Life Admin, what is it?

[OneSugarOneSpoon]

Have seen the phrase a few times now, where people have little free time as they're doing this " life admin" most days
What exactly is it? My bills go by direct debit, shopping on line, kids stuff from school doesn't take that long...so am I missing something?

My empathy certainly goes to people like that.

My MIL had to nurse her mum through later life, visiting every evening making tea etc, whilst having a full time job and minding her DGD once a week. Imagine what a cunt I’d have been if I said “Well that’s just every day stuff people have to go through”.

Most of the things people have mentioned on this thread take about 30 seconds to do, and you don't have to keep changing your insurance every year unless your insurance company takes the mick and increases the premium by a ridiculous amount, but mine don't. Passport renewals are once every 5 years at worst.

Where I do have more sympathy is where you want to do something online, computer says no, and you have to phone and hang around for ages, and then talk to someone who only has a script and isn't helpful.

However, I am in good health so I don't have to run the gauntlet of trying to make medical appointments, that would be a different issue entirely. And I don't have pets.

For me "life admin" is the non-routine stuff. So not what I would consider the easy stuff of eg paying a window cleaner after they've been or remembering which bin to put out, but having a problem that needs fixing and having to find a tradesperson to do it. That's tedious.

Normal everyday living no more no less, just dealing with everyday situations however small or large, we just get on with it as it’s been done for centuries

None of it takes 30 seconds to do, not a thing. Organising kids appts, insurance, booking holidays, taking the cat to the vet, planning a birthday party, nothing ever takes 30 seconds.
It takes longer than that just to find your phone to even start thinking about it.

I don't know why people are arguing about this. We all have this stuff, its just that some of us have much much more of it than others, and some have less time to do it in. Some of us have much more AND less time. It can be hard. Why be such dicks to the people finding it hard?

I properly laughed at this comment 😂

Don't forget all the additional tasks involved such as remembering to buy toilet paper (hours of research to determine best value/comfort) planning a route to the bathroom, unwrapping the toilet paper and fitting it onto the holder. Disposing of the empty loo roll, remembering to have a hot water supply enabled. Turning the tap (on and off). Soap planning, towel planning. Navigating your way back from the bathroom.

Exhausting I tell you, exhausting.

From reading this thread I’m assuming that the posters are single parents or have the Mn DH’s with very important jobs who can’t possibly contribute any time to running the home/participating in family life?

Taking the cat to the vet or children to appointments isn't admin. Insurance doesn't take long if you use a comparison website and often it wouldn't be worth shopping around now anyway. Planning a birthday party or holiday are once or twice a year events. It would be take about 30 seconds if you average it out over every day of the year.

😂

I'm not seeing any evidence that people have vastly different amounts to do.

You don’t think there are single parents with a lot of children, who do shifts and have elderly parents to care for, for example? That doesn’t happen?

Why has this touched a nerve with people?! The OP asked for example, people have given examples and everyone has gone “OH MY GOD THATS NOT HARD”.

No one has said it is you pricks, just answering the question 🤣

Some people find life admin harder than others. Some people have more complicated lives than others or specific barriers and challenges. Surely this can't be that difficult to understand?

This thread is ridiculous, a proper race to the bottom.

Look at MEEEEEE, look how much I have to DOOOO! Have empathy you pricks who have just as much to do

I'm not seeing any evidence that people have vastly different amounts to do

Eh? You don’t think people have varying numbers of houses, children, caring responsibilities, medical conditions, pets, extra-curricular activities?

Apparently it’s BAFFLING and PUZZLING

Nobody on this thread has mentioned having a lot of children. I don't think physically caring for elderly parents counts as admin. Most of the examples have been things which shouldn't take long and don’t have to be done very often such as buying insurance or booking a holiday.

Can you understand that harder when you also have caring responsibilities to consider?

There is a massive difference in what adults have to do in my house. I do 90%; DH does 10%.
(I think it’s a hangover from mat leave plus I have the bigger income so pay most of the bills)
Looks like I should just get on with these 30 second tasks and STFU about it…..

Things I've done this week that fall into that category:

Phoned GP to chase test results that hadn't gone online
Phoned garage about car
Taken car into garage and picked up
Bought waterproof trousers for DS
Sorted/packed DS stuff for cub camp
Been to visit a high school
Booked a Christmas activity
Looked into an activity and night away during October half term
Emailed school to let them know someone else was picking DS up one day
Paid for annual car insurance as there was a problem with the payment
Phoned energy company to request refund as we have v large credit

This weekend need to sort a couple of birthday presents

No, there hasn’t been a huge amount of variation in things most people need to do on this thread. Having children or pets is hardly unusual on Mumsnet. Most will have to sort out insurance, birthdays, holidays, workmen etc. Caring responsibilities could be hard but that's not really admin. No one has given examples of things they need to do regularly that most people don’t.

No one has given examples of things they need to do regularly that most people don’t.

OK it that wasn’t the question, the question was ‘what is life admin’ and anyone whose give examples has seemingly been jumped on

Or you could stop being a martyr and divide jobs equally

Not loads but little things that add up.
This week:

Rearrangrd medication deliveries due to faulty injector.
Called EE to discuss new contract.
Contacted insurance over a minor claim.
Called the building management to discuss a leak issue.
Made doctors and eye appointment.
Deposited a stockholder cheque.
Arranged for future cheques to go straight to bank.

So just random life shit that I had to do. This week was more than usual though. I'm not very good at it and often end up fucking it up. I need a system.

Why would booking insurance or a holiday take longer if you have caring responsibilties?

Because 'Life Admin' is a barrell of bollocks dressed up by some to make themselves look way more important with all this stuff they have to do, when in reality its just general day to day living that someone has given a wanky name.

@ZeroFuchsGiven people used to call it household management. Don't get get up over a catch all term.