Top 10 Ways to Save Time at Home

The precious minutes of each day seem to fly by.
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We never seem to have enough time. Whether it is working, spending time with family, exercising or keeping up with household activities, the precious minutes of each day seem to fly by. Saving time at home will allow us to do what we need to do and what we want to do.

1. Divide and Conquer. Time is precious for all of us, so make the most of your time by developing a list for you, your significant other or your roommate of weekly things that need to get done around the home. By using tech gadgets, such as smartphones and tablet calendars, you can have reminders sent to you on daily basis to keep your organized so you won't have household chores and responsibilities back-up.

2. Smart Eats. Shop smart and save time by making a weekly meal planning chart of meals and prep as much food in advance as possible so they are ready to eat or cook. This will not only save time on meals each week, but can also help the entire household eat healthier meals by reducing those last minute runs to the take-out restaurant.

3. Savvy Shopping. Consolidate grocery and club store shopping to one day per week -- and stick to it! To save time, order and pay for your groceries online with your local supermarket -- if this service is available to you -- so all you need to do is drive by and pick them up. This will also cut down on impulse buying.

4. Spick and Span. Streamline cleaning and household chores by cleaning and organizing one room at a time. If you have children, make them accountable for cleaning specific things in their bedrooms and bathrooms. This will not only teach them responsibility, but help get the household chores done faster.

5. Laundry Loads. Wash a load daily so that dirty clothes don't pile up and eat up time during your weekends.

6. Expedite Bills. Pay bills either weekly or monthly via online bill payment options. This will not only save money on stamps, but cut down on the time it takes to pay bills and will reduce late payment charges.

7. Errand Running. Save one day a week to run errands. If you are running out of the house every day to do errands, you won't have time to get other activities done. By making a list and doing all of the errands on one designated day, you will open up your schedule for the rest of the week.

8. Tech Time. Allow for a specific amount of time at home to surf your favorite websites, play your favorite games, etc. It is easy to get lost while using our tablets, smartphones and gaming devices. By setting a time limit, you can still have fun, but ensure that you are not spending too much time with your technology.

9. Chatter. Allocate a specific time each day to make those important calls for you and your family. It's easy to spend hours per day on the phone, so try to reduce that time so that you open your schedule.

10. Play Time. Always make time to have some fun! Schedule a date night with your spouse or significant other and make plans with your children to do a fun event/excursion. Remember we work to live... not live to work!

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