Time Management
How to Save Time Running Errands
Do you feel like you are constantly on the go? Errands can take up so much of our time. Our lives have gotten so ridiculously complicated. And if you have a family? You are running errands for them as well.
How can you run errands without wasting time? It's a matter of being organized.
Running Errands Starts At Home
The first step toward having a quick and easy errand plan is to be organized at home. Have a designated spot in your home which is an "errand holding area." It could be a closet or a tabletop or a cabinet. This is the place where "errand items" are stored.
You may have one basket that holds books to be returned to the library. Another basket holds outgoing mail. You may have a bag that holds clothes to be donated or recycling to be dropped off. Put up a cork board in this area as well. You can display notes that say, "Pick up pants at tailor," or "Need more oregano."
Every item that needs to be "run" somewhere goes into this area. This is a great way to start organizing your errands.
Map your Errands
What kinds of errands to you run? Taking clothes to the dry cleaners? Trips to the post office? The bank? Think about all the places you run errands.
Now, sort them geographically. If it is easier, plot them all on a map.
Once you have all your common errand locations plotted out, take a look at see which errands are the closest together. The idea is that you should never leave the house to run one errand. You want to run errands in groups, so plan accordingly. Instead of running an errand, you are going to RUN ERRANDS! Hit as many places in the same area as possible.
So, before you go to the bank, look in your Errand Holding Area. Oh yes, you need to pick up those pants from the tailor and, lucky you, the tailor is right next door to the bank. Combine these two trips into one. The cardboard recycling facility is on the way, so throw those cardboard boxes into the trunk. Now, you are off.
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