I can’t pass up an article that lists Life Hacks. I love to see what tricks other people have come up with to solve life’s everyday problems. It’s so satisfying to have a “mind blown” moment from something that’s a simple fix. Here are some Mom Hacks I use to save time, money, or energy:
Automate
Thanks to the internet and related technologies, many things can now be set up once and run on their own indefinitely with minimal oversight. In our house we auto-pay bills (you can sometimes get a discount for doing this), we schedule our Shark Ion Robot to vacuum while we sleep, and we set up an Alexa routine to turn on the sound machine and lullaby music for the baby through an Echo Dot. If you have Amazon Prime, you can use the Subscribe feature to automate repeat purchases for pantry and household items. I’m just waiting for the price to come down on laundry folding machines and then I’ll automate that too!
Duplicate
If you need one, you probably could use more than one. We have a changing table on each floor of the house so I don’t have to carry kids upstairs or get on the floor multiple times a day for diaper changes (we currently have 2 in diapers, but have had as many as 4). Laundry baskets are strategically located around the house to collect dirty items. I keep a Lillebaby carrier in the van and another in the house so I don’t have to remember to grab it when we’re headed out. We pack a diaper bag for outings but also have the diaper clutch stashed in the van for backup. You can even include your own spare shirt or outfit in the diaper bag in the event of mishaps away from home. I have a nursing pillow for the living room and another for the bedroom so there’s always one handy. Our baby has bed pacis that glow in the dark and a paci on a clip for going out. You really can’t have too many pacis. There is nothing more frustrating than hunting for a paci while the baby is screaming! If your child has a lovey, it would be good to keep a backup in case it goes missing or has to be washed. If you have multiple vehicles or your child regularly rides with another caregiver, investing in a second carseat is a good idea. And if anyone knows of a hack to clone Mom, that would be the ultimate duplicate!
Deep Freezer
If you have room for even a small deep freezer, get one! It will pay for itself in savings by enabling you to stock up on meat when you find it on sale. It’s also helpful for prepping meals ahead, whether it’s fully prepared casseroles, or dump and cook Crock Pot or Instant Pot recipes. If you’re needing to store breastmilk, it will keep longer in the deep freezer and free up space in your regular freezer.
Consignment Sales
Kids are hard on things, and the things they don’t wear out they seem to outgrow overnight! Consignment sales are great on both fronts – you can buy gently used clothes and toys at a fraction of the cost and you can sell what they gently (or never) used. Although it involves some work, I try to consign things at each Fall and Spring sale with Kids Clothes Connection. I know my prep work will pay off both on the selling side and the buying side. I make a list of what my kids need (usually shoes!) and want to guide my shopping. At the very least I try to hit the Half Price days of the sale. At the last sale I was able to get a nice train table complete with tracks and trains for $30! My four year old has played with it daily since I brought it home. Although it’s hard to imagine, I’m sure the day will come when it’s no longer his main interest and I will be bagging up wooden train tracks to resell. The fall sale for Kids’ Clothes Connection is upon us. Check out this post for more consignment sale tips!
Grocery Pick Up/Delivery
This is certainly the greatest revolution of the modern era, at least for moms! If you haven’t tried Walmart Grocery Pick Up yet, I don’t know why not! With a minimum purchase of $35 (which I blow past in the first 10 minutes of creating my order), you can select the store, day, and time that is convenient for you to pick up your order from the comfort of your minivan in your yoga pants. And it’s free! If you’re lucky enough to live in a delivery area for Walmart, Kroger, Wright’s Market, or a third party service such as Shipt or Instacart, shopping is even easier because you don’t even have to leave your house!
What are your favorite sanity-saving mom hacks? Please share in the comments!
