Jaime HayErrands are a tedious and sometimes annoying reality of life. This is especially true when your to-do list grows out of control. It might feel like there isn’t enough time to get everything done.
To conquer your to-do list and take back your time, it’s important to prioritize certain tasks over others. You can also automate some of them, if your circumstances allow for it. A lot of it comes down to how you value your time. So here are four tasks to knock off your list and suggestions on how to do so.
Ordering Medicine
Making sure you have the medicine you need is one of the most important tasks of all. Missing even a single dose can cause serious consequences, depending on the medication. So take stock of the reserves in your medicine cabinet. How close are you to running out of each of your most important prescriptions? Once you figure that out, look at your calendar and schedule a day to fill them back up.
One reason you might be low on medicine is that it can be time-consuming to get more. After all, going to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription isn’t exactly the most exciting date you have planned. Instead of going through all that trouble, why not just get your meds delivered to you?
Whether you need antidepressants, nicotine patches, or birth control pills, now it’s easier than ever to order your medication online. One of the best features of these online services is that you can schedule to have your meds delivered at the same time every month. That way you can rest assured that you’ll always have them exactly when you need them.
Laundry
Sometimes the pile of laundry in your closet just grows out of hand. It’s a simple but time-consuming task, so it can often get relegated to next week’s to-do list. And as the pile stacks up, so too does your anxiety. So laundry is another great place to start chipping away at some of your tasks.
If you don’t have a machine of your own, find a coin-operated one instead. Many coin-operated locations have dual-purpose machines that will both wash and dry your clothes. It takes one step out of the process, getting you one step closer to cleanliness.
Alternatively, consider just paying someone to do the work for you. This might seem frivolous initially, but consider the cost. First, calculate your average hourly income. Now consider the hours it would take you to collect, wash, dry, fold, and put away your laundry. If it’s financially viable, you can hire someone to lighten your load guilt-free.
Grocery Shopping
Another task that can take a lot of time is grocery shopping. While it can be enjoyable for some, you might feel underwater if you’ve got too many other errands to do. So just like with your medicine, consider ordering your groceries online instead. Most ordering services will allow you to create a core shopping list of essentials. This set of ingredients will automatically get delivered to you in whatever period of time you decide. And you can add or subtract items on this list as you see fit before it ships.
If you want to skip ordering ingredients entirely and get straight to cooking, you’re in luck! Because there are so many others like you, meal kits have become very popular in recent years. These kits are nutritionally balanced and take a lot of the busywork out of cooking. You can order kits based on your eating preferences, and they’ll be shipped to your door and ready to go. Again, evaluate the opportunity cost to see if shopping for groceries is really worth your time.
Paying Your Bills
Bills are an unfortunate inevitability of life. But they don’t have to be as taxing on attention as they are on your wallet. If you’re not already, set up automatic payments on your credit card to ease the burden just a bit. You can schedule your card to accept payments directly from your bank account at a set time each month.
First, make sure you have a budget. This might take a good deal of front-loaded work, but it’s well worth it in the end. Once you have a clear idea of your monthly spending, pick a date that you want to pay your bills. This date should be close to but not the same as your payday. You want to stagger your payday and the day you pay just in case there are any transaction complications.
For example, say you get paid on the 15th of each month. You can set your credit card company to withdraw money from your bank account and pay your debt on the 20th. That way you’ll account for transfer times or weekends and pay your bills without even looking at them! This requires some discipline but is an absolute game-changer if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Automate to Elevate
Automation is changing the way people live their lives. By automating regular purchases, you’ll streamline your life and considerably increase the amount of time on your hands. However, some automation services are more expensive than others. So evaluate the cost and invest your time appropriately. If you’re particularly disciplined, you might even be able to knock these items off your to-do list permanently.
Hugh Hay
