7 Hacks Every Mom Could Use

While none of us can probably say we’ve mastered the juggling act, we’ve all picked up some pointers and come up with solutions to make everything that little bit easier. So we’ve pooled them all together in one place – see which ones work for you!

1. Menu plan

This is the hack that the most organised of mums swear by in terms of organising their week. Plan the week’s meals on Sunday and then hit the supermarket the same day to save the pain of getting home from work and having to decide what to cook. If your kids are older, get them involved in choosing the week’s dishes and even deciding which ones they’re going to cook and when.

2. Do your grocery shopping online

Some mums recommend doing all your grocery shopping online, while others prefer to do the staples online each week and pick up fresh items through the week. Aside from the obvious benefits of avoiding the special hell that is supermarket shopping with children, it’s also the perfect way to avoid multiple trips to the shops to forget that one little item you forgot to pick up, as well as minimising impulse buys.

3. Shop in the evening

Many working mums opt for going grocery shopping late in the evening after the kids are in bed. The shops are generally deserted and it means you have your weekends free for leisure time. (OK, for ferrying the kids to their activities, then.)

4. Double up

Save time and money on your routine shopping trip by buying duplicates of items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, light bulbs, and batteries when they’re on sale.

5. Pre-make the lunches

Make the kids’ school lunches the night before and put them in the fridge to save the hassle of the morning rush. Alternatively, make a whole week’s worth of sandwiches on Sunday and freeze the lot, so all you need to do in the mornings is pull one out and grab a couple of snacks.

6. Make Sunday baking day

Spend Sunday baking healthy snacks for lunch boxes and after school. Get your kids involved to give them a cooking lesson at the same time – with a view of them taking over in the (hopefully) not too distant future.

7. Cook twice as much, half as often!

Double batch every single family meal that you cook so that you only need to cook half as often. Put that freezer to good use!