The BEST Time-Saving Tips for Mums - Save time and get more done

INSIDE: In this post, I’m sharing the BEST time-saving tips for busy mums. If you struggle with doing all the things and wish you could make better use of the time you have, this post has you covered. It even includes a FREE Time-saving Checklist for you to download too!

Do you ever feel like there’s never enough hours in the day? That no matter how hard you try, there’s never quite enough time to do all the things? That there’s never enough time to spend quality time with your kids, let alone time for yourself?

Me too!

When it comes to time, I regularly feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. It always seems to go by so fast. I start each day with the best of intentions, but often, it’s dinner time before I know it and I’ve not achieved half the things I’d set out to do. It’s incredibly frustrating!

And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Ask any member of my community and they’ll tell you the same. When it comes to managing time and getting all the things done, the struggle is VERY real!

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The BEST time-saving tips for busy mums…

So how do we make the most of the time we have? Just how do we get everything done and still have time for all the things we want to do? Things like time to play with our kids and time to spend on our own hobbies?

To answer this question, I reached out to some of my fellow online mums and bloggers. Asking them what their best time-saving tips for busy mums were, here’s what they had to say:

Time-saving cleaning and laundry tips:

“Clean a little every day so that you can enjoy your weekend and not spend it cleaning.” Elizabeth.
“We have two floors and one bathroom on each. So, we have two of anything and everything to do with the bathrooms. It saves so many trips up and down the stairs. Also, I don’t really fold clothes. Towels are a must so they fit right, but the way my kids and husband treat their dressers, I just sort their clothes then lay them in the proper drawers!” Sarah.
“Do at least one load of laundry every day so you don’t have to spend your weekend just doing laundry. With two toddlers and a farmer/rancher husband, I can’t tell you how quickly my laundry stacks up if I don’t do this!” Donna.
“When doing a load of laundry each day, set it up the night before so that it finishes as you’re waking up. I do this and then toss it in the dryer before I sit down with my devotional so that it’s ready to be folded and put away right after. That way the day’s load is completed first thing in the morning.” Tammy.
“Have a laundry basket for each colour of washing. One for colours, one for darks, one for whites and one for baby clothes (if you wash those separately). No more dumping your laundry on the floor and spending hours sorting through it – it’s already done for you!” Taylor.

In the kitchen:

“Meal plan and meal prep on the weekend!” Amber.
“One of my best time-saving tips for busy mums has to be meal prepping. It helps SO much. I’ve been trying to lose weight since my second child was born and having my meals ready to go not only saves me a ton of time, it’s really made a difference on the scales too!” Amanda.
“Work ahead when you are in the kitchen. Prep on the weekend for the upcoming week – make lunches, cut your veggies, cook your meats etc. During the week, get the dinner prep done while your kids are having their breakfast or lunch. Doing it all at once means you save you so much time – plus, you get the bulk of the dishes done too!” Deanna.
“Buy your food already prepped as much as you can within your budget. I have 6 kids and even though my big kids help, I don’t want to spend my life in the kitchen! Buying things like rinsed greens, shredded carrots, frozen, diced onion and grab-n go-healthy snacks can save you hours of prep time.” Coleen.
“Cook crockpot meals as much as possible!” Hope.
“Put away dishes right before you cook. As you’ve finished with the mixing bowls etc, put them straight into the dishwasher. And when dinner is done, put the dishes in right away too. Say goodbye to scrubbing ketchup off plates the next day!” Brittany.

Out and about:

“Prep and pack your changing bag and/or school bag/book bag the night before.” Hope.
“Keep a changing bag in your car AND with the buggy. Fill them with two nappies, a pack of baby wipes, a changing mat liner, a change of outfit and a teething toy. If you ever need to run out of the house fast, you’ll know you’re ready – without worrying about forgetting to restock the changing bag!” Hailey.
“Keep a ‘car kit’. I have an organizer in the boot with a change of clothes for everyone in the family – including my Hubby and I, because you never know! It also has water bottles, wipes, lint roller (because I have a dog!), colouring books and pencil crayons (wax ones melt!). There’s a first aid kit too which has my kids’ meds, an emergency roadside kit, individual snacks, spare change and a hidden £20 note. A spare towel, sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer, spare dog collar and lead, pen, extra plastic bags (for dirty/wet/garbage/vomit), a torch, hairbrush and hair ties come in handy too. No matter what comes up, I know I’m prepared – even on days I can barely remember my handbag!” Mandy.

Parenting:

“Teach your kids independence from an early age. At 3 years old, my eldest could make himself and his younger brother a freezer breakfast (think frozen waffles). Start chores at an early age too. The more you can get your kids to do on their own, the more time you have to get other things done.” Marissa.
“Find ways to encourage your older kids to help their younger siblings. Implement a buddy system and get them to help find socks, tie shoes and do little but kind and nurturing things. Not only does it help save time, it builds good relationships between siblings and fosters peace and joy too. It’s a win-win!” Jami.
“Get your kids to help with the laundry. Have them take it out the machine when finished and put it in the dryer.” Hope.

On being more productive:

“Use a timer for EVERYTHING!” Victoria.
“Adopt the one-minute rule. If something only takes a minute to do, just do it. It’ll save you SO much time later!” Kathleen.
“Get off your screens and phone. And stay off for a while!” Amy.
“Stay away from social media and all the pings/notifications. It saves you a ton of time when you’re at work or at home working on other things.” Chavvi.

My favourite time-saving tips…

I far from have my time management skills nailed, but it’d be wrong for me not to include a few of my favourite top time-saving tips for busy mums too! Here are a few I’ve learned over the years that work for me and will most likely work for you too:

Batch your tasks. Save all your errands and do them in one go. Not only does it mean just one trip out, there’s less time sitting in traffic. You’ll save on fuel and parking fees too!
Set yourself the challenge of completing something in a certain amount of time. Get the hoovering done in the next ten minutes. Clean the bathrooms while the dinner is in the oven. Write your shopping list before the kettle boils. It sounds silly but it really works!
When you really need to focus on something, switch your phone to airplane mode. Better still, put it in another room! I can’t tell you how easily distracted I am, but this one works for me!
Set an alarm for ten minutes for before you need to leave for the school run. It gives you time for last-minute toilet breaks and time to get everyone’s shoes and coats on. It helps you stop clocking watching so that you can focus on other things too!
Use music to encourage your kids to get ready. Play their favourite song and challenge them to be ready before it ends. It’s a sure-fire way to get out of the door on time and not be late!

How to save time…

Some pretty cool time-saving tips, right?! My favourite has to be Hailey’s tip on keeping a changing bag in the car and buggy. I can’t tell you the number of times I left the house without picking up Harrison’s changing bag and then had to go back. In the end I kept a spare one in the car as well as at his grandparents! I really like Jami’s idea of using a buddy system too – I wish I’d thought of that when my boys were younger!

As for Mandy’s tip about having a kit for the car, pure genius! It really is one of the BEST time-saving tips for busy mums! We currently have a summer kit in the car that we swap out for a winter one as the seasons change and it makes life SO much easier. We have everything we need ‘just in case’ and it saves us SO much time and stress! I don’t have a spare dog lead in the car yet though – that’s one thing I definitely need to add!

If you’re anything like me and always on the lookout for ways to save time, these tips are sure to help. I shall definitely be implementing a few of them…starting with training my youngest to load the tumble dryer for me!

That’s it for this post! What was your favourite tip? Do you have a time-saving tip especially for busy mums? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

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