7)  Take something to do with you.  This one isn’t going to get you seen any quicker, but it can help save you time especially if you have a recurring weekly appointment.  I have cleaned out my purse, balanced my checkbook, clipped coupons, made phone calls, taken a short nap, and written articles while waiting.  No sense in doing nothing.

8)  Have your paperwork ready.  If you’re a new patient, then try to have the necesary paperwork completed before the appointment.  Stop by and pick up forms or call and ask to have them faxed or emailed to you.  You can even try to drop them off before your appointment.  This can save you 15-30 minutes on your first appointment.

9)  Have your current insurance card.  Researching insurance information and benefits can cause the office clerk to make phone calls which will keep you waiting.

10)  Try not to schedule appointments during busy times.  I’ve heard that Mondays and Fridays are the busiest days for appointments.  On those busy days the doctor may get behind schedule. Instead of scheduling on a Monday or Friday you could leave work an hour early on a Tuesday.

Please also check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our time saving tips.

What ways do you save time at the doctor’s office?

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4)  Find out the best way to communicate with the doctor.  Some doctors are now conversing with patients by email.  Some prefer to have you leave a message with the nurse who usually returns your calls within a few hours.

5)  Be willing to see a nurse practitioner or other physician on staff.  If my kids are sick and need to be seen right away then I know that I can probably get a same day appointment for being flexible and seeing any staff member.

6)  Ask about refill procedures.  Some controlled substances such as medicines for ADHD can only be given a month at a time.  Ask your doctor if you can call or email to get a new prescription.  Some doctors will let you come in every other month for these medicines rather than every month.

What ways do you save time at the doctor’s office?

Stay tuned this week for part 3 of time saving tips at the doctor’s office.  Please check out part 1,  10 Time Saving Tips for the Doctor’s Office.

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Here are some tips to save you time:

1)  Be on time.  This one may sound simple, but so many people are late for their doctor appointments.  Being late can cost you time.  Many offices have a policy that if you’re more than 15 minutes late you’ll lose your appointment and have to reschedule.  And I’ve even heard of some office staff that penalize late clients by making them wait at least an hour or two to be seen even if they’re not busy.  This is not just rumor.  I have heard this from employees.  So the first simple step is to be on time.

2)  Call before your appointment.  Sometimes I will call on the day of my appointment just to confirm that everything is scheduled properly.  Unfortunately I have had circumstances where my appointment time was not written down by office staff.  Also, calling ahead gives you the opportunity to ask if the doctor is on schedule for the day or running behind.  The nurse may tell you to come 15 or 20 minutes later than scheduled.  This is time that can keep you from sitting around and waiting.

3)  Be specific when making your appointment.  Tell the person what the appointment is for.  If you tell them that you’re making the appointment for your hurting back and then you ask to have something else tested then they may not have the staff on duty at the time.

How do you save time at the doctor’s office?

Stay tuned later this week for part 2 of 10 Time Saving Tips for the Doctor’s Office.

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Today my husband and I tried something a bit different.  I wanted to get a few more groceries from Harris Teeter before the Super Double sale ended and he needed to get some things from Lowe’s Home Improvement and some other places.  We decided to do our errands together.  Actually, he dropped me off at Harris Teeter so that I could shop while he did his errands.  This saved us gas and time and also avoided me having three kids in the grocery store.

This is what works for me.  For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit We Are THAT Family.

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I figured I spend 10 minutes a day, 2-3 times a day pumping milk for my son.  Yep, you guessed it.  I got on my elliptical and pumped milk while walking.  Not to give you a visual but it was enormously funny!  I even had to laugh.  Now I think I have gone off the deep end.  I couldn’t go very fast for fear of losing my balance but I managed to get 4 oz and 110 calories burned on the elliptical in 10 minutes.  Not too bad.  Let’s see if I can do it again later.

Make sure you multi-task while being safe.  I could have fallen and spilled my milk Now that would have been something to cry about.

Now you can laugh…

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As you can imagine, grocery store visits were taking a lot of time. I had my grocery list from the grocery game and my coupons, and I was trying to find the best deals while dealing with a 2-year-old. I decided I’d better find a quicker way to get out of the store.

Here’s what I did to save time:

First, I looked over The Grocery Game list for the week. I printed off only the items that I was interested in purchasing.

Next, I matched and clipped the coupons to the items I was going to buy at rock bottom prices and some other coupons I was interested in using.

I separated the coupons that I definitely wanted to use from the coupons that I might use. The coupons I might use depended on price per item and if I have reached my 20 double coupon limit at the store.

I wrote a list of the things I wanted to buy and put the list in order, according to how the store was arranged. I also put my coupons in order by my list.

Now when I walk through the grocery store my list is in order and I’m not fumbling through coupons.  These few extra minutes at home of putting things in order have saved me at least 30 minutes in the store.  This makes Cuddlebug and me much happier.

What do you think of this system? Do you have some tips for saving time at the grocery store?

Images by me. See more Works for Me Wednesday ideas.

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So get that timer out and go tidy up a room today!  It’s only 5 minutes.  I put Little Man in the play yard (my other name for it isn’t very nice) and let him fuss for a few minutes while I do my 5 minute room rescue.  How about you?

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1)  Go to each room and make a list of the jobs that need to be done.   

2)  Take one job at a time.  If you look around, you’ll likely freak out and become discouraged.  Instead of thinking about all the things in the room that need to be cleaned, refer to your list (see #1).  This will help you to tackle one job at a time.  As you complete that job, just cross it off your list.

3)   Clean one room each week. 

4)  Make a list of all the supplies you’ll need.  Whether it’s cleaning supplies, boxes, trash bags, or storage containers, you’ll need a list.  Go to the store and get the things that you need so that you don’t have another excuse to procrastinate.

5)  Set a deadline.  This sometimes helps for me.  Sometimes I will even schedule an event at my house so that I stay motivated to get it done before people come over.

6)  Make out a schedule.  Here’s an example:  Monday you could write on your schedule to go through all the dressers in the kids’ room. Tuesday you could clean out their closets. Wednesday you could take down the curtains and blinds and clean those, as well as wipe down window sills with bleach (to kill any mold).  Thursday you could move the furniture in their rooms and clean behind the furniture and wash the baseboards. Friday you could wash all the bedding (including the mattress covers), vacuum the mattresses, and spray dust mite remover on the mattresses.  On Saturday you could dust, paint, or whatever else needs to be done.  It makes it easier to stay on task when you have a schedule or goal for each day.

7)  Have a pile for things that you no longer want.  You’ll probably want this stuff to be in plastic bags or boxes so that the kids don’t see it and pull it back out.

8)  Pump up the volume!  Nothing gets us moving like a good beat.  I have some of my favorite cds downloaded onto my computer so that I can make my own playlist.  Perhaps you could make a cd with good tunes to get you moving.

9) Set the timer.  If tackling a room each week still seems like too much, try setting the timer for 20 minutes at a time.  See how much you can get done in those 20 minutes and then stop and spend some time with the kids.  A little break with them will help them to be more understanding about your cleaning schedule.

10)  Get the kids involved.  We have a small rechargable vacuum cleaner that I let my son vacuum with when I’m cleaning.  Find small tasks that they can do while you’re cleaning.  Otherwise, have a few other options on hand. 

Here’s a few suggestions for the little ones:

Nick Jr printables
Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center
Bingo Dauber Printables
Online Fun for Kids

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1. Use Lysol or Mr Clean wipes in the kitchen. I usually don’t even wipe with a rag first. It’s really fast, easy, and sanitary.
2. Find ways to clean with your kids.
3. Maintain, Maintain, Maintain.
4. Do a load of laundry a day.
5. Clean your bathroom while your kids are bathing. It works for me and it teaches your kids to clean as well.
6. Get a timer. You will be much more motivated to get more done if you are up against a timer. It’s the Flylady’s montra!
7. Get organized. It is much easier to clean if you know where things go. I tend to let things get out of control if I don’t know where to put things.
8. Keep a mobile cleaning cart. This will help you keep all your supplies in one place and easily accessible to tackle any room.
9. Wash your pets regularly. This will hopefully keep down on pet hair.
10. Wear gloves when you can. This will keep you from spending time trying to get that smell off your hands and having to work harder to keep them moisturized.
11. Have a cleaning party. Don’t laugh. I love helping others clean their houses but I hate cleaning mine. Imagine if you and a best friend have a weekly cleaning or organizing date. Things would get done and you would have a ball! I would much rather clean with a companion. I get much more done.
12. Get a routine. This way cleaning is a habit. I go against the Flylady’s #1 rule. Shine your sink before bed. My feet hurt too bad by the end of the day so I turn on the dishwasher and leave the rest. I finish it in the morning when I am rested and my feet don’t hurt.
13. Wash the dishes right away. Because of #12, my dishes take more time to wash some mornings. It’s a price I am willing to pay, unfortunately.
14. Don’t scrub your microwave clean. Put lemon water or vinegar water in the microwave and let it boil. The steam will cut the grease and grime and save you time. Be VERY CAREFUL though and make sure your vinegar water is mixed well. Vinegar tends to explode when you take it out.
15. Take 5 minutes a day for the hot spots. That way they don’t get overwhelming. Just pick one every couple of days.
16. Turn the TV off. The TV is a fantastic time sucker! I like to listen to the radio when I get to clean.
17. Find a babysitter if you get overwhelmed. This might cost more but I get 5 x done when my kids are at the sitter or my DH takes them out for a while.
18. Magic Erasers are wonderful and they cut the scrubbing time in less than half.
19. Get some sleep.  I am twice as fast and productive if I am rested.
20. Have a time table.  This is different from a timer.  I am most motivated when I know I have to leave at a certain time and need to get a certain amount done before I leave.  Usually I am not too late but I get all my things on my list done and then usually one extra.
21. Make a list and cross it off as you get it done.  This is a huge motivator!  (this one was a bonus)

Good luck!  Let me know how you do.

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1.  Ask for gift suggestions.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking the person, the try asking their friends or family members.

2.  Go shopping with a list.  Have each person’s name on the list and some gift ideas.

3.  Avoid shopping during mealtimes.  This will only cost you more time and money, plus the wait time in the restaurants from all the extra business.

4.  Delegate.  If possible, give some of the responsibilities to someone else.  Have your husband be in charge of buying for his parents or have him go pick up the Nintendo game system your child has been wanting.  There’s no reason that you have to do it all yourself.

5.  Shop during off-peak hours.  Right now it seems like there are no off-peak hours, but you know the stores are going to be busier on the weekends.

6.  Get a sitter.  I know that I can get a whole lot more shopping done when I don’t have my kids with me.  It takes time to get them in and out of their carseats and bring all the extra things to help keep them entertained.  There’s the extra time of taking them to the bathroom, watching after them, worrying about inappropriate behavior from a child that needs a nap . . . you get the idea.  If you can’t get a sitter, then talk to your kids before you go into the store.  Tell them your expectations and why it’s important.

7.  Consider gift cards.  These are an easy, time saving gift to buy.  Some grocery stores are even selling other stores’ gift cards.  Our Lowe’s Foods grocery store has gift cards for at least 25 other stores.

8.  Pack a lunch box.  I try to pack a lunch box with water, crackers, or any other snacks that will be quick and easy.  Sometimes I will carry a granola bar in my purse to get me by until I can get to the car and my lunch box.  This avoids the insanely long lines in the food courts, plus the extra calories and fat.

9.  Shop online.  Right now is the perfect time to shop online.  Stores want your business and many of them are offering free shipping.

10.  Use gift bags.  This will definitely save you time since you won’t have to find a box or wrap anything.  I try to get my gift bags after Christmas when they’re on clearance.

Do you have any tips to share?

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