Last Updated on April 1, 2023 by Erin
Being a working mom isn’t easy. You have to juggle it all — work, family, home, and more. Thank goodness for Pinterest! There are many posts out there with moms in a similar boat who can share what has worked for them. I’m sharing my own life hacks for busy working moms to regain control of their time and sanity. From quick meal ideas to hacks for better productivity at work, these hacks will make the chaos of being a working mom a little bit easier.
I realize these probably aren’t revolutionary, but sometimes it’s good to see the little tricks and hacks different moms use to make life easier. I hope you find something on this list you can apply to your day to make life easier.
I’ve broken this post into a few sections. They are life hacks for productivity at work, meal planning/prep, tidying/cleaning, finances, and reducing stress.
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Life hacks for better productivity at work:
- Break down big tasks into smaller, manageable chunks so they’re not as intimidating. Set deadlines for each step
- Take advantage of technology to help streamline your workload, like using voice recognition software for emails or trying out task management apps like Asana or Trello.
- Use templates of documents whenever possible. I have to type out evaluation reports for my current job. There is a dedicated folder in my Google Drive with report templates for me to make copies of. I keep commonly used phrases in the reports and edit as needed. It saves me hours of work!
- Create text expanders for commonly used phrases. Text expanders are pre-saved shortcuts that expand into longer phrases when typed out. Magical Text Expander is one free option available as a Google Chrome extension.
- I use Google Keep to track of all my projects and lists at work AND at home. It’s incredibly handy to have everything synced up between apps and devices. I have a list of things that need done today (priority), things that need done soon, and things to do when I have the time.
Life hacks for time-saving meal options:
- Sign up for a food delivery service so you won’t have to worry about grocery shopping. If this is something you can budget for, go for it! We have personally used curbside pick-up, but I have several family members who use delivery and love it. I find that by filling a grocery cart online I’m much more conscious about what I’m buying and what the cost will be.
- Try meal prepping on the weekends – it will save you time and money during the week when you’re short on both.
- Keep some frozen meals in the freezer so all you have to do is heat them up when needed! I’m a big fan of Costco’s frozen meals, particularly the meatloaf/mashed potatoes combo and chicken alfredo.
- Dedicate one day each month to making your own freezer meals and recruit the whole family to help out.
- Make a list each week so you know what meals are available and you won’t have to stress about it when you get home each evening. Again, I make a list in Google Keep and share it with my husband.
If you’d like Google Keep headers that are pre-made for you, sign up to receive the images for free. I went ahead and did the design work for you!
The magic of quick meals and snacks
- Don’t feel guilty about utilizing quick meals. On those nights when my husband is later than normal and I’m exhausted or not feeling well, I throw a variety of lunchmeats and snacks on a tray and call it “charcuterie night.” The kids think it’s incredibly special. They have no clue it’s because I’ve got nothing left in the tank. I also keep Hamburger and Tuna Helper ready to go in the pantry. They’re delicious!
- “Breakfast for dinner” night is always a big hit, too.
- Buy individual snack packs or portion out your snacks ahead of time and make them easy to access. My kids know which snacks are fair game and they know they get one when they get home from school. They don’t need me at all, unless they need assistance opening the package. My daughter is able to easily throw a snack in her bag for school every day. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Life hacks that can help make tidying and cleaning easier:
- Make use of bins and drawer organizers so you can quickly store away items in their correct places. I used to think organizing bins were an unnecessary luxury, but man oh man, they are game changers. When stuff is organized and put away, it’s easier to find and creates less visual clutter.
- Invest in a robot vacuum and mop to do the cleaning for you so you don’t have to worry about it.
- Outsource when possible. After years and years of wishing for it, I finally bit the bullet and hired a house cleaner to come once a month and do the deep cleaning for me.
- Use an essential oil diffuser so your house always smells clean without adding harsh chemicals to the air.
- Read my post where I share the laundry hacks that have made my life easier as a working mom.
- This last hack isn’t necessarily for cleaning, but it does help my kids get ready and out the door. We have a “station” in the kitchen. It’s really a set of drawers by the kitchen sink that has toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair ties, brushes, and bobby pins. It’s a one-stop shop for making sure everyone smells and looks good before we go. The second drawer contains clean water bottles to take to school.
Life hacks for busy working moms to keep track of finances:
- Use a spreadsheet or app to keep track of your spending. It’s an important financial habit to know where your money is going. In all honesty, I was getting really stressed with my work schedule and discovered I was spending way too much money on meal delivery services, like Door Dash. Once I became aware, I was able to stick to the hacks I mentioned above and save a ton of money.
- Cut out subscriptions you don’t really need. You could use a free app like Bill Trim or just keep an eye out when tracking your spending. When I sat down and wrote out all of my monthly subscriptions, I discovered several that I had completely forgotten about and no longer needed.
- Know your worth! I started using Empower and was amazed/relieved that my net worth was much higher than I realized. These things are important to know! I am now able to better plan for future investments AND it has helped me feel more confident in my career change. I cannot recommend Empower enough. It’s a great life hack for working moms because you can see ALL your financial information in one place and it’s totally free. You can see your income, your spending, your budget recommendations, your investments, and your retirement goals.
Empower Personal Wealth, LLC (“EPW”) compensates FlexOffers.com, LLC for new leads. FlexOffers.com, LLC is not an investment client of Personal Capital Advisors Corporation or Empower Advisory Group, LLC.
You work HARD for your money. Make it work for you, too!
Life hacks for working moms to reduce stress:
- My number one suggestion is to start setting boundaries in your life. Get more comfortable saying no without feeling like you need to explain yourself.
- Don’t take your work home. I made it a rule to stop getting to work early and staying late or working on reports in my home office. If I’m unable to get things done during the day, then I have too much on my plate at work. I was able to advocate for someone to start helping in my building part-time because I had documentation that my caseload was too high, resulting in a workload that was too high.
- Create a self-care routine. When the kids go to bed, I take a bubble bath and read a book totally unrelated to my career. It’s my time of total peace and quiet and I would not be able to survive without it.
- Get plenty of sleep. I take melatonin nightly and listen to ambient music if I’m particularly restless.
- Make routines a priority and stick to them! Whatever hacks you choose to adopt from this list, make it a daily/weekly practice. Use visuals whenever possible. Get the family involved. Increase your kids’ independence with tasks.
These life hacks can help working moms easily manage their time and workload and have plenty of time for fun and family! Life as a busy working mom just got a whole lot easier 🙂
Thoughts on Sharing the Load
If you have a spouse or partner helping, ensure everyone gets their downtime. Sometimes it can feel like a luxury, but all caregivers need it. If either of you feels like you’re carrying more of the load, it can lead to resentment. It might be a good idea to divide household/caregiving tasks evenly and have open conversations. I’ve looked into trying out the Fair Play card deck and sitting down with my husband to have collaborative discussions about daily tasks. It might even be a fun date night idea!
Now over to you! What life hacks have made a huge difference in your life? Are there any hacks on the list you want to give a try? Let me know in the comments!
Sincerely,
Erin
