Time Saving Tips for Busy Moms

Is there a mom out there anymore that isn't busy? I think we all can use some time-saving tips on a regular basis. My haven for ideas is Real Simple. This magazine has given me many ideas on organizing my home, which has saved a great deal of time, and offers time saving tips in every issue, as well as sharing tips in an online e-zine that you can choose to submit to.

I think every mom has some time-saving tips up their sleeve. Here are just a few of mine:

1.Make sure you have a list of everything you need to purchase at the grocery store. If you shop at the same location on a regular basis, keep a by aisle listing of items that you need. I'm not quite this ambitious in my shopping, but I do keep my items listed by meat, dairy, canned goods, etc. This saves me time while shopping in the store and I can cross items off my list as I go. I put a star next to items that I know I have a coupon for, so I don't forget as I check out. Because I always throw my lists away when I'm done shopping, I remember to check my stars (coupons) before I toss out my list at the end of each shopping trick. My kids can also help me make sure that I don't forget the coupons, since they usually receive the task of throwing away the list.

2.Write down items in your calendar. Even regularly scheduled events can be written in a calendar. I keep mine in my desk drawer. It's right on top, so if my husband schedules something and wants to make sure I can attend and I'm not home to ask, he can check my calendar and know exactly what activities are going on. This has been a great resource for me because I like to plan ahead. I can write down all of our activities and not forget them. If I have an important task that I need to accomplish, I write it down in my calendar and I alert myself using my cell phone that a task needs to be started. I find that I can put tasks as I think of them in the store, waiting during my sons' gymnastics class, or at the gym, in my phone date book. Usually the time it takes me to put it in the storage device in the phone keeps this task fresh in my brain and I don't need the alert. Consider how happy you might be though with a simple reminder that you did forget! It saves a great deal of time.