Quick and easy time saving tips for busy mums

There’s no doubt about it, when you’re a Mum, time flies. You’re probably always busy and constantly wishing you had a few extra hours in your day so you can get through everything you need to do. If you hold down a job, have kids to keep entertained, a house to run and keep tidy, bills to pay, and a partner who may or may not make life easier for you, it’s easy to become a little overwhelmed and start craving for some ‘me’ time. To say your life is hectic is an understatement for busy mums and while we don’t have the superpower to add more hours to your day, we do have a few quick and easy time saving hacks to make your life less frantic.

Plan your menu for the week

You’ll actually save a lot of time if you already know what you’re going to be cooking way ahead of time. By planning your meals, you can buy all of your ingredients for the next 4 or 5 days, so that means no more last-minute dashes to the supermarket to pick up some spuds because you’re about to cook dinner and realise you’ve run out. Busy mums also know you can cook double batches of meals and then use them for lunches the next day - or freeze and reheat at another time when there’s simply too much to do to think about dinner.

Cook quick and easy meals

When you do your menu planning, go for quick and easy meals. No, we’re not talking fast food meals. A quick google search will bring up loads of quick and easy recipes that are still nutritious and tasty – or just check out these easy and delicious one-dish dinner ideas for some inspiration. You’ll not only save kitchen cooking time, you’ll also save kitchen cleaning time.

Invest in floor mats

Ever taken a peek under the table and wondered if any of the food you cooked actually made it into your kids’ mouths (closely followed by ‘how the heck am I going to get that spaghetti sauce out of the new rug?’)? Here’s the solution – just invest in a washable plastic mat to go under eating areas - it’ll make the clean up after dinner a whole lot quicker and easier.

Cut down on your laundry time

If you‘ve got little ones in the house you probably get driven crazy every time you pick up some of their clothing only to find it’s inside out. Teaching your kids how to turn them the right way round before throwing them in the laundry basket will save you loads of laundry time - and when they get a little older there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t be folding and putting their own clothes away after they’ve been washed.

Cut down on cleaning time

If you’re like most busy mums’ you probably can’t afford the luxury of hiring a regular cleaner but you can cut down on cleaning time with very little effort. If you’re on the phone, turn that talk time into productive time by doing a little tidying up or wiping down the benches. Keep a squeegee in the shower and give it a quick wipe down after each shower – it means your weekly shower clean will be a breeze. And, if you can afford it, grab yourself a cordless vacuum cleaner (just make sure it’s a good one with some powerful suction). We guarantee you’ll find yourself doing quick spot cleans throughout the day, so on your regular cleaning day you’ll have very little vacuuming to do.

Get on to Airtasker

Seriously if there’s a job you hate or just don’t have time for, you’ll find someone close by on Airtasker who’s more than happy to do it for you at a super reasonable price. It’s a great way to save yourself some time – now you can outsource the ironing, the kids lunch prep, the oven clean or even the room decorating for the next kids party.

Use a slow cooker

Slow cookers are magic for busy mums – just throw everything in before you head off to work and come home to tantalising aromas and dinner almost ready. Simple, easy and guaranteed to make you stress less!

Get your life back!

Being a busy mum doesn’t mean you have to give everything you’ve got to your work and family. By following our easy tips, you’ll be able to manage your time better, so you get more time to relax or enjoy the things that put a smile on your face. And if you’re at the stage where you need some time out but your finances won’t stretch to a weekend away or an indulgent night out, we’re here to help. Just check out our cash loans from $1,000 to find out how quick and easy it is to get some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the cash into your bank account within a few hours - so you could start unwinding this weekend!