Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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 made your life easier ?

79 replies

GreenCandleWarmth · 20/03/2025 07:56

Now I'm in my 30s I've started to make my life easier and realise how much time I wasted.
I let bitchy work colleagues get on with it and don't get embroiled.
I let flaky friends go.
I love my job but it's a job so no more sleepless nights or worry.
My ex doesn't parent the way I do. I let him get on with it as I can't change it.
Life is so much easier.

OP posts:
NewNameTime2025 · 20/03/2025 09:17

I saw the title and was going to reply ‘having a vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs’ - I didn’t realise it was going to be deeper than that!

The day that I realised not everyone will like me and it’s not my job to make them like me really changed my life.

GreenCandleWarmth · 20/03/2025 09:42

NewNameTime2025 · 20/03/2025 09:17

I saw the title and was going to reply ‘having a vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs’ - I didn’t realise it was going to be deeper than that!

The day that I realised not everyone will like me and it’s not my job to make them like me really changed my life.

The vacuum is fab! It's made your life easier so it helps!

OP posts:
AudiobookListener · 20/03/2025 09:42

NewNameTime2025 · 20/03/2025 09:17

I saw the title and was going to reply ‘having a vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs’ - I didn’t realise it was going to be deeper than that!

The day that I realised not everyone will like me and it’s not my job to make them like me really changed my life.

Me too. I was going to say get a dishwasher!

Perhaps you are a bit young for this advice yet OP, but I found that reminding myself that one day I will die focuses the mind wonderfully.

"The only time you can enjoy today is today" is a handy motto to remind yourself not to waste your days in dissatisfaction.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 20/03/2025 10:12

NewNameTime2025 · 20/03/2025 09:17

I saw the title and was going to reply ‘having a vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs’ - I didn’t realise it was going to be deeper than that!

The day that I realised not everyone will like me and it’s not my job to make them like me really changed my life.

Omg yes this - having upstairs and downstairs versions of everything is life changing 😄😄

offmynut · 20/03/2025 10:22

Having no kids no man it make such a huge difference.

superplumb · 20/03/2025 10:41

Getting rid of my cheating ex husband. Last 6 weeks have been awful, last 2 I've turned a corner and feel more positive, started talking yo men again, having fun feeling free
I'll never settle again.

GreenCandleWarmth · 20/03/2025 11:45

Yes getting rid of my ex changed my life. I realise that I didn't actually want to marry him but people pleasing tendencies took over

OP posts:
PashaMinaMio · 20/03/2025 11:48

Retirement and no (current) man!
Taking it eeeeeezy.

dizzydizzydizzy · 20/03/2025 11:48

Leaving ex'D'P
Getting DC2 an ADHD diagnosis and medication

Definitelylivedin · 20/03/2025 11:57

Going to the gym. Particularly for the glute exercises. I used to get up every night to pee, and had to cross my legs when I sneezed. 6 month of gym and I not longer need to pee at night and can go hours without the loo. (I'm 53)

icecreamscoops · 20/03/2025 12:00

Working 4 days rather than 5 and working on not catastrophising everything!

frozendaisy · 20/03/2025 12:02

Listening to albums or music radio and letting Evan Davis explain the important bits on radio 4 PM

getting into my head putting dry clean clothes away only takes 10 minutes

actually doing little and often housework because it’s boring but essential

accepting “that’ll do” is fine

feeding my head with what I want to learn, reading non-fiction

when chilling with H end of the day putting other screens off and just watching the episode

MrsSkylerWhite · 20/03/2025 12:03

Not caring what other people think of me.

stayathomer · 20/03/2025 12:12

Making myself go to bed instead of watching more tv

reading more

forcing teens to play board games (easy to say they’re too old but everyone gets into it and it gets them off screens)

Always having my clothes ready for the next day

telling my friends actually how I’m doing as opposed to ‘I’m fine’

taking time away from screens, especially at night

PoppyBaxter · 20/03/2025 12:54

Cordless vacuum in the hallway, ready to grab and do a quick whizz round.

Creating a low maintenance garden. If it needs any care, it's in the bin. Through trial and error, I've gone for ferns, grasses, cordyline, fatsia, heuchera etc - which need no input.

Decluttering to the bare bones, having a place for everything and having a 1-in-1-out policy.

Slowly replacing the majority of our houseplants with plastic plants! I know it sounds crap, but Dunelm do some really realistic ones, and I realised watering them all was yet another chore.

Batch cooking and freezing. And serving a lot of meals with those pre-cooked packets of brown rice. Yes, yes, it's cheaper and more environmentally friendly to cook your own. I know.

Having 1 small dog and no kids!

Buying a house near a train station to ensure easy, streamlined commutes to work.

ffsgloria · 20/03/2025 13:04

Matching friends energy

Decluttering ; a place for everything ; charity shop bag always in the wardrobe

Owning less but better quality clothes

Tesco delivery, meal planning & batch cooking

Low maintenance garden - big plants like bamboo & cordyline, shingle

Keeping on top of the washing

Buying a stack of birthday cards & stamps

Asleep by 11pm

GameOfJones · 20/03/2025 13:40

Doing a load of laundry every day. It means there's never a huge pile to sort through and put away.

Working part time. I'm fortunate that I don't have to work full time financially and although more money and pension would be great, I really value my time off and it has been excellent for my general wellbeing.

Really simplifying my food shopping. Focusing on whole foods and natural ingredients. Meat, fish, fruit, veg, eggs and pulses for the majority of my shopping and just making do with that and keeping meals simple. Mushroom and tomatoes on toast, jacket potatoes, soup with bread, chicken and roast veg, omelettes etc. It has been cheaper, healthier and easier.

Decluttering. Having fewer clothes and getting rid of anything that doesn't fit or doesn't get worn.

Buying multipacks of socks and everyone wearing one colour so mine are the black ones, DH is navy, DD1 is dark grey and DD2 is light grey. No more trying to pair up odd socks and we all know whose is whose.

Reading more and not watching the news. Much more enjoyable and much less stressful.

Having a cleaning routine so I do a bit every day rather than a massive full house clean that takes ages. I normally do 30 minutes a day e.g. Mondays vacuum, Tuesdays mop the hard floors, Wednesday clean kitchen, Thursday empty bins and declutter one small area, Fridays dusting, Saturday clean bathrooms, Sunday change the beds and wash the towels.

Keeping the garden as low maintenance as possible while still looking good. Lots of evergreens, grasses and perennials that just need an annual chop back. Bulbs that can be planted then ignored and come back year after year. It means I tend to do a cutting back of the evergreen shrubs and grasses in the late winter, and a cutting back of the perennials in the autumn and other than that it's just mowing the lawn. If you jam pack your borders full of easy plants you don't need to do as much weeding either.

Having one bottle of shampoo, one conditioner and one bottle of shower gel in the bathroom and everyone using the same. We used to have so many different bottles cluttering up the bathroom until I stripped it all back and just got neutral products that everyone could use. I bulk buy them so there are always extra in the cupboard as they get used up fast but it keeps things much cleaner and simpler.

Trying not to stress too much about work and striving for good enough rather than perfection. I used to bust a gut at work and worry about it all the time until I realised that it wasn't doing me any good or getting me anywhere. Now I focus on turning up, doing what needs doing to a decent standard and then going home and not thinking about it.

onwardandupwards · 20/03/2025 14:09

A huge play park has been built right behind my back gate, and my dd loves it, she can see out our window if it's busy or not and so quick to get bk if she needs a wee! The nearest park before this was a 25 min walk away.

RabbitsRock · 20/03/2025 14:10

Quitting drinking.

notprincehamlet · 20/03/2025 14:14

Being at least 800 miles and a body of water away from my family

sillydecision · 20/03/2025 14:29

Quitting my job and becoming sahm

Getting a cleaner 4 x times a week

Getting the cleaner take laundry to laundrette & bring it back

Limited alcohol

Not asking husband how work is (I worry)

AllTheTreesOfTheField · 20/03/2025 14:41

PashaMinaMio · 20/03/2025 11:48

Retirement and no (current) man!
Taking it eeeeeezy.

Same! 🍸🍾

SoOxon · 20/03/2025 14:41

divorce

LastTwoBraincellsFightingFor3rdPlace · 20/03/2025 14:57

Having a dishwasher. It has changed my life

Brefugee · 20/03/2025 14:58

Second the dishwasher and upstairs & downstairs versions of things.

The biggest thing? Stopping caring what people think of me.

Swipe left for the next trending thread