Make your life 1% easier

[Wanttobefrugalchic]

I followed tiktok Amy Astrid last January for her 1% easier series and saw her first one of this year today. I found her tips last year so helpful such as buying all the greeting cards you need in one go and also taking photos of outfits so it's easier to chose in a rush. So coming here to ask if anyone has any other tips that are easy to do upfront or gadgets that make life a bit easier during the year?

When you are getting towards (but not at the end) of something you use regularly but don't buy every week, write it on the shopping list.

Yes! We have a week to a view journal. On one side are the days with the meals for the week filled in along with any key movements (no more “what’s for tea” questions, and the other side is two lists - the To Do list and the shopping list.

Things that are about to run out get added to the shopping list and anyone can add to the To Do list if something comes up.

Thats actually exactly what happens via oxidation 🤣

Write down every dinner you have for three weeks. At the end you’ll have a meal plan you will actually use.

I have a running shopping list in notes on my phone
The second I realise I need something/something is running out, I add it to the list
It’s even organised into categories based on my local supermarket layout
If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t get bought 🤣

It’s not small degradation. Obviously it’s totally up to you how you do things but you’re losing lots of vitamins that way.

Yeah - pretty much - oxidisation occurs which changes the chemical compounds. Every day is a learning day on Mumsnet!

Don’t blind these people with actual science!!

Our fourth box has "sports stuff" eg cycling gloves, head torch, running phone arm band, etc. Helps tremendously!

I agree!!

I'm boring and rotate the same meals weekly (albeit change it up every 2-3 months)

I have a note on my phone with the meal plan for the week, including the dates, then I list all the ingredients out for the week by order they are displayed in the shop. I can then quickly check the dates will last for when I need them, and it also means I don't have to double back on myself in store and get anything I've missed.

I also add to the list during the week if we run out of things. I've recently shared it with my husband so he can do the weekly shop using it and we take turns.

I have "swimming towels" which are turquoise. These come out of swim bags, wash and back in. Our normal towels are white to distinguish.

Always chuck bones of a roast in the slow cooker overnight for stock. Means I always have pots of frozen stock on hand for meals.

My life changer is the calendar app - I have a bi weekly reminder for cleaning the porch (or it becomes a chaos of shoes and toys and coats), bi annual reminder to flip the mattresses, birthday reminders a week before and a day before, reminders for bill renewals so I can compare prices and change if necessary. It helps organise my chaotic mind!

Deal with letters/ emails as soon as you get them. So when my car insurance comes in I price around and buy it that night.

I'm going to add to the plethora of swimming kit tips. I swim in a lake several times a week and kept my swimming kit in an old washing up bowl on a shelf in the kitchen. When I warm up after swimming, I rinse it all off in the washing up bowl, hang it for dry and then put it back in the bowl. It keeps my kit together and means I don't have to wash up all the dishes before sorting out my swimming kit if teenagers have left dirty mugs in the sink.

As above with some of these
All swimwear, googles, beach towels for swimming in a box

All hats, gloves in a box and but extra gloves - we always need gloves and between children’s coat pockets, bags, car they seem to go missing

Always have a change pot for tooth fairy money

When you start the last of a toiletry make sure you buy the replacement, rather than waiting until you’ve finished the item

Sort a birthday present and card as soon as you accept a party invite (need to be more consistent with this!)

Put library books in your car boot as soon as you’ve finished with them, ready to return (need to be better with this!)

Live by the motto ‘don’t put it down, put it away’

It helps me hugely!

I’m not criticizing the tip. Sorry it came across that way.

This thread is helping me realise I'm more organised than I thought! Feel like a flake most of the time.

Keep a shared note on my phone for each person I buy presents for, with gift ideas of things they mention throughout the year.

Always have bread, waffles, fish fingers and peas in the freezer & an emergency chocolate bar.

Keep a sick bucket under each bed, with a spare pair of sheets.

Keep an inventory list in the medicine cabinet - mostly so my DH knows what should be there.

Have a ChatGPT thread programmed with the way I like calendar appointments set up. So I can just voice note it - e.g. Michelle, born 12/12/1983 and it'll send me a link to add yearly birthday reminders to my calendar.

I have a calendar reminder to pre-book December delivery slots for groceries on Nov 1st every year.

Keep a basket in each DC room for clothes they're growing out of. Sort every few months.

I plan Christmas months in advance because December overwhelms me. October - cards, wrapping paper, vinted order for DC jumpers, Christmassy crafts from the Range, book Santa visits & panto. November - buy biscuits for neighbour gifts, gift cards for childminder & teachers, stocking fillers, write Santa lists. December, buy main presents, decorate, wrap & assemble gifts.

Every 3-4 months I take a half day just for me, on a WFH day. I don't tell the DC, just become a blanket burrito until pick up time.

Use the shopping list on the Alexa app. DH has the app as well, anytime I need something or are running low I put it on there and both of us know to buy it so we never run out. Just remember to delete item off list then you don’t end up with double of anything.

My kids (two boys) can wear black or grey socks for school. So I buy ten packs of black for one child and ten of grey for the other. They then have weekend socks which are inarguably theirs.

I also buy in multiples of pencil case items and have a pencil case drawer. On the Sunday before term starts they check their stock and refill what they need. I then check the drawer and top up as needed.

Love these two ideas, socks break me here so this sounds like it would make my life way easier!

Get a cleaner

Robovacuum for mid week

All lights on smart plugs (set to come on at sunset and go off when we go to bed - useful for when we are on holiday too)

Roast a load of vegetables and keep in the fridge to add to dinners

All cleaning stuff/pet food/cat litter/washing liquid/shower gel/toilet roll set up to be delivered at regular intervals so we never run out

Inviting each other (me and my husband) to ‘meetings’ in our work calendars (such as seeing friends, school drop off and pick ups, any family event, birthdays with an reminder a week before in order to send a card etc.)

Stash of plain cards for birthdays

Do a load of washing overnight and one hangs up to dry in the morning and the other puts away in the evening)

Blackboard for writing when food goes off in the fridge (just write food on the day before it goes off when we get the food delivery)

Nest heating set up so if we’re both not in the house the heating sets to eco (saves energy use), and we can turn it on remotely 20mins before we get home so the house is warm (very old and cold house!)

Stash of universal wrapping paper and universal children’s gifts for emergencies

Stash of wine/olives/crisps for impromptu friend visits!

Enough white polo shirts/black trousers/black socks so it doesn’t matter if we forget to wash school uniform!

And they go off really quickly.

Oh and if you’re doing something like a tray bake or one pan dish, buy double and chop everything up. Use half for dinner, stick the chicken in a bag with oil/paprika/garlic/oregano/etc and freeze it. Along with any veg in the fridge that’s going off. Then you can just tip it all in a pan from frozen and have an easy dinner. I often slice up peppers that are on their way out and knowing not going to use in the next few days and it’s an easy meal just tipping them in to pan with some rice and protein.

I have a little key cupboard by the front door. Every key has its own hook.
Key goes there when I get in.

Magnetic holster for the kitchen scissors. I don't lose the scissors.

Once my toiletries are 75% used I put them in my travel toiletry van so I’m good to go when I travel.
I bulk buy suntan cream in late spring so I have enough for the whole of the summer.