Want More Time for Fun?
(Follow these tested time-saving tips from a professional)
By Diane Hatcher, Timesavers Services

Being organized correlates to time efficiency. Eliminating wasted time increases productivity and reduces stress. In fact, the average American businessperson loses up to an hour a day, six weeks per year, searching for lost and misplaced items.

What would you do with an extra hour a day to enjoy yourself? You could go out to lunch, sleep later, take a class, shop more, leave work earlier, talk to friends, any number of things.

Implementing these ten simple tips will get you started. Then be creative and add your own.

Buy a Sun Pass. This little device, useful on Florida toll roads, keeps you from fumbling for change, saving receipts and waiting in lines at toll booths.

Keep a “trip list.” List everything that can be done and packed prior to a trip. Include an additional list for the last minute things to do and pack. Use this same list for every trip.

Make grocery shopping a breeze. Always take a list with you to the store. (Start the list throughout the week as you run out of items). Make a master list, in the order of the aisles in your store, then fill in items needed by aisle. You’ll save a lot of time wandering around every aisle trying to remember what you need.

Create a password book. Many websites require a user name and password. Keep a notebook alphabetically by site name, entering username and passwords as you create them.

Refer to an “Upcoming Events” folder. Using a brightly colored, clearly labeled file folder, provides a simple way to maintain all those notices you receive for meetings, parties, and other events. Don’t forget to enter them on your calendar before filing. No need to copy the details down. They’re in your folder!

Simplify gift giving. Collect neat ideas for future gifts in a file. When you need ideas, whip out your file. Purchasing online or through catalogs saves time and effort.

Sort your vitamins. Purchase a different colored vitamin sorter (labeled Sunday through Saturday) for each member of the family. Once a week, pre-sort the vitamins and prescription medicines for the week. This saves opening all those
bottles six more times per week plus provides an organized reminder to take your
pills.

Organize your manuals. Warranty books and instruction manuals are easily organized in an A-Z accordion file, with the purchase receipt stapled inside the book cover for protection. File by name of appliance (ex.-“T” for television). The entire file stores in your file drawer.

Photo copy both sides of your wallet’s contents. Keep a copy at home and one locked up at work. In case of loss or theft, the information you need is at your fingertips. Imagine the time and stress you’ll save in contacting the credit card companies and replacing other pertinent documents.

Touch paper once. Not literally but almost. The first time it touches your hand, have a plan for it and put it there. Read, file, respond or toss!

Happy Organizing!!

Diane Hatcher is a professional organizer, and owner of Timesavers Services in Cooper City. She can be reached at 954-252-7511, or at diane@timesaversusa.com.