I've been AWOL this week. There have been other things going on that just seemed to suck the week away. Which got me to thinking that I need to work out how to save some time or at least shift some time to create a bit more balance.
Like everyone else on the planet there are about a bajillion things I need to fit into any given week. Work. Sleep. My blog. Catching up with people. Email. Craft. Cooking. Cleaning. Washing. Bill Paying. Personal Appointments. Grocery Shopping. There are 168 hours in a week and it feels like I spend 180 of them with something on a list somewhere dictating something I have to get done. So this week I started thinking about how I can make life flow a bit more smoothly because I can't keep up this pace until I retire in about 25 years time.
I took the plunge on Tuesday night after playing the "Will I, Wont I" game for months. With much trepidation, I did my grocery shopping online and organised for it to be delivered the next night when I got home from work. And while my initial order didn't save me any time (it took me about an hour to shop online for the first time because I had no idea how to do it ) I can see that next fortnight will be much faster. I'm pretty confident that I can get my grocery shopping time down to about half of what I spend doing it myself. And I don't have to schlep it to and from the car because a personal shopper does my shopping and then the guy comes in and puts it all on my kitchen bench for me. And while he's doing that I'm already starting to put it away!
Other things I loved about the experience were that I can do my online order at anytime that suits me (Think 9.30pm Tuesday night in bed ). There was a distinct decrease in impulse buying things I didn't really need because I'm not being assaulted by yummy stuff in my face everywhere I turn. My shop offers the option of buying a mixed fruit and vegie box for a set price (small, medium, large , jumbo ) and it was great value. You don't know what you're going to get but when my large box arrived for 40 bucks it had so much variety and quality of fruit and veg I was mega impressed. And there wasn't a thing in there I wouldn't have bought myself. And since I bought tomatoes and avocados separately they made sure they didn't put any of those items in my mystery box.
I don't think my poor fridge has seen this many fruit and vegetables in one hit in forever. Yes that's green shit in there. I bet you didn't ever think you'd see that at Maison Pyjamas. It was worth it just to make my fridge look pretty.
So my absolute favourite thing this week is online grocery shopping. I'm ridiculously excited about it and completely converted!
Do you guys have any tips for saving time? I'd love to hear them so I can add them to my list to try out.
So tell what was the online shop that you went to.
ReplyDeleteTold you so!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's great isn't it.
Sounds like you paid for delivery with what you saved in impulse buying...cool!
ReplyDeleteLucky you. I wish we could get online groceries. You could even have a glass of wine while you do it!
ReplyDeleteExcuse me ... how long are you planning to leave that fridge open? You think money grows on trees? Choose something or close it!!!
ReplyDeletesorry ... i was feeling parental for a moment.
I have often thought of doing it but never actually got around to it. Who did you use?
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous. I schlepped all over Greenville today, stood in several lines, forgot my membership card at one place & had to go stand in another line to get a new one, and still have grocery shopping left to do. Ordering online sounds like heaven! Congrats on being able to do it.
ReplyDeletePS...Your fridge looks pretty healthy right now. I'd grab the Coca Cola. ☺ Happy Friday!
I have never done it, but my daughter does. It is a great idea I think. I should get my act into gear and save some time. Hmm, as for other time savers? I'm not sure. I wish I knew how to get more time. Being more organised? Sleeping earlier? (Boy does staying up late waste time. You are tired so you don't do anything well or effectively and then you are tired the next day and can't perform well or make good decisions.) Perhaps there is scope for improvements.
ReplyDeleteOk. I posted a FTF post. (Hard to believe it has been a week since the last one!)
ReplyDeleteI thought only old people did that .. hmmmm. Sounds like a great idea. I hate grocery shopping along with all the other household chores I detest. I might just have to try it too. Can't we have an Unfavourite Things Friday?? This sounds as grumpy as I feel. Fortunately, I have 12 hours to get my act together and come up with something positive and my favorite.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! No point getting any older if we don't get smarter. It all looks so fresh and colourful in your fridge.
ReplyDeleteOh and I forgot to say. What the heck are you doing buying vegetables? Who are you and what have you done with Shay?
ReplyDeleteOh man...shopping online, having the stuff delivered and carried in for you, sound like paradise! We don't have that option around here. Lucky you, and I'm glad to hear/see that it worked out so well. Laughing about the green stuff prettying up the place (and ThreeOldKeys' comment)!
ReplyDeleteThe next best thing to sitting on a beach with a hot looking cabana boy bringing you margarita's and fanning you....on line grocery shopping. Nice.... :o)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working I shopped online, and it was wonderful.....saved time, and saved me buying junk I didn't need. I did that for many many years, until I retired.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had home delivery here for groceries! I shop online for other things and find it a real time saver and generally less expensive.
ReplyDeleteDo you pay bills online? That's a huge time saver for me. My other tip is to hire someone to clean your house. I work far too hard to spend my weekend doing the harder cleaning. You do too!
I second the idea for cleaning help!
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain we have online grocery shopping, but I almost think you have to pick up the bags at the grocery store, like a drive-thru.
I'm one of those weird people that likes to grocery shop, though, because I love the impulse buys....and I usually have some sort of inspiration that will strike while I'm perusing the aisles.
Are you serious about working 25 more years - that really sounds like a looooonnnnnggggg time. If anyone can do it, though - you can!
We buy most every thing on line, except groceries (living in the middle of nowhere requres a lot of on line shopping). However we don't do groceries on line, but I've lucked out there. That chore is on My Guy's to do list, not mine (he does most of the cooking, so he does the grocery shopping as long as I make out the list).
ReplyDeleteGood for you finding a way to deal with one more chore.
We don't even have online grocery shopping as an option here! It sounds worth it just for the decrease in umpulse buying - plus I wouldn't have a toddler sneaking things into the cart!!
ReplyDeleteMy mum loves her online shopping for the same reason. For me, the shop's 5 mins down the road, and I organise my list so that I do a big shop at the start of the month, and then a top up fruit and veg shop halfway through the month. I anally plan out every meal for the month before I write my shopping list too - I don't have to eat something on a certain night, I can switch things around if I want, but I know I have the ingredients for them. That takes me maybe 15 mins, but it makes it a total no brainer when I come in from work and can just grab what I need and go!
ReplyDeleteJealous, completely. Loathe grocery shopping myself. Is grocery guy cute to boot?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking you are brilliant! You are not only saving the impulse buying, but the gas for the trip. Here it's way up over $4 per gallon... which is quite a shock to us all.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like shopping. It's the only way to get out of the house.
I save time by cleaning only when guests are eminent. What's a little dust? God created the Great Out of Doors, and he used dirt as the floor!
Hugs!
I used to online shop and I loved it. So convenient!! And I agree that there are less impulse purchases. I now have a partner who does the shopping, he won't take me because I rush through it as fast as I can and it stresses him, so he leaves me at home to do sewing..
ReplyDeleteOnline grocery shopping, hmmm I just did some with a 3 year old in tow and it took me 10 min just to get a park because every other *** was rushing, it was raining and nobody seems to have a clue about how to park/drive! Personally I like grocery shopping, but I buy stuff I dont need and I dont plan my meals well enough - so thanks for the tip, I am going to give it a whirl! My time saver tip is to job share eg that means with DH! Surely he can pay the bills on line! You have to pretend your in a shared house and divide up all the chores...because if you both work then thats only fair! Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteCan't believe you haven't done it before! I've do it for ages, but then 2000/2001 I worked on it from the other side so know a lot about it.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 things that are usually perfomance measured are:
delivering within the time slot
no of short products
no of substitutions
I keep an eye on these stil with my deliveries and have changed supermarkets a couple of times when I think the performance isn't good enough.
How they handle something going badly wrong is also something I watch out for.
Wow! I wish I lived somewhere that I could do that. I bet I'd save a ton on the impulse buying. And since I always seem to leave my shopping list at home, I'll have that handy to make sure I get everything I need. Unfortunately, I don't really have any time-saving tips. I wish I did!
ReplyDeleteWow lucky you, I wish we had online available up here if only to have someone else lug it all from the car when it gets here.....my boys always need to go to the toilet when we get home from shopping! :-)
ReplyDeleteEating --- thats saves a lot of time in lots of ways - firstly theres the food prep - time saved, actually eating - more time saved, washing up - savings - going to the toilet to get rid of what you ate - time and money saved here - no toilet paper! so all in all its the best plan --- just dont eat! lol
ReplyDeleteI've never tried on-line shopping for groceries but it sounds great especially for working women. I have to admit that I quite like shopping for groceries. It's just putting them away that I hate !
ReplyDeleteCheers