How I Make More Time for Family

As a working mom the one thing I never seem to have enough of is time. Between school runs, work, cleaning and cooking, and after school activities it seems like there is never enough to it.

I regularly work weekends so even family days need to be planned and coordinated. If I’m off, is my husband on call? Are there any birthday parties we plan to attend? Are there any projects that need to be finished instead?

Over the past 5 years we’ve settled in to some routines and hired some help. This has allowed us both to work full time while being as efficient as possible with our time. And while these habits all started before coronavirus and school closures, we still use many of these services and routines.

We are both still working full time. And although it’s summer now, we are preparing for the need to distance learn at least part time. So even if activities are closed and we don’t have school runs, we are still looking for ways to save time.

Here are some of the things that have worked for us pre-Covid and hopefully will also work for the future.

1.   Hire a Cleaning Service

Even if you are a stay at home mom, if you can afford to hire a cleaning service I strongly recommend it.

We have a cleaning service come every 2 weeks to clean our main living areas. We don’t even have them clean the basement which is currently only used when we have guests. So it saves a little bit of money and I can clean up the guest bedroom and bathroom when needed.

They weren’t able to come for about 3 months after the quarantine started. I tried really hard to keep up the same level of clean and actually thought I was doing a pretty good job. I even thought maybe we can discontinue this service if I need to start staying at home to homeschool.

But about a month ago they were able to return, and I remembered how nice it is to come home to a clean house. And maybe it’s in my head but I feel like it stays clean longer.

This isn’t going to completely eliminate time spent picking up and vacuuming. Especially if you live with pets like I do. But I don’t worry about deep cleaning, dusting or mopping anymore which does save some time.

2.   Use Amazon Subscribe and Save

We have used this for diapers, wipes, diaper cream and even some personal items. You save 15% when you subscribe so if it’s something you know you are going to continue to need it’s a great idea.

It can also help take away some of the mental load you carry as a mom or dad. Once you know how quickly you will use an item, you can set up the delivery to occur at the frequency you need. This means you don’t need to try to remember to purchase these items. They’ll arrive around the time you are running low anyway.

3.   Grocery Delivery

This isn’t going to save you as much money as hitting up multiple grocery stores and using coupons. But I personally don’t have time to do that. And it’s definitely not how I want to spend the free time I do have.

We started using Instant Cart long before coronavirus as planning grocery runs around our schedules was becoming difficult. In addition to being a time saver it was also more convenient.

Previously we often had to take our kids with us, which honestly wasn’t that bad as they are pretty well behaved out in public. But still, they are kids, and it adds another layer of difficulty to grocery shopping.

If you plan to use Instant Cart regularly you can sign up for a yearly membership for $99. But the instant cart prices are higher and you should tip your delivery driver.

But we have been able to save time and money using Instant Cart by shopping at lower cost grocery stores such as Aldi. And we have been impressed by the quality of the produce at Aldi.

They definitely don’t have the same variety of brands available, but if you’re willing to give them a try you may find that they’re a great option.

Even if you don’t have a low cost grocery store near you, I still recommend trying Instant Cart. You still may save money by not making many of those splurge purchases that seem to happen when you go in to the store.

4.   Membership Stores

If you have space for storage, purchasing items in bulk can save you both time and money. We personally have a Costco membership, but also know people who are happy with BJs and Sams Club.

We would go once every 4-6 weeks and purchase items like toilet paper, paper towels and toiletry items. In fact when all the toilet paper disappeared in March it took at least a month before we needed to purchase any as we had leftovers from our January trip.

Obviously if you have a smaller living space this is harder, but purchasing these items in bulk means a cheaper price and less trips to the store for these essential items.

Speaking from our experience with Costco you can also stock up on non-perishable or frozen foods so you have some easy dinners available when needed.

5.   Meal Plan

In our case we aren’t strict about our planning, and we don’t make a week’s worth of food in advance. But knowing what meals you want to make for the next week means you can purchase what you need ahead of time.

It also helps to avoid food waste. Before we meal planned we would often end up throwing out vegetables that had gone bad. Now that we know what we plan to cook for the week we make sure to use up the fruit and produce before it gets rotten.

You should also start planning those fast and easy meals for the busiest nights of the week. When my oldest had ballet lessons at 5pm I would prep dinner in the afternoon and set the Instant Pot to cook rice while we were gone. I could then quickly microwave or sauté the rest of dinner when we got home.

6.   Prepare the Night Before

Taking a little bit of time in the evening to prep for the next day can help you start your day a little more organized. Pick up toys and clean the kitchen so you can wake up to a clean house.

Pick out clothes for yourself and kids if you know it will be a busy morning. Pre-pack lunches so they can simply be grabbed while heading out the door.

When I was breastfeeding I would also prepare bottles and made sure all of my pumping supplies were clean and ready to go.

Morning were still hectic getting everyone fed, ready and where they needed to be on time. But those steps in the evening helped me maintain a more controlled chaos.

We’re still learning ways to manage our time and be more efficient. Since schools have closed and my husband started working from home it has been harder to maintain a routine.

But we still try to manage our time efficiently so that when we aren’t working or teaching we can spend time together as a family. And are not bogged down with chores and to-do items.

Do you have any additional tricks you use to save time? Do you have time management techniques that don’t break the bank? Let me know below!