Time-Saving Hacks & Tools Archives - Page 3 of 4

A 5-Day Challenge for Your Most Successful Year Yet

Just like that, 2017 is almost over.

And with a new year comes the desire to make new year’s resolutions. Your big hopes for the future become your big goals for the upcoming year. You want to improve your relationships, take your career to the next level, get healthy, or finally tackle that home project you’ve been putting off forever.

But actually accomplishing those goals? That’s another story!

A few months — or even a few weeks! — into the shiny new year, you may find yourself throwing in the towel on those dreams.

So what’s the solution?

Setting yourself up for success with a step-by-step action plan from the get-go. [Read more…]

Christmas Cards Made Easy: How to Simplify Your Process

The holiday season is upon us again! I love heading out to my mailbox this time of year to find happy Christmas wishes from family and friends.

But sending out those cards? That’s not quite as fun. You wind up tracking down missing addresses, fumbling through drawers for extra stamps, and nursing papercuts.

But what if you could get all of your holiday cards out without the hassle? Here’s how . . . [Read more…]

Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry with Walmart Grocery

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

So far in this series, we’ve looked at the perks and pitfalls of Amazon subscription services, Target Subscriptions, and ShopRite from Home. Today I’m exploring a service that recently came to my area — and might be available in yours! — Walmart Grocery.

Have you heard of Walmart Grocery? Formerly dubbed Walmart To Go, this service from Walmart is spreading fast and beefing up its perks. [Read more…]

How to Host a Stress-Free, Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Turkey time is almost here! And this year, it’s you who’s doing the hosting.

Maybe it’s your turn in the family rotation. Maybe you love hosting! Or maybe, like me, it just feels easier to do the entertaining at home than to haul small children across great distances, skipping important naptimes, and hoping they’ll stay entertained through a long event.

Hosting Thanksgiving can be wildly stressful and expensive . . . but it doesn’t have to be! Let’s make this year’s turkey feast a relaxing, wallet-friendly celebration! Here’s how . . . [Read more…]

5 Simple Ways to Save Time With Your E-Mail

Do you feel as though you are submerged in E-mail? Is your precious time being sucked up by the annoying but seemingly necessary task of reading, responding to, and organizing your E-mail?

If you’re tired of weeding through messages instead of doing what you really want to be doing, check out these 5 simple ways you can save incredible amounts of time with your E-mail! [Read more…]

Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry with Target Subscriptions

This entry is part 3 of 5 in the series Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

NOTE: As of November 2020, Target has discontinued its Target Subscriptions service. Instead, consider using the Target Drive Up service, Order Pickup service, or Same Day Delivery service.

I’m all about the Amazon subscription services. But, in addition, to those services, I swear by Target Subscriptions too.

Target Subscriptions are perfect for keeping your pantry, medicine cabinet, and supply closet perpetually stocked — all at a great price and with extraordinary convenience. So if you’re a die-hard Target fan or just someone who loves a great, easy, set-it-and-forget-it deal, have a look at the perks of Target Subscriptions!
[Read more…]

Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry with Amazon

This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Going to the store can be such a pain.

Whether it’s your supermarket, drug store, big box store, or warehouse club, when you absolutely need to schlep over to the store in order to restock your supply of something, it’s a major hassle.

I’m not talking about shopping for a cute outfit. It’s always the boring stuff. You’re out of toilet paper at 10 P.M., dishwashing liquid after loading up your greasy dinner plates, or tissues when your whole family is flattened by the flu.

And you have to get these boring but essential things again and again and again . . .

But what if there were a better way?

What if you never had to take time of your life to putter over to the store at the most inconvenient time possible? What if your personal care items, cleaning supplies, baby goods, nonperishable foods, and more landed magically on your doorstep?

And what if you could actually save money while keeping yourself constantly stocked with your family’s essentials?

Today, we’re kicking off a blog post series that looks into a number of services that offer inexpensive, home delivery of your pantry supplies.

And we’re gearing up by looking at one of the biggest names in the business — Amazon. [Read more…]

7 Free Chrome Extensions That Keep You Organized & Productive

It’s easy for your Internet browser to be a clutter magnet that slows you down. Your browser is a mess of favorite sites and dozens of open tabs — videos to watch, articles to read, messages to which you need to respond, and more.

But, if you’re a Google Chrome user, you can transform your browser into a tool that supercharges your productivity and keeps you on task and organized. Check out these 7 incredible (and free!) Chrome extensions that are more than worth the download:
[Read more…]

How Parkinson’s Law Will Make You Insanely Productive

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Embracing Parkinson's Law

Back in April, my husband and I did something rather significantly out of character. We planned a weekend trip for our family in one afternoon.

Now, when it comes to vacations, we’re usually big planners! We weigh our destination options, flip through hotel reviews, make spreadsheets of possible activities . . . it’s a job unto itself.

But, in a single afternoon, we planned from start to finish an overnight trip for our family. We booked a hotel, purchased tickets to a theme park, found some good places to eat, and more. We packed up that evening and headed out the very next day with our slightly confused but enthusiastic two-year-old.

And it was fun!

The success of our little last-minute adventure is a perfect illustration of a fascinating concept known as Parkinson’s Law.

In a 1955 essay published in The Economist, author Cyril Northcote Parkinson described what is now famously referred to as Parkinson’s Law. It states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Take that in for a second.

Parkinson’s Law contends that the more time you have to accomplish something, the longer it will take. If we had a month to plan that spontaneous trip of ours, you bet that it would have taken us that long.

So . . . how can you use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage in becoming insanely productive? [Read more…]

6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy (Part 2)

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series 6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy

If you haven’t already read it, check out Part 1 of this series!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Two weeks ago I shared three of my favorite kitchen tools for eating fresh, healthy foods without the hassle.

If you’ve got the right gear in your kitchen, it’s so easy to eat high-quality fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, and more without paying the huge markup that comes with the pre-prepped, bagged and boxed stuff.

So let’s dive in to three more of the best kitchen gear you can get for enjoying good-for-you foods on a budget: [Read more…]