Time Management Tips

I am blogging about time management tips on behalf of Ingo Money and received compensation for my time from Ingo Money for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Ingo’s. Learn more about the Ingo Money mobile app at http://www.IngoMoney.com, or connect with the Ingo community at https://www.facebook.com/ingomoney.

Here’s the thing.  There’s 24 hours in a day and in this society, that’s apparently not enough.

But really, it is.

And here’s me, living in the rural suburbs of the suburbs, who forgets her wallet at home when she’s gone 20 minutes to get to the store… or the bank.  That’s ALWAYS fun.  Waste of time and gas, which costs…money.  The irony does not escape me, my friends. (Totally serious, our closest bank branches are 19 and 20 minutes away from our house, respectively.  It’s like it’s own event, going to the bank).

But, when I’m not managing my time well, I do stupid stuff like leave to go grocery shop WITHOUT MY PURSE OR WALLET. Also, it’s not a good idea to rely on a 4, 6 or 8 year old to always remember that you should have your wallet.  The day they forget, you will too.  Or so I’ve heard.

So here are some time management tips from ME.

1. Get off of Facebook.

2. Get off of Pinterest

3. Stop laughing, and since none of us is going to get off either of those, not soon anyway, make a pointed decision to LIMIT your time on those sites and stick to it.  2 minutes turns into 2 hours FAST, my friends. I’m living proof.

4. Use a calendar.  Use COLOR on your calendar.  Colors for people who live in your house, or colors by what kind of thing you are entering. Write things down.  Don’t schedule 14 things on one day. It’s not healthy.

5. Delegate (if you live with 7 cats and no other humans, you can skip this one. I understand). I’m still working on getting better with this. But really, delegate, ask for help… whatever. I’ve started asking friends if they want to each drive one way to  parties, activities, sports practices instead of all of us following one another in our cars.  It’s kind of silly).

6. Make lists. USE the lists. I even make lists of lists. I love lists. Make lists of what you have to do for the day or week, and figure out how much time it will take to complete the tasks.  If you have to go to a laundromat to do laundry, clip your coupons and sort, file etc while there.  Pay your bills while there.

7. Plan ahead- for meals, shopping errands.  Seriously. See the above comment where I, the moron, get all the way to the bank without my wallet?  Unfortunately for me, I DO plan ahead for errands, because I hate to drive 20 minutes for one thing. So, I do them at once. Which of course is pointless when I forget my wallet. But on the other days when I’m not a moron, it works out well. Instead of zigzagging all over town or making three trips, I knock 4-5 errands off of my list (see #6!) and get them all done when I’m already in that area. Less time spent, and time spent efficiently.

Time is money.  If you waste all of your time, you don’t have much left at the end of the day, or week, or month. So why not spend a little time planning ahead so you aren’t wasting time?

And, remember, Facebook will still be there a few hours after you log off.  I promise.  Or maybe shut down. I’m not sure the last time I logged out was….

Oh, and don’t forget to include some “you” time in your planning.  A little downtime, playing games, reading a book, exercise- something you enjoy, to recharge YOU.

 

I’m looking more into Ingo Money, the mobile app that lets you load funds from approved checks directly onto your participating Visa Prepaid card. In with a check, on with your life. I could totally skip the bank sometimes!! One less errand = more time for ME. Ingo Money is available on the App Store and Google Play Store app.

Be sure to check out the Ingo Money Minutes Instant Win Game. You could win one of 4 $20 eGift Cards daily and/or be entered to win a $500 grand prize.  Share with friends on Facebook and Twitter for extra entries. Takes a few seconds to enter (I’m not a winner today so I upped your odds, you are welcome!)

 

What are your best time management tips?