Time Saving Tip: Use a checklist for recurring projects you do infrequently.
Today I’m getting ready to go on a trip, which, as you can imagine, involves packing and getting things wrapped up at home and work so I can be away for five days. Packing and getting ready for a trip is a recurring project that I do infrequently. Because of this, I rely heavily on my travel checklist. The great thing about a travel checklist is that it saves time and stress…which is why even though I have mentioned my travel checklist a time or two before, I wanted to share it as one of my favorite time savers.
I love creating and using checklists, especially for projects that I do infrequently. Checklists help you avoid the learning curve for anything that you do once a month or once a year, or on any irregular schedule. I have checklists for spring cleaning, back to school, weekly house cleaning, as well as for various things I do at work (like paying taxes online…which thankfully, isn’t a daily project.)
Take action! Think about a recurring project you do infrequently that involves a learning curve each time you do it. Then, next time you do this project, create a little checklist you can use from then on. Your checklist doesn’t have to be fancy to be functional. I have many checklists jotted down on a piece of notebook paper and they work just fine. Then, find a convenient home for your checklists (such as a household reference binder) so you always know where to find them.
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In addition to the packing list, I like to do an “after trip” list too for my self and family. There is nothing worse than the hangover effect of laundry piles, mounds of stuff to put away, groceries to get so we can get by until we can do a full grocery run later, etc. This is when I tend to get grumpy… but now, with lists to do for the rest of the family, it all gets done sooner. It spreads the wealth, so to speak.
I keep a list for travel and I make sure I look at it again when we return home and add any tips/must pack/what we didn’t need/what we had to buy while away – all for next time. I also pack our inflatable neck pillows, electricity converters, suitcases padlocks and leftover currency in a ziplock bag inside our large suitcases. Easy to locate next time we travel overseas!
I like to make a grocery list as I’m packing for a trip of items we need to get when we get there (if we are staying some place with a kitchen or fridge) or items we need when we return to town. Then as soon as we get to the hotel/condo one of us can head out shopping and we don’t have to try to think of everything on the spot. Even just eating breakfast in the room saves a lot of money and helps with time changes.
When traveling I like to collect brochures and such for scrapbooking or to remember details of where we were. I either take a picture of the signs of the places we go or make a list of where we went each day so when I get back the photos and stuff collected make sense.
This is terrible, I have tons of time saving tips but put on the spot they have all flown out of my head. I have three boys and am constantly working on saving steps. Mostly it’s keeping things where I use them most and so buying duplicates or doing certain steps in batches. Vitamens is a big one. My boys take gummy vitamens and not just from one bottle, they have about 6 they take. Can any of them take there vitamens at the same time, no that would be to easy. Rather than opening each of 6 bottles several times a day. I fill the vitamen cups and toss them into a bowl. When they want their vitamens I grab them a tupperwere mini and hand it over. Filling 21 cups at a time saves steps. Also makes it so they can have them on the run.
Like so Many others when put on the spot my mind goes blank!
I have cfs so I’m limited in what I can do on a daily basis. I use an egg timer for the ’20 minutes a day challenge’ and make sure I have my list before I start., because I’m forgetful. Energy is precious to me so this is an excellent way to get things done
I use a travel checklist which is a fantastic timesaver. I also have a ‘to buy’ section on my checklist, which includes things like favourite toiletries, tissues, snacks and drinks for the journey, favourite foods and any other items which may be difficult to obtain at our obstination.
I actually have multiple packing lists, depending on where we are going – there’s the list of EVERYTHING we might need (for holidays/places we haven’t been before) and then a shorter version for staying at my parents, or the in-laws etc, where we have some children’s things stored so we don’t have to take them every time. That way I don’t have to remember which things we have at each house, or go without a potty only to discover that there isn’t one at Grandma’s house because it is only at the other Grandma’s!
Also, with young children (mine are both under 4)it’s worth updating the master packing list every few months as some things are no longer needed (don’t need a double buggy now, but had to add the older child’s scooter instead, etc!)
One thing I do is always take an extra fold up duffle bag and tuck into one of the pockets of our luggage when traveling. Packing to come home always seems like there is more and we have it if we need it. Also I pack two garbage bags and keep one for dirty clothes. If flying and we can’t fit all the dirty clothes in one suticase I either lay one across the clean clothes on the bottom and pile the dirty on top or put the clean clothes in the bag and place on the bottom of the suitcase. So I can always get to the dirty clothes first to do the wash. Have a great day!
I have a time-saving laundry tip that has been working well for me. I bought a laundry sorter with 4 different sections – it sits in the haul and all of our dirty laundry is put in there at the end of the day, sorted by colors/type of load. When I have a free moment or a section gets full, I can just pull it out and throw a load in without having to sort a thing or gather up laundry baskets from each room. Saves TONS of time and makes it easy to do just a little at a time 🙂
I make both a trip itinerary and a list of gifts that we need to buy before we leave our destination. Both of these tools have proven to be invaluable. The itinerary gives me a chance to check reservations, put opening and closing times, phone numbers, and ticket prices. I also use it later when I am going to scrapbook our trip. The gift list ensures that I don’t have to make a last minute dash into the airport gift shop before we head home. LOL!
This has nothing to do with travelling, but I find it helpful that when I cook, I put out everything I need BEFORE I start and make sure everything I need is in place, washed, chopped etc. That way, following the recipe is much less stressful (think “put the meat to the onions” – while the onions are already burning in the pan while the meat hasn’t been chopped yet…), the food turns out better AND I can do the dishes while I cook which in the end saves me time because the afterwards-cleanup is muuuuch less!
…retweeted your tweet…
…and put a post up on facebook…
This is a laundry tip – I do each laundry load from start (wash) to finish (put away). I do laundry when I know I will be home for the duration of the load. Less wrinkles when hung up straight out of the dryer, no ironing! And no forgetting a wet load in the washer.
I have checklists for several things on my phone. Vacation lists, to do lists, wish lists, books to read, movies to watch, etc. Keeping them in my phone means I can reuse them or update them easily as needed.
I have tons of little bags such as from Clinique when they do the gift with purchases. I try to use them to organize stuff within my suitcase or backpack. I use one to hold my chargers and stuff I need for cell phones and chargers. This way it is all in one place and I can easily grab what I need. It makes finding things so much easier.
I got this tip a couple years ago when I watched a family walk through the airport. They all look so calm, cool, and collected… not frazzled, sweaty, and exhausted getting kids through the airport. I saw the mom again later and asked her their secret… she said the suitcases w/ four 360 degree wheels on them made all the difference. No one got stuck at a corner or post, suitcases didn’t flip over… they moved really well. Well, we had the rolling suitcases w/2 wheels and the kids (and us parents) were constantly getting tripped up. So I saved up and shopped the sales for the 4 wheeled suitcases w/360 degree wheels and we are currently on a 3 week adventure on the east coast (we live in the Pacific Northwest), and I have to say, I am IN LOVE with how easy these suitcases move for the kids. I love the ease in the manueverability (is that even a word?) And moving thru airports and between hotels has been so much easier! Love it!