We all know that time is something that most parents do not have enough of! Here are some great time saving tips for busy moms to help make the most of the time you do have!
Updated 9/27/23
I have always prided myself on having good time management skills and preparing things ahead of time. Being a mom has challenged my time management skills! I’ve had to learn new skills and tricks and I’ve had to adapt to be as effective as I can be.
Am I perfect?! Heck no! Somedays go better than others… and I certainly still forget things from time to time.
Sometimes life throws a wrench into things… for example, yesterday my daycare provider was sick. My husband was thankfully able to stay home with the kids while I went to work. However, that meant rearranging the bus schedules for the kids while I was trying to work and figure out my day. In the fluster of everything, I remembered to rearrange the bus schedule, but I forgot to notify my daughter’s teacher. Facepalm! It all worked out and my husband was able to get her off the bus.
The point of my story is that we try our best and even the best-laid plans fail sometimes.
However, I have learned some great time management tips for busy moms over the last 8 years. I hope these time saving tips for moms on a budget can also help you and can help decrease your stress levels.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a percentage (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through a link that I have shared. I am an Amazon Affiliate.
Plan ahead and stay organized:
- I use a planner and a calendar.
- Check the calendar and planner at the beginning of the week and month to see if there is anything in the future I need to prep for (events, finding sitters, clothing for the kids, etc.).
- By planning ahead, I can make sure I have everything I need and get done everything I need to. I also save myself time by decreasing the number of times I have to go to the store, trying to figure out something last minute, etc.
- I have an organized tracking system for chores and I track this in my planner.
2. Use your time wisely.
- Use any spare time that you have, even if it’s only 5-10 minutes at a time and even if you can’t completely finish a task.
- For example, If I have 2 or 3 minutes before I need to leave for work, I start unloading the dishwasher. Or start folding a load of laundry if you only have a few minutes to do something.
- Try to do any task that takes 5 minutes of less right away.
- If you have a couple minutes, do what you can.
- Check out this great post for how to keep your house clean and organized with kids.
3. Make a to-do list.
- If you have a to-do list, then you know what tasks you need to work on when you do have those small pockets of time to get something done.
- Having a to-do list can help you be more productive and prioritize what needs to be done.
4. Multitask if able.
- I like to clean the bathroom when the kids are taking a bath. Then they are entertained and I can still be productive when they want to play in the bath.
- I also like to listen to educational videos I need to get done for work while I am cleaning. Then I don’t have to take extra time out of my day to get those on videos done.
5. Make a large batch of food when you are cooking and freeze the extra for a future meal.
- I like to do this for any meal that freezes well. My go-to meals to freeze are meatballs, chicken pot pie, shredded chicken, most soups, etc.
- It typically doesn’t take a ton of extra time to make a larger batch of food, but it can save you a lot of time down the road.
- I also like to make large batches of vegetables at the beginning of the week and then we can eat them for most meals during that week. For example my kids love cheesy broccoli and carrots. Usually on Sundays I will make an extra large batch of these and we eat them with most meals during the week. This way I spend less time cutting and cooking veggies for each meal.
6. Use a Roomba or robotic vacuum.
- I love my Roomba. I often will have it run when we leave the house or at night.
- It saves me a lot of time from sweeping and vacuuming so often.
- By using the Roomba, I usually only have to sweep once a week. I used to sweep every day… sometimes multiple times a day!
7. Delegate or outsource tasks if you are able to.
- Have your husband help more.
- Hire a cleaning service if you have the financial resources. Even having someone come in once a month can be a huge help!
8. Use grocery pick up.
- You can add items to your cart as you notice that you are low on them. It takes much less time (and you save money!) to use a grocery pickup.
- Check out this post on great money-saving tips for moms on a budget.
9. Turn off notifications.
- Then you don’t get distracted as you are trying to get stuff done.
10. Meal plan before you go grocery shopping.
- You can make sure you get all the ingredients for your meals at one time and you don’t have to make extra trips to the store.
- This also ensures that you aren’t trying to figure something out last minute.
- I usually meal plan for 2 weeks at a time… right before I go grocery shopping.
11. Delegate age-appropriate tasks to children.
- This can both help save time and teaches kids great life skills.
12. Allow yourself to take breaks throughout the day to recharge and refocus.
- It’s hard to really be productive if you are tired and burnt out.
- Allow yourself to take some breaks throughout the day.
- Also, set realistic goals to avoid overwhelming yourself.
13. Make use of apps and other online services to streamline tasks, like grocery shopping apps and automated bill pay.
I hope these time saving tips for busy moms can help you and can decrease your stress levels.
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other great posts:
Love these tips!