apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The link to the time saving tips doesn't work! I want to save it.

Favorite time-saving thing: live in the city so I don't have a tedious commute.

Put out the kids' clothes Garanimal-style at the beginning of the week.

I generally do little chores around the house during commercial break. Its surprising how much of cleaning and tidying up can be accomplished by the time an 1 hr show is over.

Set timers at 20 minute intervals to know how much work you have done. If it wasn't much then pick up the pace.

The undeniable time-saving tip for everything: Plan ahead. Knowing what you'll be doing and where you'll be going in order to get something done can save you unnecessary trips and eliminate time-consuming moments of indecision and forgetfulness.

I stopped drinking coffee while getting ready in the morning. Its amazing how much it used to slow me down, waiting to brush my teeth until the coffee was done, returning to the kitchen for more milk, etc. I love my coffee, but I also love being able to sleep ten minutes later. Now I just take a travel mug of coffee on my commute and I start my caffeine fix when I'm out the door. Its also good incentive for those days when you're just dragging- make it out of the house, get the coffee you need

Also, really deeply wiping down the stove every time you use it or every time it looks dingy really cuts down on the time when you are giving your kitchen a good scrub.

While I'm standing around waiting for something small to cook (microwaving leftovers, toasting bread, etc.) I wash the dishes. I know it's not revolutionary, but it really made a difference in my life. I HATE to wash dishes, but somehow it's not so bad when I'm using it to occupy time that would've been spent staring at the toaster anyway.

Be conscious of how you spend your time. If a task doesn't add value to your life, then figure out a way to minimize it.

This one might sound complicated, but it's really not. I make a dinner menu for each month. Then, when I go grocery shopping, one trip is for stocking up on the meats and staples (rice, etc). When I get home, everything gets put into a container in the quantity I'll need for each meal, and then it's labeled. Then once a week, I pick up all the fresh fruits and vegetables I'll need for the week. Doing this sounds time consuming, but really, it's worth the effort to be able to just yank a container out of the freezer each morning, and not having to worry about deciding on a meal for dinner, and wondering if I need to go buy stuff. THAT saves me a lot of time.

Doing dishes every night. It helps to prevent them from piling up and having to spends hours scrubbing and putting things away. It takes effort but it is so worth it to get up in the morning and have a clean kitchen.

I just skip everything I don't like doing. Saves a lot of time.

Plan your meals ahead of time. I plan out all my meals on Sunday and usually cook something then that can last me party way through the week. No nightly trips to the grocery store or local restaurants.

waiting until the last minute

I pick up things with my toes!

I keep lots of lists on my Blackberry. Everything from shopping lists (groceries, hardware store etc) to room sizes, window sizes, closet sizes, gifts I need to get etc. That way I can add items as soon as I think of them, access them anytime, and delete them as soon as I buy whatever is listed. Sure beats standing in the store asking myself "Now how big is that window again ?" or "What else was I supposed to get for that recipe ?".

I needed to make our mornings run smoother, in order to get everyone fed and out the door. So...every night, before we go to bed, I do a quick tidying up, and I have my kids lay out their clothes for the next day. It takes a minute at the most, and saves valuable time later.

While I'm waiting for the steamer or iron to heat up or while brushing my teeth, I straighten up the bathroom and wipe down the sink area and toilet seat.

I also wash the dishes and/or straighten the kitchen while microwaving or toasting.

I fold and hang up laundry while on the phone...especially mindless conference calls.

Sit ups during commercials.

In the morning, instead of waiting for the hot water to be actually hot, just use the cold "hot" water to brush your teeth. By the time it is actually hot, you can use the hot water to wash your face.

I make my lunch the night before and set up the coffee machine to go off at 7:19 am. Perfect timing for the 7:28 train.

i have no time saving tips...that's why i want this book hyuk hyuk!

"I just skip everything I don't like doing. Saves a lot of time."
Me too!

One super easy time saver is to put several trash bags in the bottom of the wate basket. That way when you fill one you will have another right there to use.

Cook in bulk and freeze half the leftovers to thaw out a few weeks later (works especially well with soup). It's a lifesaver when you're occasionally overbooked for a week at a time.

I dust, vacuum, and mop while I have a load or two of laundry going. When the last load of clothes or towels is out of the washer, I wash the cleaning rags and mop cover.

Some of my clothes have to be hand-washed, so I leave them to soak just before going to bed, then rinse them out and hang them in the shower to drip dry while I'm at work.

spend 10 minutes every day straightening up the house and doing a little light cleaning

I always dedicate 30 minutes on weeknights to cleaning up around the house, putting stuff away, etc - which means my weekends are free and clear.

Give each person in the household his/her own basket, even little ones. Every night before bed, all those age 5 and over make two trips through the house--the first to pick up items belonging to/used by them that have been left out and the second to deposit each item in its rightful place. Five minutes ought to do it and voila! chaos (at least that caused by a house strewn with misplaced stuff) averted.

I try to do little cleanups while brushing my teeth in the morning and at night.

I like to eat a bowl of cereal, talk on the phone, read the newspaper and check navigation all while i'm driving down the 405

Ironing my clothes and packing my lunch the night before

Put food (beans, brown rice, some veggies, etc.) in a crockpot before I go to bed - in the morning, I have lunch and dinner all set up.

I brush my teeth while I watch tv. :)

Iron all of your clothes that need ironing for the week at the same time. I normally handle all of mine on Sunday afternoon. This way, when I am picking an outfit for work in the morning, all of my clothes are already nicely pressed

Keep a cloth bin in my car to throw all my random junk into. When it fills up, all I have to do is bring it inside and put stuff away (or throw it away). My car goes from messy to clean in 5 seconds.

Use a squeegee on the shower doors after each shower, and wipe off any extra drips with a towel. I never have to clean my shower doors, which usually takes me about 30 minutes, since I'm a perfectionist about cleaning glass.

Do things when they need to be done, don't put them aside for later

My favorite time saving tip is to have other family members help with the chores.

I do a bit almost every day, so that chores don't really feel like major time-suckers.

Cut up veggies for a weeks worth of sandwiches/salads - makes for speedy morning sandwich or salad making.

Slip-on shoes. :)

Dvr most shows, without commercials my tv time is way down and I've more time to do other things.

I DVR everything, I hate watching regular TV now, I find myself always wanting to fast forward through commercials.

I urinate in a 2 liter bottle underneath my desk.

Realizing that "no" is a complete sentense unto itself.

drink coffee in the shower.

I wear my shoes with the laces loosely tied so I can treat them like slip-on shoes. Maybe this is really a net time saver of zero since it saves time and effort (the non-tying part), but you also can't run too fast or you might lose a shoe!

I don't have any time-saving tips, which is why I need the book. But it usually serves me well to plan ahead, so I'll say that.
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net

Make a shopping list before going to the store.

I'm trying to save some time and money by forgoing some little luxuries -- no more stopping by a coffee house, running by the bookstore. I also use the timer trick -- it's amazing how much you can accomplish in such a short amount of time!

When friends/family call me at home - I put them on speakerphone and clean the kitchen/load the dishwasher.

I pack a package of sandwich meat, eggs, bacon, bread, mustard, pickles, and fruit once a week to work. I make breakfast and lunch at work. Saves me lots of time in the morning.

lists. simple but effective.

I make breakfast while my husband showers and he makes lunch while I shower.

hey 42rocky, I used to use your lunch trick. I'd bring my sandwich purse to work every week with all the fixins

I pee and brush my teeth at the same time. It saves me all of 30 seconds but I can't break the habit.

I'm glad to see Tyler is still out there shaking things up!! Good for a laugh.

Anyway, my time saving tip is:

Don't micromanage.

When I ask someone to complete a task, the perfectionist in me thinks I could do it better and/or faster. I have to constantly remind myself to let it go and except that the person I'm dealing with is capable and reliable. This applies to home, work, and volunteer work. Trusting other people to do their best is a huge time saver and stress reducer

Cook two meals at once. If you can keep an eye on tomorrow's soup or assemble tomorrow's casserole while waiting for today's sausages to cook through or today's pasta water to boil, you'll have double the meals for about the same cooking and cleanup time. I hate leftovers so this is what I do instead of cooking double amounts and eating the same thing twice in a row (ick), when I know I won't have time to cook daily.

I keep a small blackboard in the kitchen for short term chores/lists and a slightly larger (and much prettier) idea board in the bedroom for longer-term/bigger projects -- between the two, I'm pretty much on time and on target.

always cook enough food for leftovers!

*prep all the food for the week on sunday afternoon.
*buy tiny creamer potatoes that don't need to be cut to roast while cleaning the house.
*make coffee night before
*brush teeth in the shower

While in school, I learned to pack separate tote bags for each day. A tote bag held all the books and supplies needed for life/class that day. Also, online bill-pay makes my life SO much easier - saves oodles of time!

This may be TMI. But I often clean the shower walls while I'm in the shower. Yep. Put conditioner in hair. Don rubber gloves, scrub grout. Remove Rubber Gloves. Rinse hair. Depart shower.

leave everything i need the next day by the front door the night before, so that i don't forget anything.

When I need to do a bunch of things in a short period, I make myself stop and think through all the tasks and really figure out the best order to do them in. Otherwise I run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

I sometimes put foods like chicken, frozen veggies, onion, whatever, in the crockpot while cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. I then place this in the fridge and take it out in the morning and plug in before going to work. I can come home and voila !! dinner is ready.

If i know that i have somewhere important to go in the morning then i get my outfit ready so i don' t have try all kinds on before i leave. Simple yes, does it work that a 10-4. lol

Brushing my teeth while talking to my significant other at the same time.

Start washing prep dishes (knives, cutting boards, bowls) while waiting for something on the stove to cook.

Less time devoted solely to dishwashing later...more time to do fun things!

Weekly meal planning. Saves time in the grocery store and when deciding what to eat each night.

Preparing food in bulk and timing the laundry properly so there's minimal lag time between dryer loads.

Using my grind & brew coffeemaker as my alarm. I save the laborious morning grinding beans, making coffee ritual for the weekends.

After serving everyone dinner, put leftovers into meal size containers. They are then ready to go into the freezer or lunch bag to take to work! Taking lunch to work means not having to decide what lunch you want and having to drive there to get it!

(If plasticware is not provided, remember to include that, or better yet, have a stash ready at work!)

while brushing my teeth picking out what to wear, the oatmeal bubbling on the stove, and cup of green tea heating in the microwave.

I always decide what I'm going to wear before I go to bed the night before.

Wow, I'm bookmarking this page! My best timesaving tip is cleaning the bathroom while my son takes his bath. He's not old enough to bathe without supervision, but old enough that I don't have to support him while he's in there. So I hoover the floor before he goes in and get all the cleaning stuff ready (no sprays though), and then just get to work! Mop the floor when he's in bed and I have a shiny clean bathroom (and a very happy kid who got to stay in the bath for as long as he wanted)!!!

multi-task whenever possible like when i exercise i try to wok in housework

Life is not perfect - so I am allowed to say NO to some requests and not feel guity about it.

Shaving in the shower. I mean, you are already there...no brainer.

Reading while walking the dog. ;-)

Do less.

I do everything in the shower, so when I get out, all I have to do is dry off.

multitasking

Sounds nice if it gives me time to do the things I enjoy slower! My time saving tip is to not be a perfectionist and relax a little every day. That and cooking extra food so I have leftovers and don't have to waste time wondering what I'll have for lunch.

getting coffee ready the night before, menu planning to save trips to the store

Start clothes washing when I go to bed.

Riding my bike to work--getting exercise and fresh air while I commute.

I cook a big pot of something on Sundays that can be doctored a bit to make several different meals throughout the week. That way I don't have to cook for myself every day, but I also don't have to eat the same meal several days in a row.

I learned how to fold t-shirts the Japanese way.

I invite someone over for dinner or coffee.
I work so much faster and tend to get home projects accomplished in less time when I know I have a deadline. For example, my parents and grandparents recently visited and in between trying to keep a toddler busy, I made a chair cushion, hung kitchen shelves, painted a step stool and hung two mirrors!

It is so much more motivating than if I were to just try to get it all done by the weekend.

One of the best time savers during the holidays was taught to me by my family, host a tree trimming party, you get to spend time with people you care about, creating memories, sharing laughs, and one of the most time consuming parts of your holiday decorating gets done fast and it's so much more fun in the process

Do a little cleaning everyday so you're not overwhelmed.

make lists

I use have google calendar email me my schedule every morning so that I can plan my day accordingly.

Sort silverware on its way into the dishwasher, then you don't have to sort it on its way to the drawer.

"Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow." -Thoreau

"Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow" -Thoreau

My car doesn't leave the carport unless I have multiple errands*.

The 2 exemptions would be work and church.

*or there's an emergency

As a rule, you should always sand with the wood grain to prevent cross-grain scratches. But when you're using a belt sander to remove a lot of wood or smooth a rough board, you can save some time and trouble by bending that rule a bit.

Instead of holding the sander parallel with the grain, start by holding it at a 45-degree angle. Move it straight up and back, keeping the tool canted. The aggressive angle of the belt will quickly cut through even the toughest varieties of hardwood.

Once you're satisfied with the surface, turn the sander parallel with the grain and smooth out the diagonal scratches. Continue sanding using progressively finer-grit belts until the board is as smooth as you want it.

Audio books, alows me to exercise and power walk as I'm getting some reading done.

Organize. Make lists and do things in a logical order.

I'm always thinking of new ways to multi-task. I read the paper while I brush my teeth and style my hair. I "read" Playaway books while I take my walk. I listen to the morning news while I check my email. I also make lists before I shop so I don't forget anything, eliminating the need to make a second trip.

google reader - HUGE time saver

use daily planner religiously

multitasking -- commercials are on and i sweep, or i'm waiting for the oven to warm up so i put dishes away, etc.

I brush my teeth in the shower -- getting my (very thick) hair wet while I brush.
Always have a coffee pot with a timer! Fix the coffee the night before to brew 15 minutes before the alarm goes off.
Empty or fill the dishwasher while my toast is toasting in the morning.

I could use more time! Thanks!

cleaning up/ wiping down/ returning items to their place while waiting for the kettle to heat up, oven to preheat, microwave to beep. 2 minutes of moving around is a great way to then sit down and enjoy the cup of tea in a (slightly) cleaner room.

This book looks great!

I save time by trying to stay organized on the computer, rather than keep up with a million pieces of paper :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!

barefoot contessa tip: I divide my grocery lists into quadrants: fruit veg, on the shelves, meats, and dairy (okay, and sometimes: booze). I don't leave an area of the store until I have everything in that mini-list. When I have help, I can tear off a section and distribute.

Put things back where they belong and you will never have to waste time looking for them. They will always be in the proper place.

To save time, I ask for help. And that's not as easy as it sounds.

I try to make sure my house is "in order" before I go to bed at night, by putting things away, and just "tidying" up. It makes getting up easier, and gives me a quick start to the day.

Don't sweat things so much. You don't have to do everything perfectly!

Make things easier for yourself. If I find I'm less likely to do something the right way--like using the mandoline slicer to make even slices of onion--because something is put away somewhere inconvenient, or out-of-sight, I try to rearrange the space to make it more convenient. I have a small kitchen, so space is scarce, and the more intuitive the layout (which is ever-evolving) the more efficient I become!

For quicker dicing, cut onions in a "grid" pattern.

Layout your clothes the night before.

Make a list of the top three things you need to get done that day and focus on accomplishing them!

I make out a weekly meal plan so I know what to get at the grocery stores.

plan ahead and start early

sunday morning, look at what's in the fridge and pantry and coming up with 2 easy meals to make with what's on hand later in the week.

I put my junk mail aside and look through it while waiting for my computer to startup.

i don't know ANYTHING about saving time. that's why i REALLY need this book.

i try to do all my errands at once to save gas and time

Package adults' lunches during dinner cleanup.

Portion fruit/veg and snacks for kids' lunches and store them in the fridge near the yogurt, granola and sandwich stuff. Packing a lunch in the AM consists of grabbing a selection, filling a water bottle and making a sandwich (time permitting).

I email myself reminders. Or staple a note to my purse handle. I must have a bad memory!

i sort and open my mail once a week. only real letters are read right away!

I have a toddler, so lately I've been going the other way. I let him help in the kitchen, which slows everything down to a crawl, but brings such joy, it's worth every slow moment. On the flip side, my husband is an efficiency geek, and he'll usually pick up casual carpoolers to speed up his drive into work. He would LOVE this book.

I'm carpooling with another Mom to take my daughter to school which saves time and gas!

I try to make five sandwiches to take to work for lunch during the week all on Sunday night - I can do a sandwich assembly line, then not worry about finding something to grab in the morning when I'm too tired to make anything.

Electric tea kettle, boils water in a fraction of the time, not only does it make a super quick cuppa, I use it to boil water for pasta.

Organize clothes' closet by color. Makes dressing in the morning a lot faster.

Don't make your bed in the morning- you can save 5 minutes :-)

Favorite time saving tip: be organized!

When baking or cooking wash dishes and put away as soon as done using.

When I'm cleaning a room, I have a box where I place everything that belongs in a different room. It saves running from room to room while cleaning up.

Make a list of things you need to do tomorrow before bed. It will save you having to remember what you were supposed to do.

This might sound kinda OCD, but I tell myself to do things in 10s.. like pick up 10 things, wash 10 dishes.. etc.. It gets things done since, it always seems like a big job until I actually get started.. and I always follow through and get it all done. :)

Keep your tools close to where they're needed so you don't have to walk a mile to fetch them.

I try to be as efficient as possible in the morning before work since I never get up as early as I should. What I like to do is prepare a sandwich or pack leftovers into a lunch containter the night before and just leave it in the fridge or freezer (for a sandwich) and that way I can just grab that from the fridge, then get a piece of fruit and a granola bar or something and have my lunch all packed!

I make a large batch of marinated meats and freeze them into individual packets that can be defrosted and cooked when needed!

very good site ,we are like it .come on my friends .we are come from china ,,if waht can we do for you ,tell me please.find me at china wholesale

mix up cookie dough, roll into a log, wrap in saran and freeze. then cut slices & bake whenever you want fresh homemade cookies

pretend (to the point of convincing yourself) that the friends/coworkers/long lost relatives/landlord are stopping by unexpectedly and clean like a lunatic. works for me every time I sluggishly tiding up.

Try to pick up at least one room a day and then when you dust and vacuum, you don't waste as much time doing it. I'd love to have this book and learn more ways to do things faster. Thank you!

Instead of staring at the water waiting for it to boil, I do small chores around the kitchen: empty dishwasher, wash wine glasses, clean the cat dishes, water sole plant not yet destroyed by cats.

Make coffee the night before and set the maker on a timer.

I make a grocery list each week based on the week's menu and the sales at the grocers. The added benefit of menus is that I can see what was served last week or the week before and rotate our choices.

Timesaving tip: organize a week's worth of vitamins and supplements into one of those funky pill-of-the-day containers, then keep the container right next to the coffeepot. Prevents confusion and mixups in the morning, and since you'd never forget your coffee, you won't forget your vitamins, either.

I make a list of all the errands I have to run and a second list of all the places I have to take the kids all week. Then I match up the errands to the part of town I need to take the kids to on each particular day. It's amazing how much less time it takes, and I don't feel like a taxi driver because I'm getting stuff done that I need to get done and not just driving them.

I plan what I'm going to wear to work the night before and hang it outside the closet. Hey, it works for kids and works great for me too. Otherwise, in my morning stupor, I stand and stare at the closet waiting for inspiration (and wasting time).

The best thing I can do to save time is to get my coffee ready to brew, clothes ready to put on, and everything ready to run out the door in the mornings. That way, my half-asleep self doesn't waste 20 minutes looking for the right shoes or something equally stupid.

I hired a maid to come in every two weeks!

I put all my cleaning products in caddy then I know where evry thing is when I need it thanks.

I'm a list maker, and it saves me tons of time when I'm running errands.

Multi-tasking works wonders - as long as you don't get too distracted to do anything right!

i carry my cleaning supplies around in a little tote so i have everything i need all togethrt

A very smart person told me once make a list of 10 things you want to accomplish in a single day in the order of what is most important. Try and at least get halfway through the list and that is 5 things less you have to do the next day! I swear when you first hear this it sounds strange, but I started doing it and now there are some days I can’t think of a thing to write because I have done so much the previous days! It is much better than going through days where you accomplish nothing. But, I swear by my daily list and I tell you when you get to that halfway point you are sitting pretty darn proud of yourself! Thank you for the opportunity to win!

Lay out tomorrow's textiles the evening before!

I keep cleaning supplies in each bathroom so I have everything I need to clean a sink, mirror or toilet whenever I have a few minutes.

I get up extremely early, 3:30 am, to read, walk 3 miles, then work on things. So, to facilitate that, I get everything ready in the kitchen the night before, lay out all of the exercise clothing that I need, then go to bed.

wash dishes along the way while you're cooking.

I enter contests on my computer while watching the news on television.

I get all my things ready the night before. I do not function well in the morning and this saves me a lot of time. Thanks for the contest.

I read my mail outside by my recycleable garbage container so the junk mail and the inserts don't get into the house.

Preparation is key. Being organized the night before work makes the bleary eyed morning rush just that much easier

I iron and set out the kids clothes on Sunday night for the whole week. No last minute looking for matching clothes

Bonnie in FL
blday50@gmail.com

A big time-saver-clean up while you're cooking or baking, instead of waiting until you're done. Thank you!

I clena my bathroom counters while I am brushing my teeth

Time saving AND brain-saving... I walk to work. 22 minutes.

I make lunches by the week for my daughter, I put the juicebox and snacks in the brown paper bags so all we have to do in the morning is make a quick sandwich and throw it in !!

ktgonyea at gmail.com

i buy grocery coupons on ebay to save loads of money on groceries :)

in the words of my mom: don't handle crap twice.

If coming inside with the mail, dump the obvious junk into the recycling bin. Or, put it away the first time instead of setting it down where the particular item doesn't belong.

One way I save time is to cook extra portions and freeze them on the few days I have time to cook a full meal. They come in handy on game and practice nights, or nights when we get home too late to feel like cooking.

I collect things that need to go upstairs at the bottom of the stairs, and vice versa for things that need to go downstairs. Every time I go up or down the stairs I grab an item or two.

I'm a list maker by nature, and plan ahead by making lists. I'm known by my friends as the most organized of us, and also, the list queen. :)

Take care of mail as soon as it comes in the house. My biggest problem is paper clutter and when I dispose of junk mail right away the paper clutter never seems to happen.

I try to make sure I finish any action I start - I used to take things that needed to be put away and leave them closer to their final destination but not actually put the stuff away, before you know it I have a house full of chaos!

Goal oriented! I make a list and stick to it. I'll think of things on the go and keep a note in my iPhone.

Clean out clutter.

Stay organized and limit your "stuff."

I catch up on light magazine reading while working out on the recumbent bike at the gym.

I dust the dash of my car and the radio, when I'm sitting at a red light. I have a really clean car.

I do the jobs I like least first and get them out of the way.

ask for help with chores around the house, 2 are better than 1!

I open my mail directly over the recycling bin and shredder section.

Make a shopping list before going to the store and check 4 ad matches..

My biggest timesaver is reminding myself not to try to make everything perfect. Good enough gets done faster.

I work out at home, so I don't have to waste time driving to the gym. Yea, me!

Touch it once. Don't use a dish and then place it into the sink to soak. Scrub it clean or put it right into the dishwasher. There is no reason to touch it twice

I try to combine errands in one trip so I don't have to make separate trips.

make extra food early in the week, like a roast, and then use it for different dinners/lunches as the week goes on to save on main course cook time, just have to make sides!