We’ve got TONS of time saving hacks for busy moms. We guarantee you haven’t heard of some of these! Our time saving hacks will save you variable amounts of time, but if you implement several of these ideas, you’re sure to find yourself having more time on your hands!
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We know this seems counter-intuitive. Won’t grinding my own coffee beans takes more time? But we’ve found that getting a coffee grinder has actually saved us time. All it takes is the push of a button and the coffee grinder makes the perfect amount of grounds every time. Just dump them in!
No more getting out the bag of coffee grounds, measuring and scooping out the grounds then sealing up the bag and putting it away.
We have this coffee grinder – the OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder.
We love that you can set it to pre-measure the grounds so it’s quick and mindless to use! It has a built in bean reservoir that holds the beans so it’s ready to go with a simple push of a button. It’s the Wirecutter’s Budget-Pick, but will still cost you about $100. Totally worth it!
If we haven’t convinced you that using a coffee grinder will save you time, you at least you have to admit to that you would get a better cup of coffee for the same amount of time.
If pasta is a staple in your house like it is ours, you can save a significant amount of time by investing in an electric kettle and using it to heat up your water before adding it to your pot. The electric kettle boils water very quickly and it can then be added to the pot to help speed up the process of cooking pasta.
There are various ways to save time when buying groceries. You can have your groceries delivered, use the drive-up feature offered or at the very least have your non-perishables and household items delivered.
There are so many time saving hacks when it comes to meal time. We’ve compiled all our meal time saving hacks together since they all fall under this broad category. Not only do many of these save time, they save money too! Win-win!
If you have young children, consider getting a learning tower or kitchen helper.
A learning tower can be a time-saving tool in many ways. A learning tower can keep your child entertained while you get things done in the kitchen (make dinner, do dishes, etc.). No more having to wait until your child is in bed to clean up the kitchen.
You can read more about learning towers HERE.
We have this learning tower – the Sprout Kids Sous-Chef Toddler Tower. We love it because it allows us be productive in the kitchen with our daughter, as opposed to having to carve out time separately to do these tasks.
If you find yourself always looking for certain items or moving items from here to there, invest in duplicates (or even more if possible). For instance:
This time saving hack falls along the same lines as having duplicate items, but this is worth a separate mention. We skipped the changing table entirely and just have multiple diaper changing stations throughout the house. This is a definite time saver if you have a little one in diapers.
We use Andy Pandy diapers and take advantage of their auto-ship program. Not only do you get a discount, you can take buying diapers off you’re to-do list! No more running out of diapers!
Click here to read more about why we LOVE Andy Pandy Diapers
Buying items in bulk and stockpiling them if your budget allows will save you time (and maybe even money) in the long run. Consider buying items such as stamps, toilet paper and birthday cards in bulk.
If you’re still going to the bank to deposit checks, you’re doing it wrong! That 30 minute plus task can be condensed to 5 minutes (if that!) if you take advantage of mobile deposits. There’s a ton of other banking services that can be done entirely on-line as well. First step for this time saving hack is to download your bank’s phone app!
Use Target drive-up instead of venturing in the store. This will save you time and likely money as well – curb that mindless spending! We do most of our shopping on-line, but sometimes there are just things we need last minute, and Target drive-up is a great time saver!
If you enjoy reading, you really should utilize the library (if you aren’t already). Instead of driving to the library, picking up and dropping off books, try renting books from the library electronically instead.
If possible, venture out during off-peak hours. Most likely, you’ll save time in traffic and at your destination. This is a core principle of one of our favorite books, The 4-hour Workweek. Going to the zoo, amusement park, Ikea, playground or grocery store? All of these will be much less crowded during the week for instance. If you can’t get to places during the work day, simply going places early or right when they open (even on the weekend) will save you a significant amount of time (and headache!).
Driving or stuck in the car pick up line? Folding laundry? Taking a leisurely stroll or a run? Listen to audio books or podcasts.
Listening to audio books and podcasts can save time that you would have spent elsewhere. For instance, if you’re wanting to research a certain topic, you can multi-task and listen to an audio book or podcast on the topic while you’re driving instead of reading books or searching on-line. There are tons of great podcasts that cater to any person’s interests and on nearly every subject matter.
If you’re in the car a lot and have downtime, use it wisely. Aside from listening to audio books or podcasts while driving, which we already mentioned, we recommend keeping tweezers and a nail file handy for those times you are waiting in the car (think school car pick-up lines or waiting for somebody). Also, check out Quibi if you’re looking for some entertainment.
More on Quibi: Is Quibi the New Must-Have Streaming Service for Busy Parents?
Picking up toys and putting them away takes time. Then think about all the time spent also organizing toys, rotating toys, fixing toys, buying toys, donating toys and selling toys. Bottom line is, the fewer toys you have, the more time you’ll save. Invest in open-ended toys. You need less of them and they grow with your child.
The same concept of having less toys applies to your stuff as well. Take a good hard look at the stuff in your home and what you constantly seem to be moving, cleaning, managing , etc. and if it’s really worth keeping.
You can save some serious time by selecting your skincare, haircare and makeup products more carefully. Next time you restock, consider getting products that come with pumps. So instead of a liquid foundation, body wash or shampoo that comes in a bottle, get one that has a pump. Also consider pencil products (eyeliner, eyebrow pencils) that twist up as opposed to ones that need to be sharpened. Other ways you can save some time is by using products that do double-duty or multi-functional. For instance, consider a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner or makeup palettes that contain multiple products in one so you don’t have to reach for multiple products (like an eyeshadow, blush and highlighter). We love the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint which is a face serum AND light foundation AND SPF (it has SPF 40!). P.S. Ilia makes several other multi-functional makeup products if you’re looking for high-quality, clean makeup!
Getting an electric car will save you time in several ways. No more trips to the gas station if you charge at home and you’ll save a ton of time (and money) on car repairs. No more carving out time to schedule oil changes or most other routine services we are used to with traditional cars. The vast majority of electric vehicles require nothing more than tire replacement (and windshield washer fluid) as the most common service item because of the simplicity of the electric drivetrain. Some manufacturers even claim that brakes can last over 100,000 miles without replacement due to the regenerative braking technology used for most braking.
Hopefully you took away at least one helpful time-saving tip you can implement. Thanks for reading! Share with your busy mom friends!
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