If you work full time how do you fit everything in?

[growlingbear]

About to go full time working outside home with a three hour round-trip commute each day, having worked from home part time for eleven years.
I just can't get my head around when people do stuff like go to dentist, optician, get haircuts, wash clothes, clean house, do shopping. There'll only be four hours in every day when I'm not asleep and at least an hour of those will be taken up getting ready for work and getting ready for bed. Which leaves 3 hours a day to see the DC, shop, prep, cook, clear up, do housework, laundry and family admin, get some exercise and maybe sometimes have some fun with friends or see DH.
How do you all fit it in? I just can't imagine having energy to do much more than eat, bathe and slump in front of TV at night, which turns weekends into a massive chore-fest. But people all around me seem to have hectic social lives at weekends too. When do you schedule the dull stuff?

I really struggle to fit everything in, although I don't have a long commute. I prioritise exercise after work as it makes me feel good and helps me cope with any stress that might otherwise build. I extended my childcare cover 4 days a week to cover this exercise time, which also means I don't have to think about the kids' dinner on those days.

I use my lunch break for life admin. Every now and then I take a day off and fill it with appointments that I can't otherwise do, or sometimes I'll leave work an hour early to go to an appointment.

In a good week, I can have home cooked meals every day by doing 2 evening prep sessions where I chop all veg etc exactly how I need it for the following 3 days; and I can go into the weekend with a clean and tidy house by doing half an hour each evening and then blitz it in an extra 90 mins or so Friday evening. But that hardly ever happens 😬

I think I'm going to have to get a cleaner as that's what tends to slip.

Outsource as much as you can, do stuff on your commute I.e. I do the supermarket shop online while on the train and get it delivered one evening, we have a cleaner and an ironing lady

Oh and a lot of batch cooking!

DH works PT so he does a lot of the week day stuff (MoTs, kid lunches, daily cooking, some cleaning, laundry). I try to do as much as I can on weekends & weekday evenings (shopping, housework, ferrying kids places)

Haircut: Juggle hours so I leave work a bit early, and using a walk-in venue.
Dentist: Annual leave
Optician: don't bother, but that's like what... once every 2 yrs?
Exercise: 6:30am swims, and I can cycle some of my commute, lunchtime walks on work days; weekend warrior stuff :).
Social Life: I don't bother

Can you do any admin during commute (if on train, get your phone out).

My children are adults now but when I was in the same position I did the following.

Get a cleaner... 2 days a week
Shop on line... put things in basket as they run out.
Meal plan and slow cooker
I changed to an optician and dentist near to work so I could go at lunch or after work or pop out.
Get repeat prescriptions delivered
Sundays everyone gets everything they need sorted for week ahead
Lunches made night before
School admin or family appointments put in a joint calendar so everyone can see it.
I did a wash load a day to keep on top of the washing

It's hard at first but you get into a routine and will love having weekends free

I'm so glad I started this thread. There are some brilliant tips here.
Zone cleaning one area each day is good.
Dentist/optician near work in lunch hour is good.
Buying work clothes that don't need ironing is inspired!

@growlingbear on the note of zone cleaning I would highly recommend ‘The organised mum method’ you can find her on Instagram or her print outs on the website. It essentially only requires 30mins of cleaning a day on a rota. I’ve found it really helps to keep on top of things if you don’t want to get a cleaner.

I work full time and am a single parent to 2. I batch cook plenty so there are always lots of frozen home cooked meals and I have mobile .. hairdresser, masseuse and beautician.