Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

What do you do/pay for to make your life easier

77 replies

Lorie94 · 29/10/2023 09:14

Hi all,
What do you all do to make your life easier ?
I've went full time and also now studying so would like some tips and tricks.

I have a gardener and mainly do online shopping to save time.
We have started getting Gousto to try eat fresher food and we are actually spending less on groceries

I have been considering getting a cleaner to help more with the deep cleans as my house isn't as clean as I'd like.

Is tumble dryer worth it ? Or a chest freezer to batch cook. I only have space for 1 of these and unsure which one to go for.

Is there anything I'm missing which can make my life easier during this busy time 😅

OP posts:
reluctantbrit · 29/10/2023 09:36

Tumble dryer in the garage for bedding/towels and emergency drying. I can't dry anything indoors apart from in the dining room and don't really fancy having stuff there every day.

I have a cleaner and love it.

I don't batch cook as none of us really likes it and I found we prefer food you can cook fast anyway. I put leftover pasta sauce in the freezer but that's it.

TheOccupier · 29/10/2023 09:40

Grated cheese.

Loafbeginsat60 · 29/10/2023 09:43

Send my ironing out

Shop online and meal plan before I order

Dry all my towels, bedding, pants, socks in the tumble drier.

Takeaway once a week to give me a night off - I cook a lot and always fresh stuff so it takes time!!

Get my car valeted once a month so it's always clean.

LittleLlama · 29/10/2023 09:44

Frozen onions! Peeling onions just makes me so teary.

staycaysandvacays · 29/10/2023 09:44

We have a cleaner and a tumble dryer but we only use it for bedding and when we need stuff dried quickly.

We also get meal prep boxes and batch cook on a weekend to make the week easier. Some things we cook on the day as will be better if fresh but in general we cook and put the separate parts of the meal in different containers and then warm up on hob/in over so it tastes as fresh as possible

CheshireCat1 · 29/10/2023 09:45

By knowing what my priorities are.

Leo227 · 29/10/2023 09:49

gardener, cleaner, always had a tumble dryer I didn't even think if that as an additional thing.
Gousto, dog walker a few times a week, "who gives a crap" loo roll delivery, Smol delivery for washing and dishwasher tablets so we never run out.. and considering using a milkman.

I have adhd though and a v young baby, so I find All these keep me just about functioning!

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 29/10/2023 09:51

Dog walker when needed.

The occasional take away!

Picklewicklepickle · 29/10/2023 09:52

Weekly cleaner
Weekly Gousto box. I get the recipes for 4 people so that lasts DH and I for the week, one weekend lunch with DC (they usually eat dinners separately) plus a couple of leftovers for lunches).
Tumble drier (well a washer/drier, would love space for a separate one)
Fortnightly click and collect shop for basics
Toilet roll and laundry tablets on delivery subscriptions

MrsRetriever · 29/10/2023 09:52

Meal plan OR quick things like pasta during the week

Car wash and valet regularly

Low housework standards - prioritise clear and tidy surfaces, hygienic kitchen and bathroom, everything else can wait

The garden can also wait

treacledan71 · 29/10/2023 09:52

Tumble dryer. Saves on ironing. Also batch cook mince things, currys and casseroles.

WelshWannabe · 29/10/2023 09:58

Bought a Roborock. It vacuums and mops and has made a huge difference to our lives.

We also get Hello Fresh boxes. We do 5 meals to cover Mon-Fri.

Leo227 · 29/10/2023 10:00

forgot I have a robot vacuum and robot lawn mower! not used the mower yet as that's a new 1

ErinAndTonic · 29/10/2023 10:03

Following 👀

But would second meal planning and some prep on the weekend if time allows. Always prep a nice breakfast to have throughout the week or make each morning.

Calendar/time blocking is a godsend for me. And Alexa!

Also ADHD here.. and definitely will be getting a cleaner once the decluttering phase is done.

viques · 29/10/2023 10:05

Frozen chopped veg! Red and and white onions, frozen sweet potato, squash, soffrito, mixed peppers, chilli, plus frozen garlic and ginger.

gamechanging.

(and also frozen chapati and frozen paratha, delicious)

HelpMeGetThrough · 29/10/2023 10:06

We have a chap come around to cut the hedges. I've got a decent long reach trimmer and will keep on top of them, but they are big old hedges. He's bloody good at cutting them and far quicker than me, so happy to pay him to do that.

Someone mentioned tumble dryer in the garage, yep to that. Our current one is on its last legs and will be replaced.

A cleaner was mentioned here a few years ago. Bloody no way. I'm not having someone in cleaning the place, just feels intrusive.

Thebigblueballoon · 29/10/2023 10:07

A gardener once every few weeks as me and partner are so rubbish at it.
One takeaway a week guaranteed so we can both have a night off cooking.
We’re going to get a cleaner for a couple of hours every two weeks next year because we don’t have time to do everything and the house starts looking grotty.
I pay an accountant to deal with my business as I’m so terrible with numbers, I know I’d fuck them up if I was left to my own devices.

EmilyEmmabob · 29/10/2023 10:08

Cleaner
Meal planning/prep
Slow cooker when it's cold
Enough uniform/work clothes for a week without having to wash.
Designated weekends for specific jobs ie. washing the car/deep cleaning the house.
Buy a stock of birthday cards/generic gifts.
Everything on google calendar with reminders.
I still don't feel organised but I think it helps to have a plan.

grayhairdontcare · 29/10/2023 10:14

Cleaner once a month for the jobs I CBA doing ( woodwork &oven )
Tumble dryer
Online food shopping
Smart plugs so I can turn my slow cooker on when I'm at work.

BananaHamster · 29/10/2023 10:15

The only thing that's ever made my life easier is grated cheese.

cakepip · 29/10/2023 10:19
  1. cleaner without a doubt
  2. delivery pass for online shopping
  3. dishwasher
  4. absolutely yes to a dryer
  5. cordless vacuum for those quick zoom arounds.
  6. not a coffee drinker but if I was I bet a coffee machine for coffee on the go would be good too!
  7. I've become one of those annoying parents on that BBC programme about saving money shopping and buy a lot more convenience foods now like pre chopped onion, I make an effort to value my time (now I have the privilege to)
  8. spending money on me; massages, facials, getting nails done (I don't do all 3 every month, but will do one day!) but spending money and time on me is something that helps with my overall well-being
  9. good childcare; having babysitting available so DH and I get time to ourselves as a couple too.
  10. gym membership; I tend to go when the kids are at activities.
  11. 2 cars, so DH and I can independently do what we need to do.
  12. split as much as we can but playing to our strengths I enjoy cooking, DH doesn't, I do all the cooking, but he does all the laundry (not sure if he enjoys that mind ha) splitting pick ups.
  13. car pooling pick ups for kids' activities to try to reduce amount of driving.
  14. tbh the most critical one is that I've been very selective with my jobs, I have remained in the public sector for very flexible working despite being able to get more money elsewhere, right now this balance is what I need.

Some of these are convenience, some are about what helps me juggle life in general in terms of maintaining happiness with a busy lifestyle which gives me energy overall!

cakepip · 29/10/2023 10:20

Oh and getting the kids involved when they're old enough, my 13 year old unloads the dishwasher now (probably should have started that earlier!) and I can't overstate how life changing that has been 😂😂

theduchessofspork · 29/10/2023 10:23

Cleaner 💯 and get her/him to change the beds and do any ironing.

Tumble dryer - you could always get a Lakeland drying pod if you don’t have room for a chest freezer.. chest freezers are ace for batch cooking and cook meals when you CBA. But I’d look hard at your space and try and do both

enough clothes a week and a half at least
pack lunches, sports kit, clothes for each day organised as far as possible at the start of the week

set days for laundry, ordering shopping, shopping arriving, batch cooking, bins. Shared online supermarket password so you can both add things. Meal planning - but always have enough freezer options that if it doesn’t happen you have a back up.

systems the family follows - laundry put in baskets in their room and brought down in day x. Lunch boxes and cutlery put in the dishwasher after use. Gym bags returned to hooks, shoes in the shoe rack. If your kids rooms are well laid out, they can start dressing themselves from 3. Basically - clean up your mess - have wipes around and the dust buster on charge somewhere obvious so older kids can do that.

whole areas divvied up - you do medical appts, your partner does insurance, you do laundry, they so packed lunches and breakfasts.

Routine for daily tidy ups - eg you do kitchen, partner does sitting room and bathroom. 15 mins at the end of the day or in the evening as you prefer. Dishwasher set off in the evening and unloaded every morning.

Shared calendar with reminders for car insurance etc, and any jobs that need doing periodically eg servicing car or getting the boiler checked divvy them out across the year so they don’t pile up.

Thebigblueballoon · 29/10/2023 10:24

BananaHamster · 29/10/2023 10:15

The only thing that's ever made my life easier is grated cheese.

Absolutely. I refuse to grate anything. Those things are a bastard to wash.

Aquestioningmind · 29/10/2023 10:26

If you can afford it;

Second freezer for batch cooking
Cook ready meals (they do some really good 300 calorie dinners with lots of veggies)
Cleaner
Bread maker

Swipe left for the next trending thread