can be better put to use paying bills, scheduling out the week, or making a meal plan.
Another favorite time saving tip for us it to prepare an entire week’s worth of quick and easy breakfasts on Sunday. Then it’s one less meal you have to worry about during the week.
Stay Strong
If you want to save time as a parent, you have to learn to say no. And I’m not talking about just to your kids! Being able to say no to someone goes a long way in getting yourself out from under the overwhelm. It’s much worse to force yourself to add yet another task to your list that you don’t enjoy versus the (possible) sting of telling someone no.
Lastly, pay off your debt! The more debt you have, the more stress you have. The more stress you have, the less energy you have. You see where I’m going here.
Create a budget, build additional income streams when you can, and find the motivation to pay down debt faster.
What is your biggest battle when it comes to time management as a parent?
I’d love for you to comment below and let me know!
by Mark Garro | Save Time, Thrifty Home & Family
Does keeping your house clean often feel like a never-ending battle? As if the kids don’t bring in enough dirt, then there’s usually pets (if you have ’em). That’s why you definitely need a cheat sheet when it comes to cleaning!
He’s cute but he sure makes it hard to keep the house clean!
Having toys scattered about in the evenings or mail strewn on the foyer table is one thing, those are picked up quick enough, but I cannot – DO NOT – handle dirt/dust/grime. For one, I have serious dust allergies (something, I fear, I passed down to my children).
Second, if I don’t find the time to tidy up during the week, the cat hair and dog dust threaten to fuse into one giant super beast and frankly I already have enough mouths to feed.
How to Create a Cleaning Cheat Sheet
Make Cleaning Easier
In order to best tackle the “every day” stuff – without getting caught up in trying to do too much at once while accomplishing nothing – I suggest you use either a whiteboard or a laminated sheet like the one below:
Each day has 3-6 tasks to be completed and by using a whiteboard or laminated sheet, you can check off what you’ve done without having to create a new sheet each week.
Saturday and Sunday have a bit more because there’s typically more of an opportunity to get things done on those days, but if your schedule is different, adjust accordingly!
Break Down Your Tasks
By breaking things down into easier-to-handle tasks, you’ll be able to accomplish a lot more without feeling like you’re wasting your evenings or losing sleep trying to keep a tidy house. You’ll also remove the mental stress that comes with not knowing what to do next by having it laid out exactly what you’ll be doing and when.
You might have noticed that “oatmeal jars” is one of my Sunday tasks. If you have yet to discover the joy that is this breakfast beauty, please check out my Quick Breakfasts post. They take all of 20 minutes to prep, they’re healthy, and you’ll be set for breakfasts for the week!
It’s important that you create a meal plan for more than just breakfast, which is why I also include “inventory food” as a part of my weekly checklist; knowing what you have is the first step to saving more money on groceries!
What to Include on Cleaning Cheat Sheet
Things you may want to add to your own weekly cleaning cheat sheet:
- Laundry – be sure to implement these laundry time saving tips!
- Dust furniture
- Dishes
- Floors
- Garbage
- Counter Clean Up
- Wipe down baseboards
- Windows
- Pet care (litterboxes, brush the dog, etc.)
- Pantry tidy up
The Two Minute Rule
Another great tip is that if it can be done in two minutes or less, do it now. You’ll be surprised at how much easier cleaning will feel if you break things down and tackle the tiny stuff over a week’s time.
What sort of “cheats” do you have to tackle your household chores?
Do you have any tips on how to encourage kids to get involved and help keep things clean?
by Mark Garro | Holiday Fun, Save Time
Save time on Thanksgiving Day (and any holiday) by implementing a few of these quick tips. After all, the holidays should be about spending time with your family, not your oven!
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