GTKY: Time-saving tips and tricks

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

Our lives are about to get a lot busier! Share your top time-saving tips and tricks!

*Double post - title change.
Edit: top

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

My biggest time sink is getting ready in the morning - I have no idea where the time goes I must be daydreaming or something. Simple and easy tips that worked for me: i) place the 5 or 6 items for my makeup right beside the sink in a cluster and I'm only allowed to use those in the morning, no deviations or experimenting or changing my mind, and ii) lay out my entire outfit the night before.

theweevee · January 2017

**listening**. I love this GTKY!

morgarita · January 2017

Showering with my son. I don't remember when we started not for the first couple months I know. I also hate bathing him, sitting there while he splashes water around the whole bathroom.

PurplePoppy424 · January 2017

I struggle in the morning. My biggest time saver is planning and prep. Prep the night before so you have less to do in the morning. Meal plan and prep on the weekend so you have less stress during the week.

dancegurl1118 · January 2017

I'm usually out the door 20 min after my alarm goes off. I put out my scrubs and pack my food the night before, and I shower and wash my hair if it needs it the night before as well. I wake up, wash my face, dress, straighten my hair, put 5 min of makeup on (foundation, mascara) and am out the door.

This may not sound like a time saver but using the sleep cycle app has saved me so much time. It wakes you up when you're in your lightest sleep during a set time and therefore I never snooze. It's been so great, I've used it for almost 3 years now.

tuxielove93 · January 2017

I try to make meals in bulk when I can. I've felt so horrible that I haven't been able to, but I'm starting to get back to it now. For example, I'll make a giant batch of black bean burgers and freeze them so all I have to do is quickly pan fry them for dinner. Or I'll make a giant batch of soup and we'll just reheat it for a couple days. It personally saves my sanity of spending 30-60 minutes 1-2 times a day making food.

abmommy15 · January 2017

-Always have the diaper bag packed and ready to go
- get a laundry sorter hamper so your darks and lights are already sorted and ready to just throw in the machine
- when I make things like tacos, spaghetti sauce, chili etc I always double it and freeze the extra for another meal

chiquita928 · January 2017

dancegurl1118 said:

I'm usually out the door 20 min after my alarm goes off. I put out my scrubs and pack my food the night before, and I shower and wash my hair if it needs it the night before as well. I wake up, wash my face, dress, straighten my hair, put 5 min of makeup on (foundation, mascara) and am out the door.

This may not sound like a time saver but using the sleep cycle app has saved me so much time. It wakes you up when you're in your lightest sleep during a set time and therefore I never snooze. It's been so great, I've used it for almost 3 years now.

That's a clever app! How does it judge how you are sleeping? Does it sync with a fitbit or something?

Twinkiedoll · January 2017

I wish I could do foundation in five minutes. Makeup takes me forever. My time saver is to put on a little undereye concealer and blush, and swipe some RMS living luminizer on my cheekbones and inner corners of my eye. I skip everything else. The luminizer gives me a really natural, refreshed, dewy look that I love. I feel put together even without the foundation.

To piggyback on the sleep app thing, I used to use a sound machine to fall asleep. That was great until it broke. I was too cheap to spend another $100. Now I listen to the Myths and Legends podcasts. The guy' voice is super soothing, and it's the grownup version of someone telling you a bedtime story. I fall asleep within the first ten minutes so I can play the same podcasts over and over.

yellow1daisy · January 2017

I order my groceries online via door to door Organics. Has saved me so much time in shopping trips.
I also shower and give my daughter a shower since she has never tolerated baths.

I need to start doubling meals and freezing the extra that's a great tip ladies!

mrscate88 · January 2017

My big time saver is making a schedule and sticking to it. I usually make a weekly schedule for important meetings, tasks, and appointments on Sunday night. Then each evening during my bedtime routine, I'll schedule the important stuff for the following day. I'm better if I have a list!

I also prep everything the night before, shower and wash my hair if I have meetings the following day. I have a LOT of curly hair and it's way too much work to fix it in the morning. I go super light and natural with my makeup, which takes maybe 5-10 minutes in the morning. But I recommend a good BB or CC luminating cream for quick coverage.

I also have alarms on my phone for the stuff that I'm bound to forget, and I have it set to remind me an hour before the appointment or task. I run a small finance office and have a 15-month old, so alarms and schedules are my life.

cssme13 · January 2017

I have a planner. Saturday's are my planning days. I literally plan everything down to what days we will drop off laundry.

My grandpa owns a laundry mat so we can drop off laundry for free, HUGE time saver. My kids also have a set of clear plastic drawers, one drawer for each day. Saturday we fill each bin with an outfit underwear, socks and shoes. The drawers have the day of the week on them but they also have different pictures so we can tell DS "go get your clothes from the dinosaur drawer". It makes mornings less hectic.

I also make sure as soon as the kids get home from the babysitter that I check to see what needs to be replenished in the diaper bag I.e diapers, extra clothes, wipes, whatever is out. The kids take baths before bedtime which makes it easier for them to fall asleep. After they are asleep I make lunches and get my clothes set out for the next day.

plumpous · January 2017

I find pockets of time. Like I'll empty the dishwasher while the coffee is being brewed because it's time I would have spent staring out the window. So I try to get a bunch of tiny tasks done all through the day and then I have a much smaller to do list.

morgarita · January 2017

Ooo talking about pockets of time. I wash dishes while I'm cooking dinner. So while I'm waiting for something I'll wash the old dishes and then when I'm done with a pan I'll wash it quick. Then I'll leave the water in the sink and wash the plates quick after we're done eating.

MamaRN13 · January 2017

cssme13 said:

My kids also have a set of clear plastic drawers, one drawer for each day. Saturday we fill each bin with an outfit underwear, socks and shoes. The drawers have the day of the week on them but they also have different pictures so we can tell DS "go get your clothes from the dinosaur drawer". It makes mornings less hectic.

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing... I'm definitely stealing it!

MamaRN13 · January 2017

Add me to the 'mornings are hard' club. I make all lunches the night before and lay out clothes for DS. Since I wear scrubs to work, it saves me some time (and I'm not a huge make up wearer so that helps too!). DS can also be a challenge because he moves like a SNAIL in the morning. So we usually pick what he wants for breakfast the night before so there is no arguing in the morning.

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

@dancegurl1118 twenty minutes and out the door? What kind of wizardry is this???

SpongeWorthy · January 2017

I have an app I really like for meal planning called MealBoard. You can upload recipes directly from websites or write your own, and then it creates your shopping list for you based on the ingredient lists from stored recipes in your meal plan. It also keeps tabs on what you should have in your pantry based on your shopping lists and recipes.

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

@yellow1daisy Did you compare different services before choosing door to door organics? I've been trying to research different options and would love to hear about your experience. I'm considering door to door organics, blue apron, and hello fresh. Did you find that going with the delivery service helped with budget as well as savings on time? Do you still go to the store every week or do you have everything delivered?

chiquita928 · January 2017

@caribbeanmama I used HomeChef and BlueApron (before I started with all the nausea), and I really liked HomeChef more. They have more options and fewer restrictions. They are the only two I've tried, but a coworker has made it a mission of hers to try all of the recipe delivery site trials she can. She agreed that HomeChef was her favorite. I also have done Shop Right From Home for regular grocery shopping, and it's very convenient and worth it!

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

chiquita928 said:

@caribbeanmama I used HomeChef and BlueApron (before I started with all the nausea), and I really liked HomeChef more. They have more options and fewer restrictions. They are the only two I've tried, but a coworker has made it a mission of hers to try all of the recipe delivery site trials she can. She agreed that HomeChef was her favorite. I also have done Shop Right From Home for regular grocery shopping, and it's very convenient and worth it!

Thanks @chiquita928! I haven't heard of HomeChef before - going to check now if they offer it in my area.

theweevee · January 2017

@caribbeanmama. I use Amazonfresh for grocery delivery. Cheaper than our Whole Foods but has many of the same options.

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

theweevee said:

@caribbeanmama. I use Amazonfresh for grocery delivery. Cheaper than our Whole Foods but has many of the same options.

Whoa! I have prime but have never ordered real food from them. Same options as Whole Foods!!! You are speaking my language - this was one of my biggest obstacles in considering a delivery service. I'm picky about where certain foods come from and because of my toddler's allergies we buy 'specialized'/alternative foods like flaxmilk etc. Their prices have gone up in the last 6 months though - so crazy! - that I'm literally going to 3 different grocery stores a week.

RunRestRepeat · January 2017

I live and die by my paper planner (aka my external brain). I've tried apps, but writing things down makes the most sense.

Outside of that - pretty standard stuff. Pack lunches the night before, same with setting out my clothes. My biggest "new" timesaver is for my daily morning smoothies - on Saturday or Sunday I freeze OJ and Greek yogurt in ice cube trays, then once they are frozen I add them to quart zip top bags with spinach, kale and frozen fruit. Each night, all I have to do is dump it into the blender and pop it in the fridge to thaw just a bit. In the morning, I just add a splash of water, blend, and go! It equals about 30 minutes of prep on the weekends, but it has saved me at least 10 minutes every weekday morning.

virginiaunicorn11 · January 2017

I know this goes against the spirit of this thread...but I've had to embrace mornings, and rather than trying to save time, I've just added more time. Our mornings are much smoother if we wake earlier and let DS play and go at his own pace, rather than sleep in and rush. So our once 45 minute mornings are now 90-100 minutes, but it has made us a happier family. (Eyeroll, sorry.)

A crockpot has been my biggest dinner time saver. I've been loading the ingredients into it the night before, and in the morning I just add the liquids and flip it on. Much easier than trying to prep the whole dish in the morning.

satsumasandlemons · January 2017

@RunRestRepeat I started incorporating elements of the bullet journal system and it's been a game changer for me.

yellow1daisy · January 2017

@caribbeanmama I haven't tried any other grocery delivery service. Door to door had a 50% off first box promotion that prompted me to try it (wasn't even thinking about grocery delivery at the time). But I've been very happy with their service so haven't felt a need to switch. They have more than produce and I've found a lot of pantry items are available as well that I need on a regular basis.

Definitely saved me me tons of Whole Foods trips. I typically only to go to Whole Foods for diapers and and fun items like drinks and snacks now.

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

Damn you for making sense @virginiaunicorn11 how dare you suggest we wake up earlier!

@yellow1daisy Thanks! Savings on a first trial is definitely worth looking up!

On edit: Uhm, hope it's clear that I'm just joking above.

chiquita928 · January 2017

@caribbeanmama If they do, and you want a trial, I can email you on (that's the only way they do it). I get if you're not comfortable sharing your email, though. PM me if you do.

dancegurl1118 · January 2017

@caribbeanmama it's just me! It's 530am so DH and DD sleep for another hour. I'm at work before they're awake. I could never get DD awake and out of the house in 20 let alone 40. DH gets himself ready before getting DD up and it still takes him about 30 to get her up and ready.

julybaby17-2 · January 2017

I second the crockpot. So easy! And you can buy a reusable liner, so it's even easy to clean.

Ive never thought of delivery groceries! I may look into it!

dancegurl1118 · January 2017

Instead of delivery I do curbside pickup (saves a few bucks). It saves me SO much money. I plan my meals based on what's on sale (the app has a specific sale section) and it's so helpful to see my total add up. Grocery shopping in store while pregnant should be illegal (at least for me). I spend so much.

Cynth0104 · January 2017

I just did curbside grocery pick up for the first time today. My new favorite thing. Planned out meals for the week and wrote down everything else we needed. Went online, ordered, and set a time for pickup. From the time I'd pick up to being back at my house was 10 minutes. Huge time saver and I am hoping it will be a huge money saver. Looking forward to not having to go into a grocery store with a newborn!

PurplePumpernickel · January 2017

I haven't done this for a while, but need to get back into it - I used to choose my work outfits for the week. I'm talking down to the accessories and scarves. They hung in my closet, in order. I also would make my lunches for the week on Sunday. Either a soup that I'd cook in the crock pot all day Sunday, or salads that I'd pre-make, and keep the dressing on the side until either the night before or morning of (I don't mind soggy-ish lettuce).

At night, I brush my teeth/take off my makeup while turning off living room and kitchen lights and picking up dog toys.

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

That's so sweet of you to offer @chiquita928. I've set Wednesday as my deadline for deciding on one of these services. I'm leaning towards starting with door to door organics and seeing how that goes before exploring the preportioned meal prep idea but who knows. I'm going to discuss with my husband more about it tonight.

clio · January 2017

My tips have already been mentioned by several others, but since mornings are sheer chaos, on Sundays I select outfits for the entire week for both DD and myself. I shower at night and also keep makeup and a hairbrush in a drawer at work in case I run out of time and something needs to give. I also bought one of those egg sandwich makers- I realize they seem really gimmicky, but I would seriously recommend them to anyone with young kids who enjoys eggs in the morning. You can just crack the egg and let the machine do its thing!

RunRestRepeat · January 2017

@satsumasandlemons That's what I use! I use a traveler's notebook and have a static monthly calendar, but my "daily" pages are all bullet-journal style. It has been awesome!

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

Wait - what is the 'bullet journal system' - is this code for something?

@RunRestRepeat when I'm on top of my game I freeze already blended smoothies in the fridge for a couple days. I'm going to try your idea - I just need to make space for the blender in the fridge. I assume you use a single serve one just for that day?

RunRestRepeat · January 2017

@caribbeanmama If you google "bullet journal" you'll see pretty quickly. It's a type of planning system that is super flexible to your needs and can be done in any notebook!

And re: the smoothies - yep! I just add all my ingredients to quart-size zipper bags (one for each day) and pop them in the freezer. Then the night before, I dump the bag in the blender and pop it in the fridge (I've found it's just enough time for the orange juice and Greek yogurt cubes to soften). I just pull it out of the fridge in the morning, add a splash of water, and blend!

caribbeanmama-2 · January 2017

@RunRestRepeat okay need to learn rapid logging language - I'm excited to try a new tool!

Want a personalized experience?

GTKY: Time-saving tips and tricks

Re: GTKY: Time-saving tips and tricks

Choose Another Board

Search Boards