SocialMoms.com has another great writing prompt that I decided to get in on.  They asked what were your ten time saving tips for busy moms.  I am sure we all have our own list, but I always love to read what others have to say because I always learn so much and come away with even more great ideas.  So, here are my ten.  I would love for you to leave a comment by clicking on the title of this link and share your own.

1)  Make a weekly dinner menu - I have been doing this for years.  Not only does it save time because I do not have to look in the pantry and try to figure out what to make, but it saves money as well because I am only buying items that I know I will be using for dinner that week.

2)  Group errands into one trip - This one is super important now with the high cost of gas, but it is a time saver as well because you are out just once rather then 4-5 times.  Sometimes I know it cannot be helped, but anytime you can plan ahead it always pays off.

3)  Do your wash on one day - This is something I have always done, but whenever I tell people they do not believe it!  I guess we must have enough towels and clothes to last a week, because I always do all my wash on one day and then I am done for the week.  So nice to not have to deal with it all week long.

4)  Visit stores during off times - This seems to be the most important when it comes to grocery shopping.  I drop my daughter off at school in the morning and just head right to my local grocery store.  There are usually no more than ten people in the store and I can get in and out in no time. 

5)  Organize, organize - I love to be organized, I think it is just something so people are born with.  When everything has a place it is so much easier to find things so you are not wasting time wondering where it might be.  It is also a great way to organize your kids and all their toys!

6)  Schedule your week - I already mentioned doing wash one day a week, shopping when it is less busy, but what about scheduling all of your chores for the week?   I do not do this so much now, but when I was working I had a day for dusting, vacuuming & mopping, a day for wash, a day for cleaning the kids rooms.  I love a plan and sticking to it and it did save some time because I always knew when it would happen and plan my schedule around it.

7)  Pay Bills On Line - I think most of us do that now days, but if you still write checks and do no on line banking I would highly suggest it.  It takes half the time to schedule payments via your bank's website rather than writing checks and addressing envelopes.  Not to mention it saves on stamps

8)  Touch Up Paint - I always keep the paint I used for my walls labeled in my garage.  When I see a spot where the paint got marked up or is coming off I touch it up as soon as possible.  By doing this it saves time in the long run, because you will not feel like you need to repaint the entire wall when it has lots of marks. 

9)  Keep Your Car on a Schedule too - I purchased a new car a few years ago and am faithful in taking it in for regular oil changes and tire rotations - By doing so it will help eliminate the need for expensive trips to the mechanic because your car has something wrong with it.  Not too mention saving time if you were driving some place and a check engine light comes on and you have to stop for an unscheduled trip to that mechanic.

10)  Shop On line - I love shopping on line, especially for presents - I know lots of you might think it is more expensive, but if you do it the right way it can be a money saver as well as a time saver - Always look for the best deals (we try to find a lot of them around here :), you are saving on gas and and the urge to buy other things besides what you were looking for at the store.

So, these are ten of my ideas.  I would love to hear yours. 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.