Top 4 Ways I Save Time

Saving time. Kind of a weird thought. How does one "save" time... We all get the same amount. 24 hours in one day. Some of us are professional time wasters though.

Tick, tock, tick, tock... that sound makes me... nervous! I hate wasting time... I like the idea of saving time... or redeeming time... Ephesians 5:16 sums up the best way to save time: "Make the most of every opportunity..." Sounds simple doesn't it when it is put that way? Here are some ways I make the "most of every opportunity".

1. Shop online. What is one of the many things us moms HAVE TO do? Shop. Our family needs food... well, we do too. And laundry detergent. And vitamins. And... and... you get the idea. We need stuff. Lots of stuff. Every time you GO to the store you have to count the time it takes to get ready, get everyone in the car, drive to the store, shop in the store, pack everything and everyone back into the car, unload the car and put everything away... phew, makes me tired just typing it all out. I like to buy stuff online. Think of all the steps I just listed that get cut out when you do this! My favorite is to buy through amazon.com and walmart.com. A lot of walmart's prices are hard to beat. If you spend over $50 online (easy to do) then you get free shipping. With amazon I love to use their "subscribe and save" program. Not only do you get free shipping but you also get an additional 15% off! I love to use this for items I use often (paper plates, diapers, dish detergent, emergen-c etc.). We are also prime members on amazon which gives us free two day shipping on almost everything. Totally worth the small fee.

2. Multitask. As. Much. As. Possible. So many of our modern day conviences enable us to multitask non-stop. You can dry a load of laundry while you sleep! Our ancestors would laugh to hear us say: "I just don't have time to do everything." Today I was vacuumming, while the popcorn was popping for the high school outreach, while the clothes were washing in the washer machine, while Ricky and Rhea were working on school work. Always be looking for ways to get more than one thing done at once. 

3. Stay home. A lot of us feeling like we don't have time is because we aren't at home enough. The more time you spend at home the more you get done at home which is our God ordained dominion. Titus 2:5 instructs women to "be busy at home." Again, I love the simplicity of the bible! That is where we are to be the busiest ladies! At home. This is hard because we have cars that can take us lots of places and then we are at all these places neglecting our homes and then we feel like we "just don't have enough time." Pray and ask the Lord to give you direction on if and when He would have you leave the home. My husband is a big help for me in this area, helping me decipher whether or not I should leave the house to do something else. Ask your man and see what he says.

4. Prioritize. How often do you find yourself on facebook before reading your bible? Are you calling a friend just to chat when your sink is full of dishes? Do you find yourself watching "just one more episode" when your kids have been asking you for weeks to play some board game with them? Remember, if you are married and a mother, your highest calling is to minister to your husband and children. Be in His Word first. Serve your family first. Do your "have tos" before your "want tos". Maybe you don't have time to do the important things because the less important things are sucking up all your time.