Life gets busy, and there’s no way to make more time. We’re limited to 24 hours a day, some of which must be dedicated to sleeping. It can feel like there’s never enough time to get everything done. That’s where automation can help! Let technology do some of the work for you so you can put your efforts elsewhere.
Groceries
First, PeaPod. In many locations, PeaPod, run by Stop & Shop, will shop for and deliver your groceries. You make your purchases online, and they do the rest. Hannaford to Go doesn’t deliver, but they’ll do the shopping for you and have everything ready for you to pick up. In most locations, they even have special parking spots for To Go customers. Last is, Instacart where shoppers can shop for groceries through the Instacart mobile app or Instacart.com from the company’s more than 300 national, regional, and local retailer partners. Instead of spending an hour or more at the grocery store, you can focus on other tasks and take 10 minutes to pick up the groceries you’ve ordered.
Cleaning Supplies
No, you can’t automate cleaning yet. Rosie from the Jetsons isn’t going to save you the chore. What you can automate is buying cleaning supplies. And you’ll save money in the process. Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program is excellent for this. Just pick out your products, set your delivery frequency, and watch the items show up just when you need them. Subscribers benefit from significant savings in the process. You can get even better deals on Amazon with Camel and Honey.
Clothes Shopping
Some people love shopping for new clothes and staying up on new styles. If that’s not you, Stitch Fix is a great way to add to your wardrobe without ever stepping foot in a clothing store. Once you sign up, they send you a box with five articles of clothing every month. You keep (and pay for) what you want and send the rest back. If Stitch Fix’s styles aren’t quite your style, Thread Up offers consignment/thrift store clothing directly to your door. Wish you could try before you buy? Prime Wardrobe, available to Amazon Prime customers, allows you to choose clothes, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. Select up to eight items and return what you don’t like with prepaid shipping.
Bills
As a daily money manager, I see people struggling to stay on top of bill due dates all the time. Most banks now offer automated payments through their online banking services. You set up the payments to be deducted on a specific day each month. You shouldn’t completely ignore it since glitches do happen, but it’s certainly easier than sitting down with the bills and a checkbook for hours every week. Learn more about the pros and cons of automatic bill pay from Money Crashers.
Meal Planning
There are quite a few meal planning apps on the market. Some will also generate a shopping list for you, making it easy to get what you need without making multiple trips (or getting multiple deliveries if you use PeaPod.) Most cost some money, so you’ll want to explore the options and take advantage of any free trial periods to choose the one that’s best for you.
Instead of getting overwhelmed, take advantage of these automation options to simplify your life. You’ll appreciate the extra time you have to spend with friends and family or dedicate to hobbies.
