To ask for your ultimate life hacks/time saving ideas/easiest recipes/money saving tips all in one go.

[shakeituntilyoumakeit]

I’ve been unwell and off work for a money and the combination of getting back on my feet and January and kids and school and washing and ALL OF THE THINGS to be a bit much at the moment and need some ideas on how to make life easier.

I’ve just started making overnight oats for everyone which is very cheap, very quick, vegan, a nice kids activity for them to learn to chop fruit and pick what they want and thought of the time I could have saved over the years. This combined with the fact it’s really healthy and it’s a nice activity to do with the kids made me want to reach out for hive mind collective wisdom.

What am I missing! I’m looking for your smuggest tips!

Come on, most of these tips are actually making more work for yourself.

Put 5 little school outfits on hangers, complete with undies in a little bag? . Or alternatively teach your kid to get their undies out of the undies drawer and their school uniform out of the school uniform drawer. No hanging up outfits needed ever.

I also don't understand how faffing around getting stuff out of little bags is so much more efficient than opening drawers.

If like me you always need to blow your nose after a shower, use the knickers you've just taken off.

Ew. I just use a bit of loo paper.

and tbh, it's worth it not having to wash and iron it midweek!

I don't iron ever ...

@Equanimitas I hadn't ironed since before children (ds1 is 4.5) until he started school. Now, I out on his school uniform, because try as i might, it always looks really crumpled without. And, even if I didn't iron, a few pounds on an extra set or 2 of uniform is worth it to me so I don't have to wash and dry it midweek.

Do unpleasant tasks in 15minute bursts.... I do ironing like this.... About 15 mins a week...
So just essentials... Work stuff

@tunnockreturns2019
I think it should read tongs!!!!!
(Not tongues)

I'm sorry but some of these are a bit ridiculous. How long does it take to replace a bin bag? A whole ten seconds of your life?

Keep plastic bags from packaging (cereal, apples etc) for disgusting nappies. I never buy nappy bags.

Freeze extra cheese sauce/ coconut milk/ leftover baby jar in an ice cube tray. It’s very quick to defrost or just chuck into a curry. Freeze coffee in the summer for undiluted ice coffee.

Everyone has a basket in their room into which goes their pyjamas and clothes that can be worn another day. I got fed up of looking for jammies...

Mine are mainly ways I use my phone to help me...

I keep a list of things people I buy presents for mention throughout the year so that when it comes to Xmas/birthdays I can dip into the list instead of wondering what to get them

As an aside I also buy gifts as and when I see something they will like and put them away in a drawer I have for that purpose. In November I go through the drawer and tend to find most of my Xmas shopping is done

I keep a note on my phone of all normal meal plan meals and they're ingredients so I can easily pull together a meal plan and shopping list. I also keep a Pinterest board of recipes I think look good for meal plans so that if I look at my meal plan list and feel bored I pop over to Pinterest and pick one to try (if good it gets added to the meal plan list!)

I keep another list of things I see that I like or want - whenever anyone asks me what I want for a birthday/Xmas I am never stuck for ideas!

I also keep a list of places to visit that perhaps I've read about in a magazine or on Facebook so we're not stuck for ideas of things to do on weekends

I keep a list on my phone of things we need at the next grocery shop

I have a magnetic whiteboard on the front of the fridge that chores for the week get added to

I use the same technique someone mentioned up thread of setting a timer and putting music on for 20 mins (on Alexa) and seeing how much I can get done works really well. 20 mins feels easy to do but you can actually get tonnes done.

...and yes, I love a list!

I bought a proper wash bag from TK Maxx and filled it with shampoo, conditioner and shower gel and a toothbrush.

Then I keep it stocked with any free samples I get of moisturiser, hand cream, perfume, etc.

So whenever we go away I just grab the wash bag because it already has toiletries in it.

This thread has made me realise how bone idle and disorganised I am.

I have one box file where everything to do with the house and appliances goes.

All instructions to everything
All guarantees

Never have to search for them.

@KeepThosePlatesSpinning

Only do the school bags in the car thing if you have a garage. I dream of doing this, but we have to park on the road so can only get them ready in the hall the night before lest we get up to a smashed car window

You put them in the boot where they can't be seen.

• At beginning of the year, write dates of important things in diary or calendar like birthdays, bills that need renewing like look for cheaper insurance, MOT, etc So you don't forget anything*

You really need to use the calendar on your phone - set them up once to repeat every year and never do this again.

Great thread, thanks! Thanks in particular for the builder’s hoover tip and also the Donal book (just downloaded for Kindle). I must get with the meal planning too...

I’m not sure whether this really qualifies as a tip, but FWIW I too use elastic bands instead of clips for storing half-used bags of things e.g. coffee, rice etc. Works better, and I never seem to have enough clips (or pegs).

In airports I hand a random passport to each child and DH. There are 5 of us. Everyone opens it and hands it to the person who it belongs to. Go through passport control and have back to me for keeping.

No clips or bag tied in my freezer. Slice off a 1cm section from the whole top of a bag of frozen chips, pease etc. Use this as the tie to close the bag and stop spills.

I have a really useful 19litre (brand and explanation haha) box that has labeled suspension files inside of each various household bill or category and ALL the various letters etc are kept in there because they're all together in one place and not scattered around the house or go missing etc. The 2nd week of January every year i sit and go through each file and shred the old versions for the previous year of the new ones have arrive and clear the files out of what isn't needed any more.

I also have a suspension file for post that gets put inside so it doesn't go missing or be forgotten about until everything has calmed down that day and I can sit and digest what it is and if it's important and file it into the relevant folder.

I also have a forever revolving file in the same box for what I need to do each day, refunds that need chasing (looking at you create and craft...!) appointment letters that need taking, things that need following up etc etc.

It's all in one place and I don't lose anything now whereas before I was forever putting things down and never seeing them again or not being able to find the paper I needed.

At the front of the box is a small calendar and so every appointment that comes in or to do urgently (make a phone call to the Dr when they open tomorrow to discuss this letter etc) gets written on the calendar there and then.

My short term memory is in the lowest 2 percent of th e population and it really helps me keep my shit together. I don't remember individual things but I remember my box and to keep it updated daily and so it's right there in my face

"In airports I hand a random passport to each child and DH. There are 5 of us. Everyone opens it and hands it to the person who it belongs to. Go through passport control and have back to me for keeping."

Sorry, why?

Before I throw away the Christmas cards I've been sent, I cut out a little square with a part of the picture on the front and use them as name tags for christmas presents the following year. Doesn't save time but saves money and reduces waste.

My best time saving tip is to do less laundry. Most MNs seem to do a load of laundry a day. The washing machine needs to be full (it sounds as if most people do half loads or even less) and clothes are only washed when visibly dirty or smelly, or when they have been worn a certain number of times (socks and underwear get worn only once). We are two adults and 2 children and I only do three 7 kg loads a week.

I don’t use bin liners at all. What’s the point ?

I lift the inner kitchen bin out and tip it straight into the wheelie bin

DP does the washing and drying of clothes at the weekend. If anyone wants anything done in between, they sort it out themselves.

I think you're best putting renewal dates etc in your phone once a year. I'd also write them down in a diary - just in case you lose / damage / get a new phone

its2019ffs😶😶😶😶 no you read it right. If you wrap wipes round the ends you can then slide them in between the blinds! It's really easy cleaning with them wrapped in wipes... I am aware that sounds like the craziest thing ever but it does work. Because if you can imagine slightly squeezing them together so they fit in between and you just go across and in between. This is not me being incredibly germ phobic or obsessed. I must add it happens very rarely very very rarely.but this is how I do it when I do clean them. And I hate them so much that I have now switched to all but one room with curtains.

I use my phone calendar and have lists for everything on my phone — recipes, presents to be bought, to do lists, Christmas cards, books to read, films to watch. You name it, I have a list for it.

The calendar and to-do lists are shared with DP. Shopping list is on the Alexa app, and anyone can add to it by asking Alexa to “add xxx to my shopping list”.

A lot easier and more efficient than multiple notebooks that are never to hand when you need them.

We bulk buy stuff that we get through quickly, like tinned tomatoes, loo roll, laundry powder, coffee and tea bags. It’s cheaper and we hardly ever have to think about whether we need more loo roll, or whatever.

We also have a physical calendar on the kitchen wall, so it’s easy to see who’s where at a glance.

We do need to meal plan a bit better as we seem to be having the same 4-5 meals on rotation.