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

1000 replies

listsandbudgets · 08/02/2024 12:19

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
OP posts:
Thread gallery
21
disappearingfish · 08/02/2024 22:13

I have photographed all my clothes, shoes and jewellery and organised them on Pinterest boards so I can sit in bed in the morning with a cup of tea scrolling through to decide what to wear.

Wazzzzzuuuuuuup · 08/02/2024 22:14

I have written an 'untimely death plan'. I keep it with my Last Will and Testament and it has all the details of where the money is, what the account numbers and passwords (in code) are for all of our accounts, pensions, life insurance etc. My dad died suddenly, and trying to piece together all his life debris was very hard whilst in early grief. If I can save my family any of that, I would put in the work now.

I am pretty organised in general. I also use trello for work and home stuff like packing lists (including sun holiday, camping), gift ideas, tagging recipes and also my weekly meal plan. My dh and grown up so are also on trello so everyone knows what's for dinner as we all take a turn cooking. We use Alexa for adding bits and pieces to the shopping list and I do a Tesco shop on a Friday to collect Saturday morning. I have a 4 week rolling menu (although I do swap out if I fancy a change) with week 1, week 2 etc shopping lists saved so I just need to go in and make a few tweaks rather than starting from scratch with my online shop.

glusky · 08/02/2024 22:16

Oh and when I put the Christmas decorations away, I put a note in my calendar for end of November for what will need topping up next year. Something like "got loads of wrapping paper and ribbon, need cards and labels, want new table runner". Means you can pick up the missing bits easily when you see them, rather than having to start next year's Christmas prep by excavating in the loft to see what you're short of.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 08/02/2024 22:21

Just putting my thinking cap on
I love these threads

Wherediditgoto · 08/02/2024 22:23

How this thread makes me feel like a slob but there are some great ideas.

ThreeRingCircus · 08/02/2024 22:25

I only buy wrapping paper that is plain red, silver or gold. Works for both birthdays and Christmas.

All socks for each person are one, plain colour. I just bought in bulk so I have black socks, DH navy, DDs grey. Boring but no faff with pairing up socks as they all match and I know easily whose they are.

Coverless duvets on all beds..... absolute game changer, I never have to wrestle a duvet into a cover again 🤣

I've made a conscious effort to simplify our midweek meals when we're all tired and busy. So jacket potatoes, omelettes, soup with bread, egg on toast, reheated leftovers out of the freezer etc. I then spend more time at the weekends cooking food that takes more effort and making extra batches. Getting rid of my mum guilt that dinner is beans on toast sometimes has saved us money and has been quite liberating 🤣.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 08/02/2024 22:32

I bought DH a weed burner. We both hate gardening but it's revolutionised keeping the brick paving weed free.

I read the first sentence and thought you were going to describe an oil burner type of affair but with weed in, and thought you were going to say it was the quickest way to help your DH relax. Grin

AQuantityOfNaughtyCats · 08/02/2024 22:32

Gradually changed each pet’s flea and wormer day so they’re all the 1st of the month. Two of us do them all that day so it’s done.
Anything needed for school or work the next day is organised and put by the front door (apart from chilled food tech ingredients) the night before so they can be grabbed.
All laundry in one basket and at least one wash load done per day. Kids have uniform for a whole week so if the ironing doesn’t get done they’ve got enough. Washing done by colour then put into either an ironing pile or a pile per person to go back to their room. Ironing piled by person and returned to them. Bedsheets and towels all changed on Friday (or Saturday if we’re busy) and washed over the weekend. Always cook extra so there some left for lunches or quick dinners. Thankfully school payments all online now so not trying to find two pound coins for non uniform day anymore.

TitusMoan · 08/02/2024 22:37

Why have I never thought of the splitting of navy and black in the wardrobe before! Thank you!

kennythekangaroo · 08/02/2024 22:37

I have an excel sticker sheet full of addresses which I print out each year for Christmas cards.
I also have a sheet with 64 tiny stickers of my name and address. Perfect for sticking on parcels and invaluable for random forms from school/brownies etc.

spicedlemonpie · 08/02/2024 22:40

I dont watch the news i dont have a tv i dont own a sofa either i have 2 tub chairs and a very comfy recliner for me.
Less is more i am a minimalist.
I also got a chest freezer so now i go shopping once a month.

WingingItSince1973 · 08/02/2024 22:51

WeirdPookah · 08/02/2024 13:43

I use the times I have time to seriously batch cook things like vegetable sauce, or lentil bolognaise, rice, so that mealtimes can be so much easier. Label every tub that goes in the freezer, one reddish thing looks remarkably like another!

Love this x

MorticiaSand · 08/02/2024 22:51

I quit facebook as it is such a complete waste of time and productivity. I thought it would be helpful for my business, but honestly makes me lose the will to live. I learned to say no, and stick to it. No means no...no matter what 😃.

Stoufer · 08/02/2024 22:53

ThreeRingCircus · 08/02/2024 22:25

I only buy wrapping paper that is plain red, silver or gold. Works for both birthdays and Christmas.

All socks for each person are one, plain colour. I just bought in bulk so I have black socks, DH navy, DDs grey. Boring but no faff with pairing up socks as they all match and I know easily whose they are.

Coverless duvets on all beds..... absolute game changer, I never have to wrestle a duvet into a cover again 🤣

I've made a conscious effort to simplify our midweek meals when we're all tired and busy. So jacket potatoes, omelettes, soup with bread, egg on toast, reheated leftovers out of the freezer etc. I then spend more time at the weekends cooking food that takes more effort and making extra batches. Getting rid of my mum guilt that dinner is beans on toast sometimes has saved us money and has been quite liberating 🤣.

That sounds interesting - How do the coverless duvets work? Do they have nice coloured fabric outers, or are they just the white inner duvet with no cover on? Is it a lot more faff to wash though? And doesnt all the wadding bunch up when you wash / dry it?

Allwelcone · 08/02/2024 23:00

Meditation
Stopping journalling, just living instead of (over) analysing
Listening to meaningful podcasts on my commute

Ponderingtosk · 08/02/2024 23:03

Batch cooking has really changed my life and I found a great way recently on MN for listing them on the freezer door. Manic week this week and we’ve had a batch cooked meal with some added green veg every night. I peel and chop parsnips and celeriac and freeze without blanching for a speedy start to roast dinners, I par boil them longer and bung the spuds in about half way through.

three dirty washing baskets, lights and whites, darks, and my dresses and tights in another. A small bin by my bed, take off clothes and empty pockets, turn right way, tights get turned right way and put into a zip net bag. empty hangers removed to a free standing clothes rail in back bedroom. I hang all my wet washing on a hanger (either on rail to dry indoors on hang on line outside so putting away when dry is really quick, I rarely iron and if I do I iron at the time it’s needed, no more horrendous iron piles).

but my total best ever purchase was a robo hoover that also mops. We have mainly tiles and wooden floors. I set it going and then go do other things, keep an eye on how it’s going via its app often whilst putting my feet up having a coffee and reading mn.

love my label maker, my fridge has a pull out shelf and I’ve got all the jars on it and I’ve labelled the lids of jams and sauces etc. I also labelled ALL my chargers and the ones not used lots live in a basket under my bed.

I change my toothbrush head on 1st of the month and water my succulents the same day.

inside my largest food cupboard I write a two week menu plan straight onto the the back of the door, it’s like a whiteboard, and I use whiteboard pens, cleans off perfectly with a bleach spray.

love Libby for books and magazines. Any paperbacks are given away as soon as I’ve read them.

our loft is next, so will be using lots of tips on this post for that huge job.

Paw2024 · 08/02/2024 23:09

I do a lot of food prep so I got Pyrex containers with plastic lids
They're oven (minus lid!) and microwave safe and don't stain from tomato sauce or ever smell weird

For food prep i usually have individual frozen portions of my own ready meals Grin
Cottage pie
Beef stew
Pasta bake
Meatballs
Chicken pie

Add a bag of frozen steam veg and I always have an easy meal

In the fridge I have
Pyrex tub with tuna, mayo, chopped onion, tomato and pickles ready for sandwiches or jacket potatoes or on rice cakes
Boiled eggs for a quick snack or breakfast

Paw2024 · 08/02/2024 23:09

Oh and method shower spray. No more scrubbing the shower door

2under4 · 08/02/2024 23:10

thefallen · 08/02/2024 18:42

I read on here ages ago a good tip for house tidiness: whenever you go up or downstairs, take something with you. There's always stuff downstairs that belongs upstairs, and vice versa, and it feels manageable doing it a bit at a time.

I read the same tip! And have been doing it since - only takes a little while to become 2nd nature. Really does make a difference. Sometimes now I even can't see anything to take up / down / into the next room, as all already been done. Would have been unimaginable previously although there's still plenty of mess within it's own room.

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 08/02/2024 23:10

I have bought a laundry basket with 3 components
dark
light
colour
so it’s easier and ready to go in the washing machine.
i have also picked a day to clean the house and organised myself especially after working 4 nights a week

Jook · 08/02/2024 23:12

CurlyhairedAssassin · 08/02/2024 19:03

Have you taught the rest of the household to do the same? No matter how many times I've said to the rest of the family "If you see toothpast, toilet roll, pile of washing etc on the stairs, take it up with you". No-one does but me. Not even DH. I think they're all happy to live in a messy environment until we have someone coming round, and then DH goes all Kim and Aggy in a mad panic and gets really grumpy.

I had a “stair caddy” delivered this week. Told DH rather than trying to kill me by loading the stairs with random stuff he can bung it all in there and I don’t care how often he empties it. It’s nice, grey wicker from the Nordic Co.

Jook · 08/02/2024 23:18

I’ve had a huge clear out of kitchen cupboards and have put all the dried food into lock and lock containers. But I have a chronic illness which makes me v forgetful, so I’ve labelled them to include cooking time - e.g. “penne 11 mins”.

My new well organised pantry is a thing of beauty 😂

2under4 · 08/02/2024 23:19

@benditlikebeckyousay I love "Charity shop bag - I have one on the go all the time. Once that's full, off it goes. And don't put it in your boot. Put it in an inconvenient place like the passenger seat and force yourself to take it!" I' starting this TOMORROW!

Not sure about 5am start though 😬😱

Jook · 08/02/2024 23:23

2under4 · 08/02/2024 23:19

@benditlikebeckyousay I love "Charity shop bag - I have one on the go all the time. Once that's full, off it goes. And don't put it in your boot. Put it in an inconvenient place like the passenger seat and force yourself to take it!" I' starting this TOMORROW!

Not sure about 5am start though 😬😱

British Heart Foundation collect from us, which is brilliant if you have heavy stuff and parking is tricky. We had 12 boxes of kitchen ware, crockery, books, clothes etc collected. We also had a chest of drawers collected, which they sold for £80 so I was chuffed (they email to tell you about furniture sales).

If you go online you can see if they collect from your address. We are quite rural but only 6 miles from the town.

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