I can’t help but confess that I feel a bit hypocritical writing this post.  It’s because my inbox is always so filled with emails.  Right now I have over 700 emails.  Some days I think I need a secretary.  Since I can’t afford a secretary, I’ve decided I need to do some things to get a handle on all this inbox clutter.  It is time consuming and it needs to stop.  Here’s a few tips I have thought of to simplify our lives and receive less emails.

1)  Unsubscribe from unsolicited newsletters.  Somehow I am receiving several newsletters that I am …read more

You’ve just written that 25 page paper for English.  You’ve spent hours researching, reading, citing sources, inserting quotes, proofreading, and rereading.  You’ve completed the required assignment to get credit for the class, but why not maximize your efforts?

My suggestion to you today is that when you get your paper back from the teacher or professor, don’t toss it. Don’t delete it from your computer and don’t toss out the disk.  Let your work carry on into other classes.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have used my work from one class in another class.  Here are some examples and …read more

I remember when I was pregnant with my first child and it seemed like I was spending a lot of my free time in the doctor’s office.  Now that I have kids, I’m spending more time than I’d care to waiting for appointments.  Here are more tips for saving time while at a doctor’s office.  Ironically, I wrote them while waiting. 

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, …read more

Unfortunately, we can spend a lot of unnecessary time sitting around waiting at the doctor’s office.  Your time is valuable so here are some time saving tips to help:

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 …read more

Here at Thrifty Mommy we sometimes provide tips on saving time as well as saving money.  After all, your time is valuable to you just like your finances.  Unfortunately, one of the places where you might spend and waste a lot of your time is in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen.  Ironically, I am now sitting at a doctor’s while my son is being seen. 

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 …read more

Since we live in a very rural area, going shopping usually requires a 30 minute drive.  A 30 minute drive may not seem like much to some of you, but to me this is a long way to go.  At our last house, there was a local grocery store less than 1 mile from our house and there was a Food Lion only 2 1/2 miles away.  If I was in the middle of cooking and needed something, it was easy just to drive up to the store to get the item. 

Today my husband and I tried something a bit different.  …read more

I think when most people think of the slow cooker and the things that we cook in it, they think winter.  I know that was my first thought before I learned that the slow cooker can be my best friend.  I have learned that you can cook almost anything in your slow cooker and it really saves lots of time.  On those busy summer days when you want to be at the pool but you feel like you need to cook instead, pull out your slow cooker.  Several of my friends say that this way of cooking is not for …read more

I had a problem. When I went to the grocery store I had to take my 2-year-old with me. My little boy is normally very well behaved but for some reason, whenever we walk into a grocery store he starts acting as though he’s never been in public before.
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 …read more

Thanks to Flylady, I am reminded of the 5 minute room rescue. This is where you set your timer for 5 minutes and do a quick clean up. Don’t get the duster out. Just put things away and tidy up. Part of Thrifty Mommy’s original plan was to save you time AND money. This is a great way to keep a tidy house without spending hours. 5 minutes a day in 3 rooms will do a world of good.
So get that timer out and go tidy up a room today!  It’s only 5 minutes.  …read more

I love Karen’s post on Spring cleaning! She is so great. So I thought I would give you my quick and dirty cleaning tricks for when you find your MIL is coming in 5 minutes. YIKES!! So here are my quick ways to make your house look like you have just spent hours cleaning.

Make some piles. Clutter free is the best way to make your home look clean.
Use those Lysol wipes, ladies. Wipe the countertops and toss.
Make sure you have wiped down your bathroom.
Use a disposable toilet bowl cleaner and wipe the hall bathroom toilet.
Make sure you have plenty of …read more