My Top 10 Easy Time-Saving Hacks For Mompreneurs

Whole entire inventions, routines, and product lines have been designed around saving us time.

We all feel we could use more time. And as a business-owning (or dabbling) mom, you feel the squeeze even more acutely.

I’ve been there. And while I haven’t reached time management perfection status, I’ve collected a few methods that have really helped me get more done. Here’s my list of top time-savers, especially for moms:

1. Time Blocking:

This right here is the MVP of time management.

Think of it as a school schedule, but instead of it being a timetable of subjects, it’s a timetable for your daily or weekly activities.

That’s right– like a summer camp schedule clinging to its clipboard, you too, can visualize your to-dos by creating a timeblock schedule.

Sometimes visualizing this schedule is all you need to cut through the overwhelm and get plugging away at each task.

2. Boost Productivity with Productivity Tools:

While your mind is drafting timetable ideas, allow me to add productivity tools to that mix.

You can use tools to streamline your activities, efficiently using time or making sure you don’t forget anything.

I’ll save you some work researching different tools by sharing some I recommend and ways you can use them.

Productivity Tools	Examples	How you can use them
To-do Lists Apps	Microsoft To-do, Google Tasks, TickTick	Create lists and subtasks, and track your progress easily.
Note-taking Apps	Google Keep, OneNote	Keeping notes, writing down ideas, and organizing your thoughts.
Meal Planning Apps	Mealime, Yummly	Save recipes, create meal plans, and create grocery lists.
Time-blocking Apps	Focus Keeper, Rescue Time	Schedule your tasks for specific timeframes on specific days.
Habit-tracker Apps	Streaks, Fabulous	Set and track personal and family goals. You can also use these apps to stay consistent with positive habits.
Project Management Apps	Trello, Asana	Manage large projects, delegate, and track progress. P.S. You don’t have to limit these projects to just business or work– you can also manage personal projects like family vacations, moving out, refurbishing, etc.
Digital Coupon Apps	Coupons.com, Rakuten, Ibotta	Being a mama doesn’t mean your expenses have to go through the roof– you can save money on your purchases using these apps.
Video Conference Apps	Zoom, Skype, Google Meet	Manage your staff or team members virtually and from the comfort of your home… or simply use it to connect with family and friends.
Budgeting Apps	Everydollar, PocketGuard	Create budgets, and track your cashflow (income and expenses)
Fitness Tracker Apps	Fitbit, Apple Watch, Samsung Health	Track your steps, calories, heart rate, and other health parameters you’re concerned with. I’ll take everything possible to help me stay on track with this!

If you’re interested in more app recommendations, maybe I can dedicate a page for favorites! Let me know what you think in the comments.

3. Outsource When You Can:

I can’t stress this enough ladies: We’re not really do-it-alls.

You don’t have to take on absolutely everything when you can outsource.

If you’re simply out of time for home tasks, you can hire out some of these like cleaning, meals, child care, etc. There are even laundering services, if that’s your jam!

If you’re a business owner, you can outsource admin services from VAs, photography services from free stock image sites like Pexels, and finance-related tasks to a bookkeeper and accountant. For content strategy and social media management services, look into a small business that excels in publishing quality content. (My media strategy business is one such example you could look into!)

Remember, no rule says you must do everything yourself. Prioritize what you must do yourself, and find help for the rest. 

4. Learn To Say No:

Those who know me will probably laugh at this piece of advice. 

This lesson has been hard-won. I’m still learning it.

Because a “no” to something is really a “yes” to something else. Saying “no” to an elaborately handmade birthday party for my daughter means I’m saying “yes” instead to slow moments, enjoying the day with her and not enveloping the entire family in my storm system of chaos. 

Learn to say no– as a new mom, busy mom, working mom, or mompreneur. It’s really not that dirty word you might think it is. 

There are priorities, (and these shift over time!): should-dos, can-dos, might-dos, and the extras.

Unsubscribe from any commitments that aren’t important to you either in the short term or the long term.

And yes, you can do this with class, not offending anyone. The one person you’ll have to square with the most in this process is yourself. Give yourself grace by letting go of unrealistic expectations. You’ll actually get more done this way.

5. Run Quick Meetings:

Who else has been a victim of unnecessarily long meetings? (School districts, looking at you…)

In those cases, all I can think of is all I could have completed if the meetings were short and simple.

The tables may turn when you have your own business and employees, however. 

You might feel the urge to control every little aspect and keep the staff in line.

Trust me on this– keep your meetings brief, and pared down to the essentials. Your staff will be grateful, and you’ll all end up accomplishing more in the process.

6. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help:

I’m expecting two different kinds of reactions to this.

“Why should I ask for help?” and “Why should I be afraid to ask for help?”

Let me start with the former, as a recovering Afraid to Ask for Help Girly.

No matter how much you know, and no matter how much you can do, there’s no possible way to do it all.  Some things are just not worth the time. It’s okay to delegate the tasks to someone who could better handle it anyway.

Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you have the time or energy to. (Repeating this one for myself!)

The fear of having your request for help rejected is simply not worth the stress of doing everything. Keep trying, even in the face of rejection. It helps to join the right community or support group, say one for stay-at-home moms, or Mompreneurs (like my podcast).

7. Normalize Using Technology:

New technological innovations are coming out all of the time that can save you precious time.

Make friends with some of them. As someone who makes her own butter on occasion, I’ve had to realize this: It’s also okay to lean on some gadgetry. 

Save sweeping time with a vacuum cleaner, or better, use a robot vacuum and save yourself the time and energy. Use smart washing machines and dryers for your laundry, set timers on your coffee makers for your morning coffee, etc.

It may not sound like much time being saved, but the smaller things add up, and before you know it, you’ve saved hours of work.

8. Plan Workcations:

I know I said don’t be a do-it-all, but I never said don’t be a have-it-all.

Okay, okay, we know we can’t have our cake and eat it too, but… what if we can get close?

Who says you have to give up work or give up a fun family vacation for work? Why not achieve the best of both worlds in a little workcation?

I know, not all activities can be done on a beach, but many can — you can make plans, write lists, review your work or your team, and do many other smaller tasks while spending time out with your family on a vacation.

9. Focus on Consistency and Growth, Not Perfection:

Why give up the pursuit of perfection? Sounds a bit wacky, right?

I mean it does, until you realize that it’s better to have consistent growth than be stagnant trying to perfect one aspect that’s only a small piece of a bigger picture.

Not only will you waste time–and probably fail in the process– but when you finally take that breather, you’ll realize there’s even more to do. And that breather? That was only the calm before a huge tornado whirling your way.

We’re not perfect, and we’re not going to be. But we grow, and we get better with every step, and that’s what I really try to focus on.

10. Audit Yourself:

Got More Time-saving Hacks?

I may have mentioned only 10 hacks to better manage your time, but I know there’s more out there.

If you know more ways to save time that have worked for you, please share them in the comments!

Spread that information and love, and help a fellow busy mom.

You could also listen in on my podcast, A (Mostly) Stay-at-Home Mom, where I share weekly tips for busy moms earning or looking to earn a side income. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!