Life hacks, day to day time saving tips, common sense to you but not to others?

[Namechange8123]

I've had a search and can only find (years) old threads along these lines, so I've started a fresh one.

What are your day to day life hacks that make things easier? Could be common sense to you, but others could benefit?

My contributions are freezing lemons and limes to double up with your ice in your gin, layer the cot sheets in DC cot with another sheet and bed mat so if they have an accident, you whip the top layer off and don't have to remake the bed, tin foil behind the radiators...

What do you have?

you can freeze eggs (crack them into an ice cube tray and freeze). They can be used for cooking, and taste perfectly normal. they last up to a year :)

Never leave a room without taking something (something that is supposed to live in another room.) Keeps your house tidy.

My favorite hack is to straight after washing and drying store the set of bedding in one of the pillow cases. A King duvet cover, bottom sheet and pillow cases all fit if folded up and it saves hunting round to find bits from the set.

Put all the knives, forks and spoons in their own slots in the dishwasher so you can them all out at once to put back in the drawer.

Yes to both of the "Reds" suggestions!
My mind has gone blank here on my lunch break but one thing I always stick to as much as possible is cooking at least two meals a week that are easy to double up (casseroles/stews/shepherd's pie bases/bolognese/lasagne/sauces for pasta etc......) so you can freeze half. It builds up quickly and you end up with at least two nights a week where you don't have loads of prep.

Clean the shower whilst showering.

I have a sick bucket under Ds bed with baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, hand towel, a bin liner, calpol sachets, change of pjs and thermometer in. Then when he says he feels sick in night I have everything I need to hand.

As a single parent With no time off (and setting the bar low!) I get the pain au chocolates in individual wrappers and put one of those, a carton of orange juice and a magazine by my sons bed so on weekend I get an extra half hour to sleep before he wakes me up.

Not very useful at the moment but in 'normal' times as part of their pocket money my kids get an amount a week that goes in a jar to donate. This means we always have change available for non uniform days, cake sales etc. Mine just go and get the money and put it in an envelope themselves for such things now.

@Flippinfurloughed

I have a sick bucket under Ds bed with baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, hand towel, a bin liner, calpol sachets, change of pjs and thermometer in. Then when he says he feels sick in night I have everything I need to hand.

As a single parent With no time off (and setting the bar low!) I get the pain au chocolates in individual wrappers and put one of those, a carton of orange juice and a magazine by my sons bed so on weekend I get an extra half hour to sleep before he wakes me up.

I'm also a single parent, those are both excellent ideas. I'll definitely be doing that from now on, thanks

A very obvious one to me is always make packed lunch the night before. Honestly, quite a few people have told me they hadn't considered it!

If you've got a double oven and run out of tray racks, take the rack from the top oven and put it in the bottom oven. That may be screamingly obvious but it too me years to figure it out.

This is a great thread! I read the cot sheet one on Mumsnet a couple of years ago and it has saved me more than once! Also love the idea of a part of pocket money going to a ‘donate’ jar. I don’t have anything helpful to contribute, I clearly am not very efficient

I lay out my entire outfit for the next day before going to bed, underwear, shoes etc included. It's more helpful on days I am up early and going to the office, but even now it saves mental energy!

I have also removed the middleman laundry basket and chuck all my clothes straight into the plastic washbasket.

I've done the cost sheet one too - saves sooo much time.

I cook up batches of yorkshire puddings and pop them in the freezer - so much nicer and bigger than aunt Bessie- cheaper too-

Take something from a room that doesn't live there everytime I leave a room

Keep a stock of stationery at home to avoid that late at night print stick emergency run for homework due in the next day - has come into it's own during this pandemic and home learning

Print and pay postage online

Batch cook meals

Make "bottom of the fridge" quiche or soup on a weekly basis to use up any old veg etc

Per PP, I always decide on clothes the night before - I hang everything in the bathroom, which has the added benefit of giving them a quick steam in the morning.

Not really an issue right now, but DP buys multipacks of plain black work socks, which means they all match, and no faffing with pairing them.

Also agree with PP on having a double-up meal on the go at least once a week. We often will have something like chilli with rice, then in jacket potatoes with salad the next day, plus a portion for the freezer.

Always keep an emergency loaf of bread in the freezer, plus a packet of pita breads. I often pick up packs of pita which are reduced to 5p if I see them, and freeze them. They defrost in seconds in the oven or toaster.

My house isn't big enough to warrant it (and I am too slovenly anyway) , but if you have more rooms than me, consider getting a second vacuum cleaner for upstairs. People who have this say its amazing!

@MadamFlutterby
Online postage !!! I never knew
Running out of stamps is the bane of my life ! Thank you so much for this

These are all amazing. Especially love the kids breakfast to get an extra half hour in bed

I only ever put paired socks into bedrooms. If they come through the wash without a pair, they go in a basket and once a month ds and I play matching pairs and match them all up. If people only have pairs in their drawers they only wear pairs and then we have very very few lost socks.

I do have an unnatural hatred of odd socks though. They invoke a bodily response in me like fingernails in a blackboard

Also we have a dark and light wash basket upstairs and downstairs. Saves so much time sorting dirty washing

@RedRocketGirl

My favorite hack is to straight after washing and drying store the set of bedding in one of the pillow cases. A King duvet cover, bottom sheet and pillow cases all fit if folded up and it saves hunting round to find bits from the set.

I don’t understand how this saves time. I fold mine and put them in a pile in the airing cupboard - all together and easy to find, and I haven’t had to spend time carefully folding them to squish into a pillowcase

@Cooltalkin Online postage !!! I never knew

You are far from the first person who has had this reaction when I have casually mentioned online postage. I thought it was obvious/common knowledge as it's been round for years (I used it in about 2010, probably earlier?). They have improved it recently though.

No need to pair socks at all imho. Just wear odd socks and do it with pride like I do.

I don’t understand how this saves time. I fold mine and put them in a pile in the airing cupboard - all together and easy to find, and I haven’t had to spend time carefully folding them to squish into a pillowcase

Same. I just fold them together, same result. Never get why this is seen as so revolutionary.

(I also don't like the way the pillowcase then feels "used" if its been stuffed with other linens rather than freshly shaken out from folded.)

@MadamFlutterby
I am so impressed with you , I have already had a practice run on the site to check it out !!! Lol
Everyday’s is a school day .
20 yrs you say Hmm wonder what else I’ve missed