Living in a bustling city like Singapore often means balancing demanding careers, school schedules, and a host of extracurricular activities. No matter whether you are young or old, living in Singapore means that you are sure to be occupied, no matter what stage of your life you are in.
For many of us reading this blog, we are either busy parents, students or tutors. In this article, we hope that you can find something here that works for you when it comes to managing your busy schedule, even if you might not be a parent yourself.
As for busy families, managing time efficiently is crucial to maintaining a harmonious household. Here are the top 10 latest time-saving hacks tailored for parents in Singapore, focusing on techniques that streamline time management and household management with minimal reliance on apps.
1. Efficient Meal Preparation
In Singapore, where culinary culture is rich and diverse, meal preparation can be streamlined without sacrificing quality. Not only is meal preperation at home a great way to save money if you are feeding many members of your family, but it is a great way to get your kids involved in the household duties.
Preparing your meals at home also ensures that you have greater control over what goes into your meals. So for parents or individuals cooking for picky eaters or those with allergies or dietary restrictions, this is a good way to work around those limitations.
Here’s how:
Batch Cooking
Allocate a few hours over the weekend to batch cook meals. Dishes like curry, rendang, and pasta sauces can be cooked in large quantities and frozen in portions. This ensures that you have ready-to-eat meals on busy weekdays.
These sauces or pre-cooked meals can be easily frozen to ensure that they stay fresh for longer, and easily reheated when you do not have time to make a full meal from scratch.
Pre-cut Vegetables and Marinades
Buy pre-cut vegetables and marinated meats from local supermarkets like NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage. These ready-to-cook ingredients can significantly cut down on prep time.
However, these items tend to be slightly pricier than their unprocessed counterparts. If you have the extra time and want to save on costs, you can pre-cut your vegetables ahead of time, and store them in your fridge until you are ready to cook them.
One-Pot Meals
Utilize a slow cooker or instant pot for one-pot meals. Dishes like chicken rice or laksa can be prepared with minimal supervision, allowing you to multitask.
Not only is this easy to prepare, but it cuts down on the number of dishes that you have to clean up after the meal, saving additional time for you.
2. Streamlined Laundry Routine
Laundry can be a time-consuming task, especially for families with young children. Between fresh clothes after play or unfortunate bathroom accidents, it seems like the pile of laundry that needs to be done is ever growing. Simplify this process by:
Designated Laundry Days
Establish designated laundry days to avoid the accumulation of dirty clothes. This helps in managing loads efficiently.
Waiting until you have a full load of laundry on these specific days ensures that you are not wasting water as well, running a full washing machine for just a few items of clothes.
This system can not only keep you organised, but keep your home more green and eco-friendly.
Laundry Services
Take advantage of Singapore’s numerous laundry services that offer pick-up and delivery. Services like LaundryMart and Cotton Care provide wash-and-fold options, saving you hours each week.
While this might be a pricier option, this is great for fancier clothes that you want to take care of, like festive attire or clothes for special occasions.
For bulkier items, like linens sofa covers or carpets, this can also save you some hassle of having to get them cleaned yourself.
Family Sorting System
Implement a family sorting system with labeled baskets for whites, colors, and delicates. This makes sorting quicker and encourages kids to participate.
Not only will this cut down on unfortunate accidents in the wash, it can help you to get your children, even the younger ones, contributing to the family housework from a young age.
3. Decluttering and Minimalism
A clutter-free home is easier to manage and maintain. Adopt minimalism to streamline household management.
Not only will a clutter free home be easier on the eyes, it also makes it easier to keep stock of the items you have at home.
This is a good way to reduce on overconsumption, and knowing where each item is in the home can cut down on a lot of time when you need to hustle the whole family out of the door.
Regular Decluttering
Set aside time every few months to declutter. Donate or discard items that are no longer used.
Items like clothes and shoes that have been outgrown are great to donate, especially to families who are less fortunate. Try to only donate items that are still usable and in god condition, despite being pre-loved. For bulkier, niche items or items that might have some value, you can try to resell them at car boot sales, flea markets or online on Facebook Martketplace or Carousell. This reduces the time spent cleaning and organizing.
Essential Items Only
Focus on keeping only essential and multifunctional items. This not only reduces your clutter, but can help to make you more decerning when you embark on your next shopping trip. Multi-purpose items can help you to not only save space, but perhaps time as well.
For example, instead of having multiple kitchen gadgets, invest in a high-quality multi-cooker.
Storage Solutions
Utilize smart storage solutions like under-bed storage, wall-mounted shelves, and multi-functional furniture to keep your home organized and tidy.
4. Morning and Evening Routines
Efficient morning and evening routines can set the tone for a smooth day. This strategy works specially well in families with young or schooling children, as everyone in the house is rushing to get out of the house at the same time.
The more that is done is night before, the less that needs to be done on hurried mornings.
Here’s how to optimize them:
Evening Prep
Prepare for the next day the evening before. Lay out clothes, pack school bags, and prepare breakfast items. This reduces morning chaos and ensures everyone is ready to start their day on time.
Family Command Centre
Create a family command centre with a calendar, to-do list, and chore chart. Keep items that need to be brought out the next day here, so it is harder to forget.
Things like consent forms, homework or important mail that needs to be posted out can be put here so it is easy to grab and go before the day ahead.
This centralizes information and keeps everyone on the same page.
Set Bedtimes
Consistent bedtimes for children ensure they get enough rest and wake up on time. Adequate sleep is also very important for growing children, so it is important to get them accustomed the habit from an early age.
It also provides parents with some quiet time in the evening to unwind or complete tasks.
5. Efficient Grocery Shopping
Minimize the time spent on grocery shopping with these strategies:
Weekly Grocery List
Maintain a running grocery list throughout the week. This helps in making a comprehensive shopping list and avoids multiple trips to the store.
Not only that, it also cuts down on the likeliness of impulse buys, hopefully saving you some money at the supermarket.
Local Wet Markets
Shop at local wet markets like Tiong Bahru Market or Tekka Market early in the morning. You get fresh produce and can often complete shopping faster compared to supermarkets.
Prices here are also more competitive than at the supermarket, so not only will you be getting the freshest produce, you will also be saving a pretty penny.
Bulk Buying
Purchase non-perishable items in bulk to reduce the frequency of shopping trips. This is particularly useful for items like rice, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies.
Heavy items like carton of drinks or cleaning supplies are often on sale at e-commerce sites like Shopee or Lazada. Take advantage of these deals and stock up on more items for less!
For families that do not have a car, purchasing these heavy items might be a hassle. That is why you can arrange to have these bulky items delivered to your home for a small additional cost, saving you time and energy.
6. Home Organization
A well-organized home saves time and reduces stress. Implement these organization hacks:
Label Everything
Label storage boxes, kitchen containers, and shelves. This makes it easier to locate items and maintain order.
This makes it easy for your children or other members of your family who might not be familiar with your organisational system to find items as well.
Dedicated Spaces
Create dedicated spaces for common items like keys, school bags, and shoes. This prevents clutter and ensures items are always in their designated spots.
This is a great way for children to take ownership of their spaces as well and remember that items should always be put back to their appropriate locations.
Routine Cleaning
Incorporate short, daily cleaning tasks to maintain cleanliness. For example, a quick 10-minute clean-up before bedtime can prevent larger messes from building up.
7. Carpooling and Ride Sharing
Transportation can be a major time drain. Optimize this aspect by:
Carpool Networks
Coordinate with other parents in your neighborhood to set up a carpool schedule for school runs and extracurricular activities. This reduces the number of trips each parent has to make.
Public Transport
Encourage older children to use Singapore’s efficient public transport system, including the MRT and buses. This teaches independence and reduces the need for parental involvement in every commute.
8. Homework and Study Stations
Creating a dedicated homework and study station can improve focus and efficiency:
Quiet Area
Designate a quiet area with a comfortable desk and chair, good lighting, and necessary supplies like stationery and books. This minimizes distractions and helps children complete their homework faster.
This can also minimise distraction for younger children or children with special needs, making learning time more pleasant for them.
Scheduled Study Time
Set a regular study schedule that aligns with your child’s natural rhythm and family routine. Consistency helps in building a habit and reduces last-minute homework rushes.
Parental Supervision
Spend the initial few minutes supervising and helping with homework. This ensures that children understand their tasks and can proceed independently, freeing up your time.
9. Chore Rotation System
A well-managed chore rotation system can distribute household responsibilities effectively.
Chores are also a great way for parents to teach their children responsibility, Not just personal responsibility, but the responsibility to take care of their space and the items that belong to them.
By teaching them that housework does not magically complete itself, you are also teaching your children not to take the efforts of caregivers and cleaners for granted.
Age-Appropriate Chores
Assign age-appropriate chores to each family member. Younger children can handle simple tasks like setting the table, while older kids can manage more complex chores like laundry and cleaning.
Weekly Rotation
Rotate chores weekly to avoid monotony and ensure everyone learns different household tasks. This also prevents any single member from feeling overburdened.
Reward System
Implement a reward system to motivate children. Rewards can be simple, like extra screen time or a small allowance, encouraging them to complete their chores diligently.
10. Efficient Use of Time
Maximize efficiency with these general time management strategies:
Time Blocking
Allocate specific blocks of time for various activities throughout the day. This helps in maintaining focus and ensuring that each task gets the attention it needs.
Prioritization
Identify and prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines. Focus on high-priority tasks first to ensure they are completed on time.
Delegate When Possible
Don’t hesitate to delegate tasks to other family members or hire help for specific chores. This frees up your time for more important responsibilities or relaxation.
Regardless of gender, the task of managing a household is a job for the entire family, especially if both parents are working
By incorporating these time-saving hacks into your daily routines, busy families in Singapore can manage their schedules more effectively, reduce stress, and create more opportunities for quality family time. The key is to find the right balance and adapt these strategies to fit your family’s unique needs and lifestyle.
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