Back to Work this year! Working Moms (and Dads) share your timesavers!

[Colleen27]

I live and die by my Google Calendar. Everything gets entered as soon as I hear about it, and everything has reminders set a day in advance so I know what's coming up. Not only does it keep me from forgetting things, it also cuts down on the paper clutter that comes of keeping notes from school, sports schedules, party invitations, and all that stuff around.

As others have said, meal planning (even if it is non-specific) is key to avoiding the "What's for dinner" followed by a blank stare and decision to get carry-out. I don't plan to the detail, I just make sure I'm buying the ingredients for 7 nights worth of dinners based on what's on sale when I'm shopping, plus the usual kid-cooking supplies like eggs, pasta, Velveeta, soup/ramen, etc. I do rely heavily on my crock pot because that works for us; since we often end up eating at different times because of sports/work schedules, it is nice having things like pulled pork or beef stew that everyone can help themselves to when they're ready.

And don't be afraid to delegate! I am so glad someone whose opinion I value gave me that advice when I was still home full time because now that I have more going on (I'm not quite back to work yet, but I'm a full time college student, part time freelancer, and should have an internship for fall) I can lean on my older kids who know how to cook, have been doing at least some of their own laundry for years, and can otherwise take care of a lot of things around the house.

 

[crisi]

Another on the dry erase calendar idea - we put up a chalkboard that was contact paper on our cupboard. We can use that to write the kids to dos on it for school and home. So when a big assignment or test is coming up, or when homework needs to get caught up on, or when the lawn needs to get mowed, or their rooms start looking like you can't reach the bed without a snowplow - it goes on the blackboard.

We google calendar all of our family stuff as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Con-Tact-Self-Adhesive-Multi-Purpose-Chalkboard-18-Inches/dp/B000KKMO90

 

[mom2t]

I plan my meals 2 months at a time on my personal calendar which has dr. appt., after school meetings, etc. I preview sales flyers and stock up on sale items. I have a huge freezer and stock up meat when it is on sale. I have a small closet pantry that I store extras in. I cook large quantities of soup, spaghetti sauce, and a roast with gravy main dish and separate them into qt. containers to place in my freezer. When, I pull a box of cereal out to fill my cereal container, I add cereal to my list if it is on sale. I go to the store twice a week. Wed. for the big purchase and Sunday for a few things we might need unexpectedly. I pull out of my freezer and pantry on Saturdays what we need for the upcoming week and start my grocery list for Wed. based on what I am using up. Saturday is something special steak, fish. Sunday I cook a meal that is the most time consuming with enough leftover for Wed. or Thurs. night. Depending on what we are doing sometimes I switch out menus for Sat. and Sun. Monday I cook another large meal but less time consuming than Sunday with enough leftover for Wed. or Thurs. Tuesday is a one night meal tacos, hamburgers, soup. Wed. and Thurs. are leftovers. Friday is whatever is leftover. Sometimes we all eat something different. I pack lunches for DH and myself as I clean up dinner.

 

[andiraye]

Welcome to the world of working moms!!! I have a pretty intense job that requires me to work a lot (boo hoo) and I've had it since before my kids were born. So does DH. So we've given this a lot of though!

1) Agree with everyone else about meal planning.

2) Cook twice the quantity and eat the same thing for dinner two nights in a row. So you cook 3-4 nights instead of 7. People in your family might complain when you first start but hopefully they will get used to it.

3) cook big quantities on the weekends and freeze. I admit we do this more in winter.

4) Buy birthday presents for the kids friends in bulk so they are there as needed.

5) use calendar invites. DH and I use calendar invites for anything that doesn't fall strictly within work hours. If one of us is out for a work event, that goes in the calendar for both of us. Days off, doctors appointments, date night, in the calendar.

6) we do our shopping as much as possible online - groceries, toiletries, clothing, everything. This one may work for us better than others because we live in NYC, where there are great grocery sites that are less expensive than the decent markets in our neighborhood (NYC grocery stores are notoriously disgusting) and there is someone in our building to accept packages all the time. We order as much of our household supplies as we can from Walmart.com. We can't use coupons but it lets us bring non NYC prices to NYC, so it is still a cost savings.

7) Amazon prime in a pinch. Again, because of where we live the prices are not terrible on a comparative basis.

8) I make my next appointment when I'm leaving where I am. So it's on the calendar for the next time. Holds true for doctor, dentist, hairstylist, etc.

9) sometimes we buy our contribution to holiday dinners. I feel like I've failed as a woman each time we do but what can you do?

10) I leave nothing (or as little as possible) to the last minute. When I do, I end up working around the clock that week and having to order a Father's Day gift on same day delivery through Amazon prime.

 

[andiraye]

Single mom--I had to go back to work when my younger child was in kindergarten. Here is what I do:

I exercise in the morning at home and while I'm on the stairmaster I've got my laptop on the reading rack and take care of administrative stuff (check bank balance, pay bills, respond to emails, see what's on sale at the grocery store, etc.)

This is GREAT.