45 Time-Saving Hacks For A More Relaxed You

Life can be busy and sometimes you need time-saving tips to help you spend more time doing the activities you want. Never fear, I have listed 45 superb ways to help you save time in:

1. in the kitchen
2. on your beauty routine
3. in the morning
4. on the computer
5. in the bathroom
6. at the office
7. with the kids
8. on cleaning
9. on travelling

Save time in the Kitchen

1. Double-up meals

If you're making tea one evening, save future you oodles of time by doubling the amounts in a recipe. You can then freeze the other half for future blissful non-cooking evenings.

2. Pre-soak pasta
Making pasta tonight? Place it in a zip-lock bag filled with cold water and leave it for an hour and a half while you go off and have fun. When you're ready to eat, your pasta will only take 1 minute to boil, rather than ten!

3. Lazy smoothies
Do you love to slurp on a tasty smoothie in the morning? Stick all the ingredients you need in the blender jar the night before and store it in the fridge. Now you can get out of bed later in the morning!

4. No-brainer breakfast

This is a great tip for those who still feel sleepy at breakfast-time. Prepare weekday breakfast packs such as porridge servings, yoghurt packs and fruit on a Sunday. You can then grab a pack in the morning for a quick breakfast.

5. Slow & easy
Cut out the rushing and invest in a slow cooker. Your food can be cooking while you spend your time elsewhere.

Save time on your beauty routine

6. Morning make-up

Is your makeup bag crammed full of assorted lipsticks, eye-shadows and brushes? Create a 'morning make-up' bag for your basic made-up look. This will save you frantically rummaging around for that mascara! If you're in a rush to leave the house, you can always pick up the bag to use later.

7. Eye-liner stencil
If you're partial to a cat eye, cut the perfect shape into a piece of paper and hold it against your lids when applying your eyeliner.

8. Comb in the shower

Say goodbye to knots with ease and take a comb into the shower. Apply conditioner and then give it a comb - easy!

9. Wash the top part of your hair
If you haven't got much time in the morning but your hair is looking a little greasy, tie the bottom two-thirds of your hair in a pony tail and give the remaining hair a quick wash. It won't take long and you'll look like you've washed the whole lot!

10. Multi-tasking makeup

Buy products that can do more than one job at once and reduce the items you have in your makeup bag. This includes tinted moisturiser, (instead of bronzer and foundation), BB Cream (primes, preps, and evens out skin tone) and brown eye-liner (great for filling in brows, smudging across the eyelid to add depth and to line eyes).

Save time in the Morning

11. Make early fashion choices

Don't worry about preparing your outfit for each working day, plan an entire week's worth of work-outfits on a Sunday evening instead. Hang the week's clothes (plus underwear, socks and accessories) in your cupboard and you can grab each outfit out at once.

12. Sleep in your gym clothes
Heading to the gym in the morning? Wear your workout gear to bed. This means more time in bed in the morning and you're ready to head out as soon as you wake up!

13. Pack the night before
This includes keys, railcard / bus pass, purse, make-up, work documents. Put the bag next to the door all ready to go!

14. Whatever the weather

Check the web for tomorrow's weather predictions. You can now get your umbrella, suntan lotion or snow boots ready at the door and avoid a stressful hunt for them in the morning.

15. Train station plan
This may seem a little strange, but try and work out the optimum route for your train journey. Note where you need to exit on the platform and from then on, board the carriage nearest to it and beat the crowds.

Save time on the computer

16. Clean your inbox

If you have signed up to lots of websites then chances are your inbox is full of unwanted e-mails. Take some time to go through your inbox, unsubscribing from annoying email newsletters. 

17. Google calculator
Don't bother looking for your calculator app. Type the sum directly into Google and press return for the answer.

18. Open up your last closed tab
Accidentally closed a tab by mistake? Save yourself time in searching for the web page again by using CTRL + SHIFT + T on a PC, or CMD + SHIFT + T on a Mac. Easy!

19. Word hunt
Don't know what word means? Type "define" followed by the word into Google to get a quick definition.

20. Keyboard shortcuts

If you work with windows and you don't know any shortcuts then now is the time to start learning them! Examples include highlighting a word, then using CTRL + C to copy the text, CTRL + V to paste in a new place. If you use Windows, check out support.microsoft.com for a helpful list.

 

Save time in the Bathroom

21. Steam your clothes

Who can be bothered to iron in the morning? Hang that shirt in the bathroom while you shower. The steam and heat will un-wrinkle your clothes - how magical!

22. 2 in 1
Using a soap for your body and shampoo for your hair? Try using your shampoo as soap for your body and hair and see how you go.

23. Wipe it
Tell everyone in your household to give the bath and shower a quick wipe-down once they've finished using it. This will save you lots of cleaning time in the long-run.

24. Don't wash your hair every day
Daily shampooing can strip your hair of its natural oils, so you may end up drying you hair out. Save time and money by washing your hair every other day.

25. Brush & shave in the shower

Save time hanging around the sink by brushing your teeth in the shower. You can also achieve a closer shave by shaving in the shower - the heat will open up your pores.

On the subject of shaving, learn whether you should shave before or after exfoliating in our helpful guide.

 

Save time at the Office

26. To-Do Lists

Get everything out of your head and into a notebook. This way you will have a clear mind for the day's tasks ahead.

27. Check e-mail twice a day
If you can, check your inbox twice a day. Constant checking of e-mail can lead to stress. Turn off those desktop alerts, restrict yourself to an allotted time twice a day and you should find yourself less distracted and focusing more deeply on other tasks.

28. Phone calls

Create a list of the people you need to call and complete the list once a day. This will give you more freedom throughout the day.

29. Plan
Sort out the big tasks from the small tasks and set yourself a time at the beginning of the week to organise then. A clear set of goals will give you more focus for week ahead.

30. Pre-prepared lunch

Save time and money by setting a few hours aside on a Sunday afternoon to create your work lunches for the following week. Batch-cooking power!

 

Save time with the kids

31. Bathroom multi-tasking

Clean the bathroom while young children are taking a bath. You'll be in the room for safety AND getting housework done at the same time.

32. Kitchen homework
If you've got the space, get your kids to do their homework in the kitchen. You can get on with preparing dinner and be close by to help if you are needed. It also means you can check they're actually getting on with it.

33. Sort that laundry
Buy yourself some different coloured laundry baskets and create a sorting area in your home. Label the baskets 'lights', 'darks' 'mixed' and teach your children how to sort their laundry. This will save you lots of time when it comes to washing day.

34. Batches of baby food
Blend large quantities of food and store in ice cube trays to be frozen and then defrosted when needed. You can find some helpful tips on Freezing Baby Food from Buona Papa. 

35. A home for everything

Teach children that all items must live in a home. Shoes are put by the door when they get in from school, coats go on the hook and school-bags chucked into baskets. This will keep the house organised and clean, as well as save you time in the morning - you'll know where everything is!

 

Save time on cleaning

36. Clutter baskets

Keep a 'Clutter Basket' in every room and use it to chuck in any magazines, toys and objects that don't usually belong in there. Once in a while, carry your basket and return all items. Check out Declutter your home: 7 stress-free ways to do it now for more tips like this.

37. Clean the microwave with ease
Get 2 cups of water and place them in a microwave on a high heat for 6 minutes. You'll be able to get rid of those stubborn stains with a quick sponge afterwards. See Home Hacks: 13 Everyday kitchen items to revolutionise your cleaning for other great tips.

38. Divvy up the chores
Unless you live on your own, why not get everyone in the house involved in the cleaning? Create a chore chart so everyone knows what they have to achieve in a week - you could reward the kids with treats for a job well done!

39. The dishwasher isn't just for plates!
Use your dishwasher to clean plastic brushes, combs and toys. You can even clean the salad drawers of your fridge! Check out Home Hacks: 18 cleaning cheats you'll definitely use for more useful tips.

40. Triple-up bin bags

Don't line your bin with one bin bag! Line up three or four so you don't have to keep going back to find them when you empty your bin. You can even store the rest of the bin bag roll in the bottom.

 

Save time on Travelling

41. Compare flights

Don't search different airline companies, use SkyScanner.net to find out all the available flights at once. It's a great comparison tool and will help you find the cheapest deal fast.

42. Decorate your luggage
Save time at baggage reclaim by decorating your suitcase and making it stand out. Spot your bag in super-fast time and your holiday can then start sooner than everyone else! Learn more tips on how to be a smart suitcase packer by checking out Genius Holiday Hacks: for your Suitcase.

43. Let them sleep
When you have children, long car journeys mean lots of stops for toilet visits, eating and alleviating boredom. Set off in the car when it's sleep time and you'll be able to drive without having to stop. If they're in their pyjamas they'll be all set for bed when you arrive at your destination.

44. Do it yourself
If the airline you have booked offers it then use their online check-in. There may be self-service check-in kiosks or automatic bag drop-offs - these options will save you long queues.

45. Wear your luggage

Flying on a budget airline? Avoid luggage hold charges and delays at baggage reclaim by packing everything you need into hand-luggage. Don't forget to wear your heaviest clothes as well!

I hope you've enjoyed these tips!

If you've got any more, let me know in the comments below...