5 - life's little time hacks

watching my daughter get ready to get to school gave me an idea for a post!  

A house is full of little things we do every day to keep it running smoothly,    Little tricks can save a lot of time and energy.

1. Write a quick list.   I save envelopes from the recycle bin.   Glance at it and start the projects that can be working, while you do other things.    - that load of dishes or clothes on the washer    , the coffee pot, dinner on the crockpot.
2. When unloading  the dishwasher   Stack all the same item together before you put the dishes away,   It takes no more time to walk to the plate cupboard with one plate than it does with 8 plates.  You are opening the cupboard once. Not eight times.   
3. Use a basket to pick up everything that doesn't belong in a room.   As you move from room to room, put things away,   
4. Get kids to pick up their own stuff....good luck with this one.   I think I am a broken record. 
5. Even in a small kitchen, put things in cupboards close to where you will use them.   Zone your kitchen   

• Coffee cups, coffee and tea near the coffee pot 
• Salad bowls near the fridge or sink.  
• Knives near the chopping board 
• Casseroles and being dishes near the prep space.    
• Spices near the stove.   
• Cleaning supplies and cloths under the sink.   
• Spatulas and utensils near the prep  area and stove.    

Little hacks can go a long ways to simplify your everyday chores.   

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 perspective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.