# How do you save time in your daily life **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451 "2026-03-14T22:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/1 "2026-03-14T22:43:15Z")
I know some people are really busy with work and personal responsibilities, so they don’t really have a lot of free time. So how do people save free time by getting things done more efficiently? What tricks have you learned over the years that help? For me here are some that work: Living in an apartment instead of a home. Far less maintenance. Ordering your groceries online and doing curbside pickup. Delivery of items to the door is also a good way to save time. If you do have to run in person errands, checking google reviews to see when they are at their most and least busy time of day. Eating prepared food or easy to prepare food. Not having kids (this one has worked very well for me) I’ve noticed when I take certain health food supplements, I need 1 less hr a sleep a night (8hrs down to 7hrs). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/amAEJGVBMvU/hqdefault.jpg "Al casdy - Time Manager (mad tv)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amAEJGVBMvU) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/2 "2026-03-14T23:12:59Z")
What supplements? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/3 "2026-03-14T23:26:38Z")
I know this board criticizes supplements but for me: Na-R-ALA (a more effective form of alpha lipoic acid) Spirulina chlorella Green smoothies (basically garden of life perfect food mixed with a protein shake. I’ve tried making green smoothies with raw vegetables, but this is much more convenient). ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/4 "2026-03-14T23:28:13Z")
Saving time: I do dishes, forks, etc as soon as I’m done eating. There is no future chore I must tend to. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/5 "2026-03-14T23:55:30Z")
I warmly recommend the OP reads Michael Ende’s _**[Momo, or the strange story of the time-thieves and the child who brought the stolen time back to the people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momo_(novel))**_. A beautiful read, and it does not take too much time 😉 Time to re-read that myself, now that I think of it. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/6 "2026-03-15T10:17:12Z")
It’s weird, recently retired and I’m as busy as ever. We are in the fortunate position that we have house cleaners come in twice a month. We don’t have to deal with cleaning. What’s interesting about that though is it makes us be more organized so they can do their job. Just being organized is a great time saver. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/7 "2026-03-15T10:45:39Z")
As I am alone and am a lackadaisical sort, saving time is not much of a goal of mine. But something I have been doing that has made me more organised with my day is to plan ahead. I generally know that, when I have chores that need doing, what day and time I am going to do them, and I try to stick to that. Rarely are things desperate last minute rushes when I approach them that way, and it makes them less stressful or annoying. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Ordering your groceries online and doing curbside pickup. I also do this sometimes, particularly for heavy things like beverages. Buy in bulk, regular delivery, to the door, so it’s all off my mind, and all I need to do is get them inside once every month. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/8 "2026-03-15T10:45:47Z")
I do not save time… what would I do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/9 "2026-03-15T12:13:25Z")
Is the equation, be really busy and make money you can spend saving time? The way I “save time” is to not overcommit myself in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/10 "2026-03-15T15:06:05Z")
Rather than “save time” I prefer to find as much pleasure and satisfaction as I can in every (or most) moments. One of the things that helps me do that is to be cautious about being efficient. Carrying large loads is one example - many times I’m happier taking several light trips rather than struggling through one fully loaded trip. Letting go of efficiency in general has been a revelation, similar in effect to letting go of wealth accumulation - although you can treat life as a game in which maximizing some sort of “score” is the objective, for many of us that turns out to be a problematic approach. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/11 "2026-03-15T16:19:56Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > I do not save time… what would I do with it? The things you actually want to do once your obligations are out of the way ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/12 "2026-03-15T16:24:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Not having kids (this one has worked very well for me) This one would dwarf all others. I used to wonder what people without kids did with their time. I don’t regret having kids, but it does take up a lot of time for about 15 years. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/13 "2026-03-15T16:51:04Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Just being organized is a great time saver. Yes. I’m a big proponent of making lists. I do it at work, and also for grocery shopping. We don’t browse! I follow routines in life as much as possible, doing the same things in the same order, eating the same meals, etc. I’ve cut down my wardrobe to the basics, using this method: Project 333: The Challenge To Help You Simplify Your Closet - Be More with Less [Project 333: The Challenge To Help You Simplify Your Closet - Be More with Less](https://share.google/hj9ED7QZymLpmBZIO) I mostly try not to waste time decision-making in daily life, because I suck at it! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/14 "2026-03-15T17:06:10Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > I do not save time… what would I do with it? Read and post on the SDMB, of course! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/15 "2026-03-15T17:07:44Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Yes. I’m a big proponent of making lists. My Wife and I both do. Heh, sticky notes saved mankind. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I’ve cut down my wardrobe to the basics, using this method: I was a programmer, what is this thing you call a wardrobe? It’s 33 degrees f out. I’ve changed over to wearing shorts, so I will wear shorts to the store. I used to work with a guy that wore shorts every day. 0 degrees? No problem. I’m drawing the line at freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/16 "2026-03-15T17:39:20Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Yes. I’m a big proponent of making lists. Another fan of lists here. They allow me to get everything out of my head, and the more I check off as completed, the more encouraged I am to complete the rest. I get far more done, faster and more efficiently as a result, leaving me more free time than if I just trudged forth without a game plan. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/17 "2026-03-15T17:43:23Z")
Many things already mentioned, plus some of my own… - make lists - groceries ordered online and delivered to the door - dishwasher - no kids - cleaner - gardener - similar clothing (I’m retired, so can wear tracksuits every day) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/18 "2026-03-15T18:01:52Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So how do people save free time by getting things done more efficiently? What tricks have you learned over the years that help? First, as it’s been mentioned upthread, I don’t have [human] kids. I do have aging pets, however, one of which is on hospice care–the little guy takes constant care. Second, I’m a _very busy_ guy–up & moving at 5:AM and back home at 5-6:PM, which includes gym time at 5:30AM, a check-in at the office by 8:AM, and a “Superman Drill\*” between the two. I, as mentioned upthread, am a firm believer in _lists,_ or, at least writing stuff down so you can move on and not forget good ideas or tasks later on if/when you have time. Primarily though, I’ve figured out that I can save a **huge** amount of time & money by making breakfast/lunch meals and dinner prepwork on the weekends **for the week**. I used to go through one of those ‘overnight’ delivery meal services, but deliveries started slipping to the point that food was spoiling enroute. Now I make enough breakfast shakes & protein (chicken/burger patties/etc.) that I can nuke some frozen veggies in 5-10 minutes the night before to build a ‘brown bag’ lunch. Seriously, I _do not have time_ or _resources_ to buy a lunch every day at the cafeteria. I get “ambushed” multiple times in the hallway just on my way to the men’s room. By prepping my meals, I can spend a moment or two of ‘quiet’ time in deep-thought instead of wondering what 4-month old topic some coworker is blathering about on a chance encounter in the hallway. Look at my posting history for the past two years–I just don’t have much free time anymore. Hell, just look at my speling & grammar. Tripler This post is a rare exception (I’m waiting on the InstaPot to wrap up). (\*) "Superman Drill": Go to the bathroom, shower, and scrape yer face in 10 minutes or less. (aka "Sh\*t, shower, and shave") ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/19 "2026-03-15T18:06:10Z")
The number one thing we do is to inventory the freezer every Thursday evening, go over the circulars, and plan the meals for the next week. We use the menu to build a shopping list. We go grocery shopping Friday, and are set for the week, with everything we need. No time spent on trips for the stuff we don’t have, no discussion of what to eat each night. We also can take stuff out of the freezer the night before to start defrosting. Saves us tons of time. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451/20 "2026-03-20T16:57:20Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > My Wife and I both do. Heh, sticky notes saved mankind. I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, but have you considered making lists online like on google docs so you both always have access to them? Sticky notes aren’t as convenient as an online sharable list. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-save-time-in-your-daily-life/1028451.md?page=2)