AIBU to think all Mumsnetters are on top of life admin

[Southern]

Just that really, it's been a bit hectic lately and I feel like I have fallen behind on stuff. I read some threads for tips on here and most MN'ers responses were quite scathing towards those who weren't on top of life admin which to be honest, made me feel like a bit of a failure. Is everyone on here on top of everything and always goes on comparison sites to check all their quotes etc? The amount of form filling just fills me with dread and sends me on a procrastination loop (which is why I am here typing this probably)...... for those who are on top of it, when do you do it?

Who is mary3 I mean?

You can spot Mary3 in the threads where she states she's got the very good problem of earning 3m a year and has zero clue how to divvy up her kids 19m inheritance... mainly because she's lost a few in the west wing and misplaced overs in the east wing

@LucasLeesEyebrows - how can you claim finding the best new insurance policy is a 2 minute job ?

I don't think I've even spent less than 2 hours sorting my next year's car insurance.
Then (because of the way dh and I divvy up stuff that needs doing) I do it for both cars at different times of year.
Plus 2 x car tax. Plus car rescue. Plus MOTs. Plus other random stuff like taking for new tyres. Plus then research every few years to replace the car(s).
Then banking - yes, my bills mostly get paid by STO or DDR, but I try to move money to accounts where they might actually pay a small amount of interest rather than a miniscule fraction of 1%. Twice in last 4 months I've done all the research, set up the account, waited for the stuff to come in the post so you can do the next bit. Transferred some money, and then had notification within a month that their rate is being poleaxed, so the process starts again.
YEs, I check utilities each year and so forth - again, I've never achieved that in two minutes either.
I'm clearly a very slow worker.

@Cadent

Who is mary3 I mean?

You'll have to read about Mary 1 and 2 below... I forgot Mary 3

Ah! Is the one who posted a picture of her bedroom and it turned out to be a French hotel room (through reverse image search). Or was that someone else?

The thing is just because you don't find it hard it doesn't mean others don't. My executive function skills are bad and I have to make continuous hour long phone calls plus a lot of other stuff others might not need to do. I find it all very hard!

@Cadent

Ah! Is the one who posted a picture of her bedroom and it turned out to be a French hotel room (through reverse image search). Or was that someone else?

It's more of a stereotype but she does sound like mary3 yes

@ilovesooty

I think life admin is a pretentious term for just doing every day organisational stuff.

Exactly this! And OP should not be using MN as her standards there’s a lot of exaggeration on here at times. I’ve never heard anyone in RL use the term “admin” for a start.

[quote BackforGood]@LucasLeesEyebrows - how can you claim finding the best new insurance policy is a 2 minute job ?

I don't think I've even spent less than 2 hours sorting my next year's car insurance.
Then (because of the way dh and I divvy up stuff that needs doing) I do it for both cars at different times of year.
Plus 2 x car tax. Plus car rescue. Plus MOTs. Plus other random stuff like taking for new tyres. Plus then research every few years to replace the car(s).
Then banking - yes, my bills mostly get paid by STO or DDR, but I try to move money to accounts where they might actually pay a small amount of interest rather than a miniscule fraction of 1%. Twice in last 4 months I've done all the research, set up the account, waited for the stuff to come in the post so you can do the next bit. Transferred some money, and then had notification within a month that their rate is being poleaxed, so the process starts again.
YEs, I check utilities each year and so forth - again, I've never achieved that in two minutes either.
I'm clearly a very slow worker.[/quote]
Clearly.
It’s hardly 9-5 five days a week is it .
Tip - there is a clever little thing called a comparison site that will compare insurance prices for you in a couple of minutes. They’ll even email the result to you.

I like the term life admin. I wouldn’t tell a friend ‘I’m doing life admin’, but I think it’s a great term to describe non-work admin and much less of a mouthful than ‘everyday organisational stiff’.

Acht some people can make a cottage industry out of anything 🤷🏻‍♀️

I am not on top of my life admin. I think we have more than the average family:

A child with a condition that requires appointments with a few different hospital clinics - he isn't disabled and doesn't have SEN so it's not that obvious but he does end up with an appointment every couple of months which can be a faff, requires one of us to book a day off work etc

We both have busy careers which require working the odd evening/weekend

We have no family support and two kids under 5 so we never get a break unless we pay for additional childcare- many of our friends have grandparents who take the kids (pre pandemic) for the odd weekend etc

We have a buy to let which means things like repairs and tax return

We have a period house so there are often repairs that need doing

I would freely admit that I am also not that organised but I do think some people have it a bit easier as well

@ilovesooty

I think life admin is a pretentious term for just doing every day organisational stuff.

This 100% ^^

It's weird it's even got a name.

It's just part of life most of us get on with.

Prior to covid i was on top of all our life admin now with homeschooling a 5yr old and looking after 2 toddlers my pile of paperwork needing filed is growing and my abilityto care is buried somewhere near the bottom.

I can stay on top of stuff but I find it defo takes more time then people say on here. But my life admin encompasses everything involved in life. (aware I sound like a twat).

Meal planning for example I like variety so will find some new recipes to buy stuff for. Maybe in 10 yrs time I will have a complete rota of favourite recipes but we don't currently.
I shop quite a bit which leads to lots of refund admin.
DC always need something for school or new clothes/uniform.
One child is having s&l therapy so have weekly tasks & stuff for record for that.
Looking at holiday for xmas so need to research.
Always have some project or DIY thing have prints & photos I need to frame currently.

washing, so much washing that's life admin in my eyes.

Eeerm have you ever been on any of the ADHD/suspected ADHD support threads? :o

We are not on top of anything let alone "life admin" whatever that is. Comparison sites for renewal quotes? (I mean, I know what they are but remembering/thinking to actually do this stuff? Once every few years, and if it actually matches up with a renewal date that's lucky!

Just remembered the dc now have a tailored school lunch option so I need to fill in a thing for that to chose what they want.

The next week's slot is booked the day the current shop arrived.

Jesus, trying to get an Ocodo slot for any day at some point in the future has been a major challenge for me this last yr!

It can seem overwhelming but if you actually do it it takes minutes

Book GP - five minutes
Send email 10 mins max
Online shop 10 mins

I'm on top of nothing.

@JackieBeaver 🤣

Life admin indeed, what a big pile of steaming shite

Everyone I know says life admin, not organisation. Organisation is putting pasta in clear boxes in your pantry & Kondo'ing your pants.

I think MNs has a higher than average % of pantry owners though.