We should start thinking about how housewives of the previous generation managed their homes. I actually have three grandmother, my mom’s mom, my dad’s mom my biological father’s mom Rosa. They all lived much different lives. My first grandma raised ten children in a small apartment.
My second grandma raised three children in a three-bedroom house all while managing a nursing career. And my third grandma raised two children while running a business from her home. I started to wonder how they did it all without all the modern amenities we have now. My grandmothers didn’t have dishwashers, cell phones / smart phones or large capacity washers and dryers like we do now. My grandmother’s all lived modest lives but they always had a hot meal on the table their husbands had a pressed shirt and their houses were clean and tidy. So why is it with all these modern age luxuries so many of us still feel overwhelmed managing our homes? I thought hard about it and figured out just how modern days homemakers can have success in the 21st century. And this is what I’ve come up with to save us our time and our sanity.
Tip #1. Say Goodbye to Distractions.
One thing we have that our grandmothers didn’t are many different screens; iPads, TVs, cell phones they’re even in our refrigerator doors, we can video chat with our friends. We need to find out what’s taking all of our time and eliminate it. I know for me I can easily get sucked into Instagram or a TV series. If I start scrolling Instagram while I have my coffee in the morning, I will most definitely keep on scrolling way after I’m done. TV series are the worst, I just finished watching all nine seasons of Little House on the Prairie and I can tell you that I was so much less productive because I would throw on an episode while I folded along the laundry and the next thing I knew my husband was on his way home and I barely got anything done. Find out what doesn’t have any real value, what’s wasting your time? Get rid of that and learn to say no or use it as a reward when you finish your to-do list.
Tip #2. Use Apps and Be A Little Tech-Savvy.
One great thing about technology is used right it can be a good resource for us. It’s important to be a little Tech-Savvy. You don’t need to know how to create a whole website from scratch, but little things like knowing how to check your search history, so you know what websites your children have been on. Or knowing how to pin a recipe to Pinterest so you can access it quickly when you’re doing meal planning. Apps are a great time-saver too, some of my favorites you can use right on your desktop. One of my favorites is Google Keep. This is great for jotting things down, shopping lists whatever I need out of my head goes into Google Keep. I love that I can also add my husband to any of my notes. So, I’m not the only one responsible for remembering something or if I get sick and can’t get to the store, he will automatically have our shopping list right on his phone. Mint is another one of my favorites. I love that I can set spending budget it also combining all of my credit cards and my bank card and I can categorize all of my spending things like tickets and clothes. And if I spent an unusually high amount in a certain category it’ll alert me and let me know that I’m overspending in that category. Google Calendar is another good one. I like plugging in all of our events, deadlines, paydays, birthdays they all go into my calendar and the really good thing is I can do that on my desktop but if I’m out and about in the world say I’m at Walmart and I went to a friend and they’re like hey, let’s have a play date I can just whip out my phone find out when we’re free, I can add that play date to my calendar before I get home and forget all about it. Also check to see if your bank offers an App. My bank allows me to transfer money, pay bills, make a deposit, see my balance all from the app on my phone. This way I’m not lugging three kids into the car, sitting in the drive-thru just to make a simple deposit.
Tip #3. Don’t Bother Sorting Your Laundry.
There really is no reason to separate your lights from your darks. This day and age we have 80 washers and there’s really no point. Now I was taught I had two separate lights, darks, towels and my white clothes. Now I will say I still separate my towels and my whites but anything that doesn’t fit in those two categories just goes in together. I’m even known to throw in a towel or some white clothes with my regular laundry. And I’ve never had a problem with it. I’ve never had white pants turn red or a shirt destroyed because I threw a towel in with that load. I even throw my jeans in with everything else, so don’t sort laundry like you were probably taught it’s just not necessary. Another thing I did recently to save myself time was I got myself one of these divided laundry systems. Now as we go through our laundry, we can add it to the appropriate bin and I will know what a load needs to be done at a glance.
Tip #4. Use Simple Cleaners and Supplies.
I admit I love different cleaners and you can catch me in the cleaning aisles smelling all different kinds of cleaners. I’ll even find when am in a cleaning rep I’ll treat myself to new cleaners just to change things up. But sometimes less is more even with our cleaning supplies. Try using multipurpose cleaners. Having a cleaner that can clean many different spots in your house not only saves you money but it also saves you time and space. Less clutter means you can quickly find the cleaning supplies that you need and put them to work which means you will be more inclined to actually clean. Get yourself a small cleaning caddy that can hold all of your cleaning supplies. This way you can easily take it from room to room. And some of my favorite all-purpose cleaners are the Mrs. Meyer’s all-purpose cleaner and I love the Dollar Trees foam glass and surface cleaner. But don’t forget about DIY cleaners too. You can pick up a few ingredients that will clean almost everything in your house. Most people don’t like cleaning but if you can simplify your cleaning supplies, you can get the job done in less time.
Tip #5. Plan Your Meals.
Nowadays our fridges and our freezers are so much bigger than they used to be and most of us have a chest freezer in our garage, still take advantage of it. Plan a week or even two weeks’ worth of meals in advance. Also buy in bulk, nowadays you can buy in bulk something our grandparents couldn’t do. Things like BJ’s, Costco’s or I know that even in my grocery store they have club sections with larger quantity items. Take advantage of online shopping. Something our grandmothers couldn’t do. My grocery store will allow me to shop at home and they will bring my groceries out to the car or I can have them delivered to my house. They also have specials that are only offered to their shop at home customers. I almost always save more money shopping online using their online coupons than I would spending an hour in the grocery store with my kids asking for something down every line.
Tip #6. Ask for Help.
Speaking of asking for things, one thing I advocate for is asking for help. Asking for help from your spouse or your children doesn’t make you a bad housewife, everyone needs a little help sometimes. My kids have their chores around the house. Things like making their bed, loading and unloading the dishwasher, sorting their laundry and I have them do that for a few different reasons. Number one I can’t do everything around the house by myself I would go crazy. Number two they need to learn. I’m not going to be around forever. And I’m not going up to their dorm to wash their laundry. Number three it gives them a sense of responsibility, it’s important that our children learn responsibility at an early age. Most nights my husband and my children will help me clean up after dinner. I’ve learned the hard way that I have to delegate some of my household chores.
Tip #7. Enjoy Today.
The way you view your role as homemaker means everything to how you will succeed. I know cooking, cleaning and laundry can feel mundane but remember how you view your household tasks affects your attitude. Think about that impact you’re making on your family and home. You’re the one that provides a joyful place of peace and safety.
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