By nature, I am actually a very disorganised person who tends to be a bit of time-wasting procrastinator (what a resume!). But by overcompensating for these deficits over the years, I have actually learned quite a few tricks to achieve that which used to be foreign to me – efficient use of time and (freakish) organisation. Yes, now I can run my life like an efficient assembly-line machine if I so choose, not that I always do. I still believe immeasurable value can be found in idleness, but nevertheless, there will always be times when you simply need to get things done quickly. And now that I am a parent, I realise that those times are more often than not!

So if you are a busy parent, or even just a busy person – here are a few of my tips for saving yourself a few minutes to even an hour or two here and there.

1.Shop online.

Grocery stores that offer online shopping will save you time in a multitude of ways – they’ll save you the travel time it takes to get to and from the grocery store (including looking for parking), as well as the time spent perusing the aisles and standing in the checkout line. And as a bonus, they’ll delivery the groceries straight to your door, saving you the time and effort of lugging your groceries from car to house. Granted, your first one or two times doing your virtual grocery shop online will take a bit of time, but at least you can do it from the luxury of your own home. Plus many stores will ‘save’ your virtual grocery list, so the next time you order you can check off items from your old list. If the stores charge anything, the fee is usually nominal – and probably not much more than you would spend these days on the petrol getting to the store.

Buying presents from online retail outlets can be another way of saving time, as it will save you a trip to the post office when buying for those long-distance relatives and friends.

2. If you have the space and money – buy in bulk the non-perishable items that you use frequently. Not only can it be cheaper in the long run, but it will spare you the time it takes for those extra trips out to the store when you run out of toilet paper. Buy the large boxes of nappies (diapers) when you see them go on sale – you can never have too many of them!

3. If you do have to go out to shop,plan your trips according to the geographical location of each store, especially if you won’t be able to get everything done in one outing.

4. Scrub the tub surround while having a shower. You don’t really need chemical cleaners to do a good job – dish soap or bubble bath works just as well. Sounds crazy, maybe, but doesn’t it kill too birds with one stone? At the very least, you’ll save your clothes from getting soaked when trying to rinse off the tiles!

5. Clean the bathroom (i.e. mirrors, counter, etc.) while the kids are in the tub. This of course won’t work with an infant - you’ll actually need to be with and support them. But if you have a toddler or small child who likes to play in the tub for any amount of time yet still needs supervision, this is a great way to multitask once or twice a week. But don’t forget to participate in their play as well sometimes; bath time is a great time for bonding and spending quality time together.

6. If you don’t have a dishwasher – or if you need to scrub pots and pans – let them soak while you do the rest of the tidying after meals (i.e. sweeping, wiping counters, etc.). The food residue will come off a lot easier and quicker after the dishes have been soaking.

7. Okay – this is the obvious one – get the kids to do their bit with housework. I don’t mean turning them in to orphan Annie or anything, but if they are old enough to help – get them to do one or two simple things to contribute. If they’re too young, get them to participate by playing while you do whatever task needs to get done. For instance, my toddler loves to try on the clothes (usually by wearing my knickers around her head or her dad’s socks on her hands!) when I’m hanging up the laundry. It’s a great way for me to get the job done and entertain her at the same time.

8. Try to catch the dryer as soon as it finishes and hang/fold clothes right away. This seriously saves time on ironing; in fact, I find there are very few things that need to be ironed if they’ve been in the dryer. Unless you really enjoy the task of ironing, like my mother-in-law who presses sheets, towels, underpants, socks, handkerchiefs, etc… but I am told that this is a common pastime in northern England! If you are environmentally conscious and line-dry or air-dry your clothes, I also that find getting them out of the washer as soon as it finishes and shaking them out can go a long way to removing wrinkles. When they are already dry, a quick blast (not even five minutes) in the dryer might be enough to soften them up and prevent the need for ironing.

9. Make a monthly meal plan. Not necessarily what you’ll have every day of the calendar – but plan out 30 different meals for the month, and then make sure to go out and get or order in all the groceries you’ll need for each meal. This will save time, effort and money for those days when you just can’t think of what to make!

10. Make lunches a few days in advance (as long as the food isn’t about to expire). I like to eat salads for lunch, as way to get in my five-a-day veggies and cut back on calories. So I usually cut up three to four day’s worth of vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, peppers, spring onions, etc.) and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then all I have to do at lunchtime is open up a bag of lettuce and cut a piece of cheese or two to go along with it. Remember that some things might not keep for four days (i.e. eggs and mayo, chicken, etc.).

11. Make evenings meals in larger-than-needed portions (double if possible) and freeze leftovers in individual portions. This is handy for when you need to make a quick dinner or lunch.

12. When getting takeout, check out the drive-thru before you enter it. Seriously, sometimes it is a lot quicker to go in and order than to wait in the drive-thru, especially these days when it seems most people consider it a sin to get out of the car if you don’t have to. Plus, it’ll save you the extra time it takes for you to run into the joint anyway when they get your order wrong!

13. Stay organised. Okay, maybe this is a little like stating the obvious, but I can’t tell you how much time I’ve lost in my life to the act of searching for this, that, and the other thing. Have a place where you ALWAYS put your keys when you get home, a filing system or drawer where you keep all your mail, etc. Not only has organisation saved me time, but it has also saved my nerves the ware from regular psychological meltdowns.

14. Keep a steady supply of necessities in the car (i.e. nappies, wipes, toys, non-perishable children’s snacks, etc.) This helps so that you don’t always have to run around packing a bag for your little one every single time you go out. Or, if you’re like me, you inevitably forget something crucial almost every time you go out. Plus, you can use the wet wipes to wipe the car’s dashboard and console down if you get stuck in a traffic jam – another way to save time!

15. Make a to-do list every week and prioritise. Try every day to accomplish one or two of the high priority tasks as soon as you start your day (if possible). But be sure your day isn’t filled with all tasks and no play – fit in some fun too!

16. Set up direct debits whenever possible for bill payments. This saves oodles of time and it takes the hassle right out of it. Of course, you’ll have to make sure that you always have enough money in your account to cover bills or it could end up costing you a lot! Which brings me to my next suggestion…

17. Bank online! Seriously, why do banks have tills for five or more tellers when there are never more than two of them working at any given time?! Most banks allow you to transfer money to different accounts through online banking, just make sure that your computer has a good firewall.

18. Use commercial breaks wisely. Okay, I have been accused of being just a little distractible in my time, but I really do think adverts are just so boring and tedious! Admittedly there are a few funny ones, but then those get played so much, they lose their appeal quickly. And they go one forever. So I use commercial breaks to do quick tasks like taking the garbage out, sweeping the kitchen floor, writing a quick email, etc. If you are energetic, maybe do you exercises whilst your favourite programme is on.

19. Buy cinema tickets online in advance – then the only thing you will have to queue up for will be the popcorn! Make reservations at restaurants.

20. Check in online whenever possible before boarding a flight.

21. Personalise your group emails. Okay, this is a bit shameful to admit, but if you’re like me, it seems to take a really long time to write one good, decent, catch-up email. But, at the same time, I find group or generic emails too impersonal. So, I usually write the bulk of one email (i.e. what I have been up to, how the family is, current news, etc) and re-use it for everyone, then add individual segments to each email before sending it. Because really, you’ll end up writing the same thing over and over again anyway!

22. Invest in a cordless phone or better yet, a blue tooth headset. It’s amazing what you can get done around the house during a one hour conversation with your mother, mother-in-law, sister or friend! (Not to exclude you dads, but honestly – when was the last time you spent even ten minutes, let alone and an hour on the phone?).

23. Go through your events calendar and buy all your birthday cards (and presents if possible) in advance. That way, it will save you a few trips a year to the card store, and makes it more likely that you will get cards sent out on time. If you ask my friends, though, they will tell you that I live this one more in principle than in practice L.

24. Use you lunch hour at work wisely. Grabbing those items needed for tonight’s supper will mean that you get home quicker without having to stop on the way. Or, do the enjoyable things you never have time to do anymore, like reading a novel. I used to find that reading a book in a nearby park in the summer was great way to truly relax during my lunch break, and made me feel more energised for my afternoon’s tasks.

25. Tidy your desk! As they say, a clean desk is a clean mind - or something like that? Seriously, you will get so much more done in a much quicker time if you start with a clean and organised workspace. I used to send out letters regularly to the same referral sources – so I found it saved me time not only to start with a form letter and edit it as needed, but also to batch-print addressed and labelled envelops to those referrers, saving me at least 20 minutes a month on individually writing out the address each time.

26. Use your commute time to your advantage. When living in London, I used to use my morning bus ride to work to do little things like make shopping lists, text message (SMS) friends, or sometimes even to do paperwork. Many a time, I even saw women doing their morning makeup on the bus. Of course, if your commute involves driving instead of taking public transport, skip this suggestion!

Hopefully, these ideas will save you at least a few dozen minutes a week and make your life a little bit easier. But most of all, I hope they give you more time to enjoy with your kids, spouse, friends or even some much needed time on your own. If they simply free up time so that you can try to do even more (workaholic maybe?), then I must apologise, as my efforts have done you more harm than good!

I welcome any suggestions and tips for more ways to save time!