Groceries. Bills. School activities. Errands. As a parent, there are too many things to worry about in just one day. When you wake up in the morning, it probably doesn’t seem possible to get everything done that needs to be done. Not only are you on a time limit, but these tasks can cause a great amount of stress when you aren’t sure how to manage them in an organized and effective way. There are a lot of shortcuts you can take in order to eliminate stress and get things done. Here’s some tips for getting the following everyday tasks completed.
Groceries. Going to buy groceries can be stressful because it can get very expensive, and it can be quite the process, especially if your kids are tagging along. Our first tip is to always go grocery shopping with a list. Write one down. This way you won’t buy too much or too little. Also, if you write down your list by what aisle the items are in you will save yourself a lot of time. No more running back and forth across the store. Although you can’t always be choosy, there are certain times that are better to go grocery shopping than others. If you are a stay at home mom, one of the best times to go get your groceries is when the kids are at school. Shopping without kids makes everything less stressful. If this time doesn’t work, a late night grocery trip is best. Avoid going right after 5:00 when everyone will be there before dinner time.
Bills. Bills are never fun to deal with, but there are some things you can do to make it easier. First of all, make sure you have a place that you keep all bills. A lot bills are online now so it would be very beneficial to print these out so that both the paper bills and the online bills can be in the same place. Second, make sure you always open your bills right away even if you don’t want to. You never want to miss out on anything, such as a late fee, because it will only make the situation worse. The last tip is to set aside a specific time each month or week to look over and/or pay your bills. Mark it on your calendar. If you don’t make it a set thing, it can be easily overlooked and forgotten about. Making it a part of your routine will ensure that you never forget a bill.
Meals. When it comes to meals for your family, organization and pre-planning are key. As mentioned above, take the time before your grocery trip each week to make a meal schedule. When you already have all of the ingredients for a week’s worth of meals, life is going to feel a lot easier. You won’t have to make anymore last minute, inconvenient stops at the grocery store. You can also make lunches a lot easier too. Set aside some time on Sunday to create a week’s worth of lunches that can be refrigerated for your family. Think of how much stress and time you would be saving yourself each morning or night.
Activities. If your child is involved in any type of activity, whether it be soccer or girl scouts, you know the pains of those activities outside of school hours. These activities involve getting your child there and then home again. The best thing to do, if you aren’t already, is find a carpool. Contact some of the other parents whose child is involved in the activity. Getting a rotation going is going to free up your schedule big time. Aside from carpooling, having a family calendar posted somewhere in your house can be very helpful. All family activities, times, and carpool schedules can be written down so that no event is missed.
Although there is always going to be a lot to do in one day, following these tips can save you a lot of time and stress. Organization and planning can go a long way when it comes to completing some of these everyday tasks. Give these tips a try! Once you get into a solid routine each week, you might even be able to add some free time into your schedule!