admin Nowadays we all lead busy lives, trying to juggle between work, kids, home and life in general. We all have expenses, some of which are mandatory such as bills and groceries whilst others can be classified as non-essential or luxury but that make us feel good. No one wants to days cleaning the house or trying to find items. Here are some tips how to save time and money through home organising (disclaimer this might not completely change your life but if it helps in one area then it’s a start):
1. Declutter, Declutter and Declutter
If you want to simplify your life and save time searching for items, then you need to declutter on a regular basis. Donate, sell, throw away unnecessary items. Your items are taking up valuable real estate that can otherwise be used to simplify your life…making it easy to find what you need and therefore saving you time.
2. Organise your drawers, closets and cupboards
If you don’t know what you have, because the contents of your drawers, closets and cupboards are unorganised you are more likely to purchase duplicates of items you already have (just because you cannot find them). Having clear visibility of your possessions, allows you to identify your belongings and only buy what you need thus saving you money.
3. Use a Planner (paper or digital) or create a Home Management folder
Having a centralised area where to keep record of your meal plans, appointments, take out menus is crucial for you get more organised. It’s time saving because you can refer to past meal plans (leave points as to whether it was a family favorite or not), keep take out menus.
4. Use your time wisely
Use your time wisely…while waiting for the microwave, empty the dishwasher. While waiting for the laundry, start cooking dinner and so on. Do other things whilst waiting for other things to be done.
5. Get into a Routine
If you don’t already have a routine, them make yourself a list of what needs to be done…for example every Sunday change the bed sheets. Having a routine saves you time on thinking what to do next.
6. Low Maintenance Furniture
If you are looking for furniture and décor choose items that require minimum maintenance. Don’t overdo your home with décor. When you have a lot of décor, it takes more time to clean the surfaces as you need to remove all the items and put them back. Less is more. Same goes with furniture…in particular if you have toddlers…don’t go for glossy furniture…it will be time consuming to clean glossy furniture from all the finger prints.
7. Smart Appliances are your friend
Anything that has a delayed timer and can be started via an app should be your friend. Running the washing machine whilst you are sleeping to find it ready as soon as you wake up saves time. Same goes for cooking…whether it’s a delayed timer on your oven, airfryer or using a slowcooker. Be careful what you buy as on the other hand don’t want your electricity bill to spike up (though many are energy efficient).
8. Stock up on Deals
When at the grocery store you find offers on items that you regularly use, then stock up on them. This is an excellent way to avoid running to the grocery store just for one item and end up buying a million and other things.
9. Shop Online
Nowadays online shopping has become more common and user friendly. This not only saves you time but if you are careful not to be carried away even money. Why time? Well you shop from the comfort of your home and get everything delivered to your doorstep…no need to commute, find parking and wait to pay. Some shops will also offer pick up service too. Why it saves money? At checkout you can clearly see how much you spent, and if over your budget can easily remove some items. BE CAREFUL because shopping online has become so easy that it can be addictive.
10. Have Staple Items in your Pantry
Don’t ever run out of staple items in your kitchen. Always keep basic staple items in your fridge/pantry such as eggs, milk, dough and flour. Why? You can easily whip up a pie with any left over meat and vegetables.
Love
Strugglingmum xxx
