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 buy 500 thin, white freezer bags at a time from our farm shop and use them as little rubbish bags when I'm cooking. Onion peelings, stock cube wrappers, meat drip pads all go in there, then when I'm finished, tie it up and drop in the bin.

This must be a joke!?

Yes I do this! Also reuse quiche trays once washed to sit at the bottom under the first bag incase bags split. Helps prevent a smelly bin

I either use a bowl as a bin so chuck contents once done it if it's going to be smelly day after chopping onions I'll reuse a bread bag as a bin so I can knot it before chucking in kitchen bin but it won't make it smelly

Why don't you compost or put in food waste?

@Jmuc can you explain to a Luddite how to set these timers please ? Currently 45 minutes into scrolling this thread and adding to Amazon basket (which is ok as I can see it being life changing ) but my phone steals my day

Was actually considering this however we are in the process of getting rid of a rat residing somewhere in either our or Twat neighbors loft/shared cavity wall. Survey showed our property upkeep was immaculate but next door have some hygiene issues in and out and failed DIY attempts that first attracted rats in high numbers and then led to them getting in.

We have been strongly advised against composting or even feeding birds until we've had a good 6 months plus of no external rodent activity

I think you are right. I'd also add that more men nap brcause women are often wary of napping in public spaces. They don't feel safe and also don't want anyone to snap them in an embarrassing pose!

Hi, my hubby is a joiner and worked for a shop fitting company for 8 years before they went bust overnight. He has worked for himself for the last couple of months and I need to do his accounts. I have a decent understanding of tax and expenses as I was a self employed childminder for a while but have little computer knowledge so no idea how to do a spreadsheet etc but am capable of keeping good paper accounts. I begrudge paying for an app, do you recommend a business account and do I need to pay for one?
Sorry to all who feel this sint the right place to ask but I've come across this message and would like to ask further!

This is really wasteful. I just use an old tea towel on top of the chopping board, or small towel to do the chopping, peeling etc. when done just scoop up the tea towel and empty into bin/food recycling. Then just put the towel in with the laundry

I use a plate. Peelings get dumped on the plate, then scraped into the food caddy.

Back up idea really, as I put dates in the diary anyway, earliest date I can get MOT done, and date to have service done. You can sign up for a reminder text for your MOT which arrives the first day you can have it done (and still have the old end date counted). My daughter doesn't diariese so she now gets the text. I have to be more organized as my date falls just before s period when I'm often away/ v busy so need as much time as possible to ensure any further work gets done conveniently before MOT runs out or should there be need, I can start looking for a new car if this is the best option
And I put in the diary any notes eg check brakes/tyres in 3 months/1k miles

Right! If you've got to the point of a label you're already there surely!

The bags I buy are biodegradable and I have no option to recycle food waste where I live?! Not everyone has the ideal set up for these kinds of things. I recycle all the stuff that I can, I don't have a compost heap and pig swill bins went years ago! So what's your suggestion, as you and a couple of others seem to know what I can and can't do?!

I've just downloaded this & I'm so impressed! We've got into a rut of having the same few meals over & over so this will help jazz it up a bit. I also noticed that it has all the nutritional info which is great for carb counting my T1 son's meals. Thank you 😀

Amazon auto subscribe & save for coffee, face wash, dishwasher salt/rinse aid, batteries, shampoo, toilet roll, wipes

tails.com for dogfood

hello fresh

uniforms stamped with surname only so you can pass down

uniform drawers labeled with day of the week, filled on a Sunday evening for the week

All PE bags and swimming bags to school on a Monday and put in locker, so no need to remember them on the day that they are due

alarms on my phone for kids bath time, bedtime, teeth brushing in the morning 10 mins before leaving

Alexa reminders

shopping 6pm every fri including a pizza to go in the oven for the kids while using dinner prep time to unload the shopping

desk calendar with a pocket each month for hospital appt letters/invitations etc to be put in the relevant month when received

‘stationary cupboard’ with constant stock replacement rulers/pens/pencils/glue sticks to replenish school pencil cases

one colour sock assigned per family member

This is my “2 minute tidy”. It’s not really but helps to think of it like that, worked for years when the children were young and we had a biggish house.

first get the machines on and working for you - washing, dishwasher etc.

Now go into your first room and check your watch. Give yourself two or three minutes. It’s amazing what you can do. Make the beds, wipe the basins, pick up the clothes, plump cushions etc. never leave the room until your time is up (piles of stuff by the door if they’re in the wrong room).

continue throughout the house, but never messing up a room that’s been ‘done’. No floors at this stage!

make mental notes of anything bigger that needs doing another time, or at the end if you have time.

finally floors, do them all in one go. Sweep, mop, vacuum where necessary.

empty machines.

if you’ve time/ energy left whizz round with the Mr Sheen.

done!

I always have a pound coin in the car for trollies.

I run my dishwasher overnight on a long eco program. When I empty & refill it I do it a shelf at a time, empty bottom shelf & put away - add dirty plates, saucepan etc. Then empty next drawer & put away, refill. I'm not sure if it's any quicker but it feels good to me as it's all done in one go. My DH & kids think I'm bonkers 😜

Sorry, what's 'leftover wine'? 😂

The bags I buy are biodegradable and I have no option to recycle food waste where I live?! Not everyone has the ideal set up for these kinds of things. I recycle all the stuff that I can, I don't have a compost heap and pig swill bins went years ago! So what's your suggestion, as you and a couple of others seem to know what I can and can't do?!

I don't see why the rubbish needs to go in a little freezer bag to then go in the bin. Surely your kitchen bin has a liner in anyway, therefore the little freezer bags are wasteful. Biodegradable or not.

We are all a bit bonkers though right?
I insist on loading the dishwasher right, it in the island and not too easy to get round when the door is down or you risk catching an ankle on the b@#×ard so I load glasses on the side you need and the mugs on the other nearest the mug cupboard!

When night time toilet training I would double make the bottom of the cot bed, sheet then absorbent mat whatever they're called they look like puppy training pads, then another sheet and pad over the top then when you have to change the bed if they wet you can just whip off the top layer, baby wipes at the side of the bed for a quick child wipe and back to bed in record time!

I bought a microwave rice cooker- fabulous. Cooks in 10-12 mins & always perfect. No more soggy rice much less mess & washing up.

Robo vacuum & mop. Goes on every night at 2am & I wake to clean floors every morning. Bliss.

Oh and quite niche but fabric glue for Cubs/Scouts badges!

Draw a simple picture ie a car house etc half in each child's shoe, use a sticker if the sole is black, then you're child can match the picture to help get shoes on the right feet, no more frantically sorting out shoes on a late morning.
Also if my kids want to watch /play something before school they have to be on the bottom step with shoes coat on to have it. My son likes his switch so it's a great bribe on a morning.

The suggestions you’ve had so far suggests you stop using bags and use a plate or bowl. It doesn’t matter if they are biodegradable.

My DH is extremely organised. In the garage he has a shelf with numerous spare bulbs, each one labelled with where it's used. When his 'stock' gets low he reorders a job lot from eBay. He's also very good at mending stuff. From a young age the kids would leave broken toys on his bench & they would usually reappear in their bedroom a few days later. Only trouble is he has a penchant for buying broken cars & mending those too, had to build another garage to house them 🙄