Streamline Your Errands SAGE Column July 2009
Streamline Your Errands
Running errands is often the most stressful part of the week. Naturally, you should ask yourself whether you need to do the errand at all. Do you already have something else that will suffice? Can you order online and save yourself the gasoline and hassle?
Simplify your errand running by making decisions ahead of time. Which stores have the items you use most? Go to those stores. No need to check the circulars every week and rework your route. Convenience is worth paying a little more: it’s no bargain to spend time and gasoline in traffic just to save a few cents.
Plan your route to group errands around your home, school or office at times when you’re already out. Consolidate trips and, whenever possible, park once and visit nearby stores. Special projects that require additional time and route adjustment can easily be worked into the route if you plan them in advance. For example, the monthly trip to the home improvement store can correspond to the weekend you plan to repaint the hallway. Make a list of supplies and take accurate measurements to alleviate the need for return trips during the project.
Creating a routine for when and in what order you run errands makes maintaining your home easier. It also answers your family’s questions about when something will happen. Get them involved in the list making, too. Designate a collection area or spot for totes or bins used for regular errands. This is where all the dry cleaning, recycling, library books, etc. go. Your reusable cloth bags go here, too, and help you avoid the future decisions of where to keep and when to recycle the plastic or paper.
And because we’re all distracted by bright, shiny objects when we’re hungry, eat first or work in a stop for a snack.
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Miriam Ortiz y Pino’s articles appear monthly in Sage Magazine, a publication of the Albuquerque Journal. Miriam is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and owner of More than Organized // www.MorethanOrganized.net // She works with people who want to simplify their lives in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This article may be freely distributed if this resource box remains attached.
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