Early for pickup? Friend running late? Let Barclays know how you make the most of an unexpected 5 minutes downtime out of the house, for your chance to win a £200 John Lewis voucher - NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Barclays say "It's happened to all of us - you're out and about and you find yourself with some unexpected free time on your hands - you're a few minutes early for pickup, or one of the kids is bravely allowing a hairdresser to trim their locks."

"We're putting together the ultimate list of tips to maximise lost moments throughout the day, to celebrate two ingenious apps from Barclays: the Barclays Mobile Banking app, which lets you manage your finances when you are out and about; and Barclays Pingit, an app that lets you send and receive money using just a mobile number."

So they are asking, what do you do with that time? How do you make the most of the moments and once they have all added up, what would you spend an extra hour on a week?

Let us know your thoughts on this thread - everyone who adds a comment before the closing date of 15th July 2013 will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 John Lewis voucher. Please note your anonymous submitted tips may well be used on the Barclays pages on MN as well as possibly elsewhere.

Thanks
MNHQ

By being still - just for a those few precious moments.

I feel like I am on a constant treadmill; working, looking after the DCs and helping my ill and elderly parents. It is very rare for me to have any time at all, where I literally have to pause. So, on the rare occasions it happens - I will just sit and be still, look around me and see what other people are doing and accept those moments for the gift that they are.

I'm afraid I go through my bag and sort out receipts, throw out rubbish etc. Very boring.
But if thats all under control then Sudoku, every time. Lovely.

I usually try to reply to emails and texts I've forgotten about. Nothing interesting or inspiring.

I would probably feel I should fill the time checking texts and emails. What I wish I would do is just sit, quietly, and enjoy having 5 mins to myself to do nothing.

A spare 5 minute when I'm anywhere with the kids doesn't exist.

I often take my kindle or a sock to knit if I have my own appointments to wait for, though.

Last thing I would do is log into my bank account, using an app on my phone, in a public place. Phones are quite nickable enough without having access to my money on them, tyvm.

Depends where I am! Carry a nook everywhere so often read. Or fb on my phone, or indeed mumsnet. If in the car I tidy up. Go through receipts in my purse. Tidy my handbag!

few minutes? check email,texts or mumsnet. if longer, wander round the shops marvelling at the strangeness of looking at things. even longer and I'd have a coffee in the lovely cafe that is too narrow for buggies at the back. it even has free wifi so I'd be in my tablet. exceptional organization would mean I have a sketch pad with me.

I would not want to log in to my bank account onmy phone or tablet using a public wifi network. too many levels of risk of having a security lapse.

Check email / MN / FB on phone. Also have books downloaded into Kindle app so I can read those if no 3G / Wifi available. I chat to people. If all else fails I clear all the old receipts out of my handbag.

I don't do any mobile banking on portable devices because I don't really trust the security, home desktop only for me.

I use my phone to catch up with emails and texts.

Eat, look in the mirror and make sure I'm presentable (sometimes the only chance I get) catch up on emails, read a few pages of my book or the Times app, go on Mumsnet!

Sit down and read a book OR Go for a bike ride OR do some knitting

Check Facebook or MN.

Play words with friends. (Chaos is beating me at the moment. How come I'm being thrashed by the worst speller on MN?)

Easy. Stare into the middle distance catatonically of course!

Or if waiting for a friend I might savour the taste of a glass of wine or a hot cup of coffee. Normally I would just be necking it as fast as possible before one of the kids played up.

Living the dream I am. Living the dream.

BARCLAYS....REALLY?????

I always have my phone with me, so I facebook, Mumsnet, check emails and play Words with Friends

I play a short (addictive) game of the candy variety or have a browse of a news website to see what's going on around the world

Read.
Listen to what I want to.
Breathe deeply.
Remember who I am.

Kindle if I have it on me.
Or look over my photos on my iphone.
Or just sit and stare into space.

a spare five minutes is usually spent on my BBC news app, or looking at BBC weather to see if my CD's sporting fixtures will be going ahead o or cancelled yet again !
a spare hour in the evening would be spent in a long hot bath with a book and a glass of wine
a spare hour in the daytime would be spent gardening or sitting in the garden, depending on the temperature.

An extra hour of child-free time would mean a long hot bubble bath with a good book for me. That or a nap!

I always have a magazine in my bag and I take great pleasure in having 5 minutes or more to myself where I can sit and read a few pages of my magazine in pace and quiet.

I always have a book in my bag, so immerse myself in that.

Otherwise-if there's any lovely shops nearby I'll nip in and have a wonderful childfree browse... so civilised!

Kegels. You can never do too many of them