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?

I write all birthday cards for the month on the 1st of the month, and send in a bulk lot. No one seems to mind getting it early and this way I don’t forget or have to do it multiple times throughout the month.

Although it’s organised it sort of defeats the whole ‘it’s the thought that counts’ feeling to cards.

My birthdays on the 31st. If I received your card on the 2nd/3rd I’d wonder if you didn’t know when my birthday actually was.

Also, what do you do about birthdays on eg the 1st? If you plan ahead and include them in the previous month then they’ll definitely think you’ve got their birthday wrong. And if you leave it to the ‘proper’ month then it will arrive too late.

Take the pot out of the slow cooker to cool leftovers quicker.

Use a rotation system to reduce mess and make sure kids don't get bored of same old toys.

Use squeezed-out lemons to clean taps, etc.

Shared calendar app with OH

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!

Yes @CremeEggThiefcreme !! And it’s even better if you make it while making dinner as then you only have one lot of prep and tidying to do in the evening.

I dry cotton and other clothes on hangers, minimising the ironing and putting away clothes takes less time too.

@youcancallmeow

keep flour in the freezer it stops the weavils (sp) learnt this off mumsnet years ago

It just needs 72 hours in the freezer and then it should be fine in the cupboard. I won't tell you why as you cant unknow it but it works 😂

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!

You see I don’t get this one! It takes exactly the same length of time to make it whether it’s the night before or in the morning. I do it when the DC are eating breakfast, which is preferable to me to doing it the night before (I also have an aversion to soggy sandwiches!)

I have a few large silicone ice cube trays in my freezer (the 5cm ones) which are perfect for batch cooking things like pre-browned onions, chilli, guacamole, pasta sauce, pizza topping, stock, then pop out into bags and defrost as needed. For most things I just make double quantities and freeze the excess. The onions I do specially - I use the chopped frozen ones to save my eyes and I do a big batch every 4-6 weeks and it saves lots of time when I need to get dinner on quickly.

I'm generally a big fan of cook once eat twice - in response to my son's endless requests I've started doing a second day roast chicken with trimmings - naturally a mumsnet chicken, plus extra Yorkshire pudding mix, double quantity of roast potatoes (take half of them out of the oven a little before they're done) and extra gravy. It's very satisfying to be able to put a roast on the table in under half an hour.

@silentpool I want to know why lol

Please someone explain the dishwasher thing? I have heard this loads and yet I simply don't understand how it's quicker to sort them when they're dirty than when they're clean.

@Drivingdownthe101
I make packed lunches while dinner is cooking, all in fridge ready to take out in the morning... it may take the same time but mornings are a rush trying to get 3 dressed and out the door by 8am!

I put several bin bags in the bin in layers, you can then just grab the bag to take out to the bin and the next liner is already in place. Every second counts.

I've got a list behind the kitchen door with all birthdays on, when we can shop again I'm going to try spending a night writing all the birthday cards for a year, putting stamps on and having them ready to go instead of racing out at the last minute to buy a card.

I make batches of ham and beef sandwiches and freeze them. If you get them out in the morning they're defrosted for lunch

[quote Aria20]@Drivingdownthe101
I make packed lunches while dinner is cooking, all in fridge ready to take out in the morning... it may take the same time but mornings are a rush trying to get 3 dressed and out the door by 8am![/quote]
I have three to get out of the door by 8am too but as DC3 gets us to at 5am every day my mornings are pretty leisurely

*up

I dry cotton and other clothes on hangers, minimising the ironing and putting away clothes takes less time too. I do this but I put them in the tumble dryer for two or three minutes first and most things don't need ironing. I fold trousers and put them over a radiator, it irons them for me, not so useful in summer.

Please someone explain the dishwasher thing? I have heard this loads and yet I simply don't understand how it's quicker to sort them when they're dirty than when they're clean. You aren't putting them all in the dishwasher at once so there isn't much to sorting them but when you take them out there are lots of them so take more sorting.

when I make cheese on toast I put two slices into one slot of the toaster; this toasts each slice on one side. Top untoasted side with cheese and bung it under the grill.

Why do you need one untoasted side?

Brill tips everyone. I bought 2 A4 sized magnetic whiteboards from Amazon (bout £8 each). They came with whiteboard marker and wiper. Both are stuck on the side of the fridge freezer. 1 board lists everything that is in the freezer so I only have to look at that when doing my weekly shopping lists rather than raking through the freezer. I rub out the item when we eat it. The second 1 has our weekly meal plan on - dd daughter's weekly lunches (we get termly menus from school) and then our evening meal. Meal planning is a big time saver and also stops me from giving her pasta or sausages etc if she has had it for lunch at school.

Second tip (also food related!): I keep a roll of masking tape and a sharpie on top of the fridge. When freezing anything or storing left overs in the fridge, tear a bit of masking tape off and put it on the tupperware lid/food bag. Write what the item is, portion size and date. Saves on waste and keeps you from wondering if you are going to poison someone by giving them soup that has been in the fridge for an unnamed amount of time! The masking tape doesn't come off in the freezer.

Love threads like this!

If bananas are over ripe, i peel and break into quarters and freeze. They're great to put straight into smoothies, or blitzed with frozen fruit and a bit of yoghurt they make a soft ice cream

1forsorrow thank you! Makes sense. I tend to let stuff pile u then do the dishwasher in one go. So for me it would be the same task.

When tumble drying, pop a dry towel in with the wet clothes and it cuts down on drying time

I think it's because the weevil eggs are already in the flour, they don't usually manage to find their way in if they aren't brought in. Freezing it kills the eggs so they can't hatch.

I use scissors for cutting pizza after seeing it on here once upon a time.

I need to refold (roll) my clothes as it is a faff, but I had got into the habit of it and it saves finding stuff as you can see it all. I'm out of the habit again so need to redo it

@Notso you must be making cheese on toast all wrong if you're asking that! ( unless you mean toast with cold cheese on top)

I also don't understand why cutting pizza with scissors is better. A pizza slicer is so easy.

cutting pizza with scissors only works for wobbly take away pizza.
doesn't work for proper italian style with crispy base

I wash school lunch bags in the washing machine once a week (or if there has been a yoghurt explosion).