Tell me at one or two small thing you've done to make your life easier

[listsandbudgets]

I've done 2 this year

1. I've unsubscribed / marked as spam from nearly all my mailing lists. Now my inbox is an oasis of calm and I don't spend what feels like hours every week wading through emails I don't want My spam file is brimming over!
2. I found a sharpie and (once I was sure they were the right way round!) labelled my double fitted sheets with side and top - wish I'd done this years ago not having to shuffle them about trying to work out which way up they go

I always take a small amount of blu tac when staying in a hotel so I can cover up annoying tiny lights on the likes of smoke detectors, tvs that sort of thing. I'm a shit sleeper and the smallest light illuminates the entire room for me

Also pegs to make curtains actually meet in the middle

They are such lovely cards. Keep am eye out in sales for Christmas card bundles that often come in beautiful tins

I haven't stopped online grocery orders since I first started during Covid - with the "favourites" sections I can crack an order out in record time.

I second these Pyrex recommendations. I hate the plastic ones smelling weird especially from the dishwasher and worry what's leaching into our food. Pyrex much better.

Love the thread:

• Used to have a taller, thinner washing basket which had a smaller opening in the bedroom, clothes were left on the floor. Switched to essentially one of the short, wide 40l buckets with handles, all clothes now in basket. Use it for transporting all laundry everywhere, believe the buckets are stackable so might get a second one to help with this

• I don't sort my clothes washing into lights/darks, I've had my clothes long enough that they no longer run, I wash them on cool 30 degC most of the time and if I am concerned (the unlikely event I've bought something brand new or something a bit special is being washed) I throw in a colour catcher sheet. I personally have never had any issues, but we also don't own white shirts (very light blue though)

• I only iron work clothes. If clothes are a little damp, iron them to dry instead of tumble drying one or two items, saves energy.

• I really try not to buy "tat", especially at Christmas.

• If something is cooking and I'm waiting for it before I can move on, I do some washing up or other useful task in the meantime. I really need to get on the meal planning wagon!

• Shoes off at the door and carry to the shoe rack, DP has muddy boots and it has saved no end of sweeping (we don't have a separate porch/shoe area next to front door so isn't intuitive)

• Google calendar and it's reminders are a life saver, all appointments in there immediately as I'm told, and it automatically sets a 30 min reminder before then but I set another if needed

• When the reminder notification from calendar comes up on the phone, I don't get rid of it until I've either done the task, or done something that will remind me of the task later. If I swipe it away it gets forgotten.

• I also don't watch the news, apart from when it's on in the lunch room at work once a week not by choice. I find it's better to be hopeful about things like climate change, I use a website called Giki Zero, and it tells me what I can do and why it helps, makes me feel like I'm helping. Now I know there's lots of things I (and all of us) do already that helps like recycling, only heating the rooms we need in the house, efficient appliances, hanging laundry out to dry when we can etc etc. And there are things I'm aiming to be better at, cutting down my red meat consumption, conscious of how we travel, if we can walk instead etc. Realise that won't be everyones cup of tea.

• I have a timer for how long I can go on certain apps and websites for on my phone. I have YouTube, Facebook and Mumsnet on a timer, 5 mins every hour during the working day and 20 mins in every hour outside of these times. It resets every hour. Otherwise I will literally scroll YouTube shorts for hours in an evening it's awful, I wish I could get rid of the phone entirely some days 😂 the app is called Stay Focused

How did you set up the Me WhatsApp group? Sounds ideal

I'm so pleased WF are getting lots of love on this thread!

When you have to replace the batteries in things like your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detector or car key fobs immediately buy/Amazon order another x 3 so you know you have them (both in case of the alarms) when they next go. Coz you can get your arse the smoke detector will start chipping at 3pm when it goes

@Zone2NorthLondon yes absolutely that's what I use the tape for. Doesn't transfer through anything

@Oblahdeeoblahdoe
So go to start a new chat and in the search field type Me and it finds you

Be careful with this. I laminated the piano exam sheet results for my son and it came out completely erased 😢

Not necessarily house/family related -

I also have "Me" on whatsapp. Not a group just me as a contact. I've been doing it for a long time. I send important photos, messages, links, that kind of thing, and I highly recommend!

I am terrible for taking my meds on time. That is despite a repeat alarm on the phone. I ignore it every few minutes on snooze. Idiot. So then I go out for the day and have forgotten to take the bloody meds. Disaster, as I have a window of an hour or so before I am in the danger zone! So I now have a small ziploc bag. In it I have a spare set of meds, a lip balm, packet of tissues, paracetemol, etc. I transfer it from bag to bag the night before, it is a habit now. No more worries about forgetting meds, and keeps the bag tidy too.

Free Borrow Box from the library for audiobooks. Brilliant for listening to when doing boring mundane tasks.

I have a motion activated nightlight for the bathroom. I hate having to put the light on in the middle of the night as it wakes me up completely! This is low level light but just enough for me to see my way and not to pee on the floor by mistake lol. I also have one for inside the porch. I did have a wired in motion sensor light out front, but it was dazzling and would wake the dead in the dark. This way I can see enough to put my key in the front door.

I also use a top sheet, but tuck it in under the elastic that's around the bottom fitted sheet. Perfect.

Eeek. Did you get a replacement

No. Can't. I was so upset. My son was lovely about it but I'll always feel bad.

At the end of last year I tidied every cupboard, drawer and room in my house.

Used a label maker and storage boxes I bought online. Now I know where everything is kept and it’s still organised 3/4 months later.

Took lots to the dump and charity shop. Still have a big bag of clothes to eventually sell on Vinted… which should cover the cost of all of the storage boxes I bought 😂

Oh that’s a shame.

Could you recommend a label maker please? I’m a bit bewildered by them .

@Wherediditgoto I’ve got the Dymo 160. It’s amazing and easy to use. I’ve even got labels inside my freezer to organise the shelves and drawers 😂

Don’t buy a Brother label maker. I bought one of those first and hate it. It’s in my “need to sell on Vinted” pile 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think @onetwothreeee and I must be related 😂

✔️Google calendar obsessive
✔️Meal plan well ahead
✔️Supermarket slots well ahead (secured with a standard saved shopping list of stuff we buy almost every week)
✔️ Dishwasher everything
✔️Extra knives, chopping boards etc (if I have to fish it out of the dirty dishwasher repeatedly, I buy another)
✔️Cards, wrap, stationery station
✔️First aid kit with every eventuality covered
✔️ Glasses and pound coins in all vehicles
✔️Google wallet for loyalty cards

But @onetwothreeee did you know that most supermarket milk freezes? So my backup milk is in the freezer, not UHT. Alongside a bag of grated cheese and a block of butter. Yes, we do get snowed in occasionally!

Okay I've got you now. I never tuck my sheets in at the side, and no, they don't "look unsightly" as I have a size larger duvet than the sheets and if there is a bit of sheet showing I couldn't care less, not being made in the MN "perfect housewife" mold. I never make my bed anyway, and haven't done since I got my first duvet in my teens. I absolutely hate sheets which are tucked in at the sides, I feel constricted by them.

You might find changing a duvet really quick and no hassle, but there are often posts on MN from people who do find it a hassle. I don't myself, but then I don't do it very often either. You will never convince me that not using a top sheet is the way to go.

You're my hero and everything I aspire to be when I am older 😂

Thanks so much. This thread is gold.

I did this last year too. It's amazing how long it took me to work out I could just do this simple thing!

You won't believe either that this works or its achievable but mine is

when you see something that need cleaning in the house or fixing (simple fixing like changing a blown lightbulb or a loose screw rather than a fence come down!) do it the minute you see it, there and then.

for somethings it requires additional minor adjustments like having a duster if not in every room but rooms where there is a lot of dust and in all places with sinks bathrooms etc a cloth and cleaning spray

but honestly the time saved is unbelievable.

I read somewhere to think I am now the style of person that sorts this immediately and I do and it works.