Time management

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I thought it would be great if we shared our time management tricks. I think my time is more valuable than money!

Here is what I do. I plan my week of menus while the laundry is going. Then, I write a list of what to get at the store. After shopping, I cook a week's worth of breakfast burritos and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then, I cook my meals. I may cook a pot of pasta and make pasta salad with half and make baggies with individual servings with the rest. I can make that into spaghetti type dishes later. I cook up a bunch of ground beef. I can turn that into tacos or flips later in the week as well. While things are cooking, I wash the dishes and get the coffee ready for the next morning. Another thing I do to save time is keep a running list of things that I am running low on so that when I do go to the store, I don't forget to get something and thus make multiple trips to the store.

I put everything that I have coming up on my Google calendar. I have it send me emails to remind me to do things or remind me of appointments. Since I have a Blackberry, I can have it send them to my phone too. Some things I have it remind me days before and others I have it remind me hours or minutes before.

[happymomof4]

Wow Debora you are very organized. I do make up a weekly menu. I keep an on going grocery list. My family adds to the list also when they need something. I have busy schedule with 2 very active teenage girls and a full time job. I do lot of running around on my lunch break. Which leaves my evenings open for my kids.

I would be lost with out my calendar. I go over it every day to make sure I don't miss anything.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I am always shocked when people state they do not own a calendar! My kids are grown and my DH was tranferred to OK, so I only have to work around me, which makes it easier to do so much ahead and not worry whether anyone else will like it. lol

[barbszy]

I too would go nuts without my calendar. I have a wall calendar and a weekly planner. The wall calendar has the whole family's events on it so everyone can see when making plans.

One trick I try to do is never leave a room empty-handed. I try to see if there is something that belongs somewhere else that I can drop off on my way out of the room I'm in right now.

[bluebird]

People don't have calendars? How do they survive?

[Sammi1961]

How can anyone exist without a calendar??

I have a kitchen calendar where I write appointments etc. and a desk calendar where I keep track of them also. I don't exactly plan menus ahead until I go to the grocery store and see what is on sale. As I always know what I have in the freezer, I then plan meals accordingly to what I have on hand and what I buy on sale at the store. (basically that means I know after grocery shopping what we will have for meals each night during the week). I pack my dks and dh's lunches each night except for refrigerator stuff that I add in the morning when I add the ice pack. I make sure I have my clothes laid out each night for the next day as I have to get up early to walk the dog and be home to make lunches etc. before my first dc child arrives. And this may sound silly but I also have my alarm clock time set about 30-35 minutes fast. I set my alarm for 6 a.m. but when it goes off it is really only 5:30. i hit the snooze button once to actually have a minute or two to wake up and then I am off and running. To my sleepy mind, I forget the clock is half an hour fast so end up doing everything right on time. My dh says this makes no sense at all but it works for me. I also always allow for traffic problems etc. if I have an appt. to be somewhere. I would rather be an hour early than 5 minutes late (but do keep a book in my car just incase I have time to kill)

[Pag36]

Man I would be lost with out my calendars. I have a small planner thing in my purse that is where DR Appts get put for Judy and I, have a desk calendar here on desk a small one taped to a chest of drawer here next to desk, a pretty cloth calendar Susie gave me for Christmas and some one recently sent me a FROG one plus have yet another over on wall by my bed with each page a pix that I cherish, right now it is a pix of Adam and Steven. Adam has 2 Panda ones in his room, got one out in utility room and one in kitchen/DR area oh yes small one in Bathroom and they all have notes on them about this and that.

[cau]

I keep a large calendar on the bulletin board and a personal planner. Lately my kids say put it I your book mom so I can’t forget it. I keep track of everything on it. I also make a weekly to do list and cross off as I accomplish it

[justEricka]

i have a huge planner that has everything in it..ive been keeping one of them for years...plus i keep a 2yr calender in there for apts at drs for next year..or something like that..plus i use my blackberry (thanks debora for the help) to keep track of things too. i put in my work hours..and when i need to get up...so thats my alarm clock. i add in when i do something so i dont forget it..and keep track of dr apts on there too. that way i can look things up if im not at home and see conflicts. i keep track of myself, my 2 daughters, my son, my mom, my dad, and a family friend who i take to dr apts and things like that. plus i usually have an idea of what phil and dusty are doing too...im learning to be more organized. now if i could just transfer that to my house...id be doing good...im a slob..lol.

well all off to clean house...

ericka

[cau]

If you have Microsoft Office Outlook has a wonderful calander. I used for everything when I was working