Time Savers for Moms
By Marci Lutsky
November comes and I immediately feel completely short on time until the end of the year. Okay, let’s get real. I feel that way all the time, not just during the holidays. No matter how organized I try to be, it always feels like I could use an extra few hours in each day to get everything done. Over the years I have come to rely on certain services that save time and make my life easier. Here are a few of my favorites that are worth every extra penny, though many of them don’t involve an extra fee.
Let me know if this scenario sounds familiar. You have a few checks sitting in your wallet. Maybe you have a check your sister wrote for a gift you shared for your parents and a rebate check for a product that you bought recently. You are running errands but the bank is in the complete opposite direction of where you are heading and waiting in line to deposit those checks would add an extra 20 minutes to your errands. Here is the solution! Mobile checking is life changing. How does it work? You download the mobile app, take pictures of each side of your check and submit them. No waiting in line. Yes, it’s that easy. You will never wait in line again inside the bank or at the drive thru. Check with your bank to find out if they offer this free service.
Here is another scenario that most moms can relate to. You are feeling super organized for having made a menu for the week and you know exactly what you need at the supermarket. However, the thought of taking one, two or more children to the supermarket is just painful. Besides having your kids ask for every product with a picture of a cartoon on it, they will inevitably need to use the potty as soon as all of your items are on the check out conveyor belt. Solution? Look into Shoprite delivery or curbside pickup. For a small fee, you can have your groceries delivered to your house or bagged and brought to your car. You won’t even need to get the kids out of the car. The additional fee for this service can be around $10 and for many busy moms, this is the answer to their dreams.
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You can’t find a missing library book in your car and your search leads you to discover a sandwich that’s been there for longer than you can remember or a spilled sippy cup of milk leaves your car smelling not so fresh. You could take your car to be detailed but that involves making an appointment, dropping it off and getting a ride to pick it up. An easier solution is to have your car detailed in front of your house. Several years ago I noticed my neighbor having her detailed at home so I decided to give this brilliant service a try and it totally changed my life. Any parent of young kids can relate to having a dirty car (if you can’t, I want to know your secret!). Having someone come to your house for detailing is definitely my favorite time-saving service. The company that I recommend is called Sporties and the owner, Jeff, is so easy to deal with.
Other time-saving services include pharmacies that deliver medications and dry cleaners that will pick up and deliver. We could all use some extra hours in each day so try out one of these services and see if it makes your life easier. If you have other ones that you swear by, I would love to hear about them!
Marci Lutsky is a local mom of eight year-old twins and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
