My Top 4 Time Saving Habits

Even before I was a parent, I was the type of person who knew exactly how long it took me to get from Point A to Point B. It doesn’t matter what day it is, we still have only 24 hours to do everything we need and want to do. Time is so valuable and when you become a parent that value skyrockets astronomically.

I received plenty of advice after having my first child. While it was quite an adjustment on the daily routine, it felt pretty streamlined. Of course, it wasn’t perfect with all the changes babies go through every couple of months, but it was manageable to adapt to the current situation. Having my second child – now that rocked my routined world. On top of adjusting to having two little ones and getting through the day, I now needed to find extra time in the day to give my toddler enough Mom time. And to add to the mix, I also wanted to unearth some time for myself.

After talking to a couple moms and reading a bunch of mom hacks, these are my top four habits that I’ve applied with the hopes of freeing up more time for family (and myself).

1. Laundry

A fellow OMB mom recently shared some awesome laundry hacks. This topic must resonate with moms all over the world! We used to do laundry over the weekend and didn’t really skip a beat. But once we had the second child, it seemed as if the addition of her laundry alone made the task eat up an entire day! After a few weeks, I could barely stand being stuck at home doing laundry. It was one load after another and it was never-ending. That’s when I decided to try and do one load a day. That was a game changer. I know laundry will never actually ever be over and done with. This only works if you have your laundry presorted and ready to pop in the washer. Most days, I load it up before dinner, pop it in the dryer after dinner and put it away after the kids are asleep. I can usually get this accomplished about 3-4 times during the weekdays and feel no pressure to get laundry done over the weekend. It’s lovely!

2. Evening Showers

Whenever I possibly can, I take my showers after the kids are in bed. It is so much more relaxing to shower in the evening. I don’t feel rushed to get out and there aren’t any little feet trampling in and out of my bathroom. It is truly “me” time in my own space and it gives me an extra 10 minutes the following morning. In less than 10 minutes, I can have a load of laundry going through the washer (see #1).

3. Automatic Bill Pay

I used to not be a fan of having my bills paid automatically. I used to prefer to pay each bill on my own time and be in control of my finances. Today, I completely enjoy not having to sit at the computer and pay each bill one at a time. I stay on top of our family’s finances by balancing our accounts on payday weeks. I register all the payments that I know will automatically be withdrawn between paychecks and know how much is left over for groceries, allowances for eating out, entertainment, etc. At first glance, it may seem to be a lot of work. Honestly, it takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes every two weeks, and I usually have a TV show playing, so really, I’m still doing two things at once.

4. One-step Organization System

The one-step organization system is a tip I picked up from another mom. For a system to work for you, you need to be able to get a certain item in one step. I like to pride myself for being an organized person. The truth is, I probably over organized my belongings, so much so that I wouldn’t be able to find anything. There is a YouTube channel called Do it on a Dime that I really love. She gives so many great tips. On this specific video, she recommends putting most items in bins, but the items you use every day closer to the front of your cabinet, closet, or cupboard. I realized I was wasting precious time digging around for stuff and started to implement this habit in our home. I have a very long way to go before our entire house is following this system, but at least for now, the items I need to access on a daily basis are only one step away.

What are you top time-saving habits? How do you do more in less time? I’d really like to know as I’m always trying new ways to get it all done! 

Jacqueline
Jacqueline is a wife and a loving mother to two lively kids. Alongside taking care of her family and working full-time in healthcare, she is a real estate investor and a personal finance writer for Parent Portfolio, aiming to help other parents build wealth. She manages the finances for her household and her small real estate business. She has been featured in Business Insider, USA Today, and Ladders.