With a five month old son at home my days seem to consist of finding spare moments during sporadic naps to accomplish whatever it is that needs to be done. In an effort to waste less time I’ve instituted the following changes in my life.
- I bought a small shelving unit similar to the one above and a bunch of square, cloth bins to store all of Baby A’s books and toys. I keep one of the bins under a table next to the couch and throw items in as soon as Baby A tires of them for the day. When I clean up for the night I simply move the bin from under the table to the shelves and within seconds everything is semi-organized and hidden from sight.
- I started sorting my RSS reader in list view. I skim through the list of titles and star anything that looks interesting. Once I’m finished I click ‘Mark all as read’ and with the click of a button all uninteresting, unread blog posts vanish.
- I unsubscribed from all emails for sales, stores and daily deal sites. Looking back I’m amazed at how much garbage collected in my inbox. Now the majority of emails are from friends and family. If an errant email makes it’s way across my path I search for the unsubscribe button and request immediate removal.
- I let my husband convince me that my time with Baby A was more valuable than vacuuming. This realization cost me quite a bit of money as he purchased two Roomba’s to do the job for me.
- I stocked the freezer with convenience foods like tortellini and ravioli. I bought them in bulk from Costco and use them when I simply haven’t found the time to prepare a decent dinner. They cost slightly more than other meals I make, but they are much cheaper than take out and they freeze well and can be cooked at a moment’s notice.
- I stopped requesting every freebie that comes my way. Unless it’s for a full sized product or a high value coupon I leave it for the next person. Less freebies mean less mail and less mail means less things to sort through and pick up each day.
Have you found a way to waste less time in your day? If so leave a comment and tell me all about it.