What are your life cheats?

[GreyhoundsRUs]

If you sign up for Prime using your .edu address, you should get 6 months free Prime and then a 50% discount after that.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

This is from their website just now
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1418819465.815991.jpg

[Thirteen]

-Amazon Prime
-Buying a season of my favorite shows in advance on Amazon Instant Video to avoid commercials/paying for cable (wayyyy cheaper than cable).
-A load of laundry and dishes are started every morning, even if I won't be there.
-Looking at my calendar, I buy cards in bulk for the month, and send out congrats/birthday/special occasions (there are some exceptions here)



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[medpedspouse]

I buy the 33lb bags of dog food online. Same price but I pay no shipping, tax AND they get dropped off at my door...on auto delivery.

I hated lugging those bags home.

[Curegirl]

I signed up last year I think..? But they gave me the student price for a year with the option to continue at a discount...Thirteen, good call on buying the whole season for TV shows!

[gem]

Dry shampoo.

[MAPPLEBUM]

Here's my big confession.

I go to the meat counter and I buy the pre-seasoned, pre-made meats: spicy marinated chicken stuffed with cheese, parmesan chicken, sicilian pork, meatloaf, stuffed pork chops, beef stuffed with spinach and cheese ....

I also buy little potatoes that are easy to cook and have them on hand at all times.

Dinner = pick a meat, add potatoes, add veggies, add rolls. Done.


It feels like cheating because I'm no longer meal planning and worrying every day about what I'm going to cook at night. It has also provided my family with a consistent and healthy meal. I am so much happier ... but it sometimes feels wrong to do it this way. I'll never go back though.

Kris

FWIW this sounds like a bonefide home cooked meal to me! I'm usually too cheap to buy pre seasoned meats, but they're awesome! And fresh! I on the other hand will by large bags of beef jerky for my husband. I can't tell you how many times he's eaten that for, basically, dinner, because neither of us want to cook.

[WolfpackWife]

I buy the 33lb bags of dog food online. Same price but I pay no shipping, tax AND they get dropped off at my door...on auto delivery.

I hated lugging those bags home.

Chewy.com is the best thing that's ever happened to us as dog parents. Auto shipped 40lbs of dog food every 5.5 - 6 weeks, and we throw a box of treats in there every other shipment or so when he runs low. Straight to the front door - it's amazing!!!

[medpedspouse]

Chewy.com is the best thing that's ever happened to us as dog parents. Auto shipped 40lbs of dog food every 5.5 - 6 weeks, and we throw a box of treats in there every other shipment or so when he runs low. Straight to the front door - it's amazing!!!

We heart Chewy too! I tried two other companies before I found Chewy...they are the best.

[JDAZ11]

Dry shampoo.

For sure! Life changing...

(Although I used to use baby powder back in HS and college. Honestly works as well, I just hate the smell).

[PrincessFiona]

Another cheat? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes I get my hair fixed because I just never get around to doing it myself. I feel like I always look like crap and I'm too tired/lazy to pull out a blow dryer and then a curling iron. So ... I get my hair washed and styled at the hair salon. It lasts 3 or 4 days, actually.....

Kris

[alotofyarn]

I use a lot of frozen vegetables - I always have chopped onions and seasoning blend (onions, celery, bell peppers) in my freezer. I have a few canned or boxed meals that I do frequently too, like red beans & rice and jambalaya, or pasta is pretty quick. E eats frozen peas most days, and recently frozen quartered grapes. I try to cook large portions of meals and eat leftovers the rest of the week, plus freeze some too for nights where we're out of leftovers but I don't have time to cook more. I usually have ground beef in the freezer, and I don't defrost it before I brown it (put it in the pan for a bit and let one side cook, flip it and let the other side cook while you scrape the one cooked side off, repeat until it's all thawed/cooked). I used to keep a bag of individually frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins too, because you can run those under water and defrost quickly, or pop in the oven frozen, but I haven't done that lately. You can make a lot of different sauces with a can of cream of chicken soup and various seasoning. I like crock pot meals with liners for easy cleanup. And we do a ton of takeout. Oh, and for coffee I buy cold brew coffee concentrate that I just mix with milk. We do a ton of Amazon Prime shopping.

[houseelf]

Alerts on my phone

Google calendar for the hubby and oldest child so we are all in sync.

Everything is always packed and ready to go. Swim bag stays packed in mudroom. Backpacks ready by door night before. Work out clothes set out the night before or kept in bag in car.

The car has everything we need if something comes up: sunscreen, blankets, swim bag, work out bag, sand toys, caparisons, snacks, etc.

My library app ensures I always have a book on me.

I wait until I have a huge list to go to the Big Box store. (This was more during residency when $ was tight). I'm terrible about sticking to a list so the less I go the closer to staying to budget I get

If my kids see something they want, I promise to add it to their "list". They get to see it go on their Amazon wish lists. When birthday/holidays roll around, I have the review and send out to the suckers (grandparents)

The iMSN dishwasher cheat

I place tape with my name on the inside of my glasses case with my phone number on it. Twice in my life someone has found them and called me. I do this to suitcases as well.

automated billing and mint

annual photo print out each year at Christmas. This way I know what I can delete on my phone and I promise to at least have hard copies once a year. They only get placed in a shoe box, but whatever.

I buy a dozen pairs of stretchy black gloves from the dollar store at the beginning of the season. This helps to ensure hands will be covered.

I kept a wardrobe box from our last move. Snow pants and boots are in order and get passed down each year.

On my notes app, I have lists for everything. (God I sound like "A beautiful mind"). Music to add, books to request, to do, gift ideas, etc. Then I can forget it and take some found time to download everything.

I try to keep a well stocked pantry and linen closet. Really, if $ isn't tight there is no reason to run out of toilet paper. I *hate* emergency runs to the store for something you know you are going to need.

[Vanquisher]

My iPhone: Siri make an appointment for 2:00 on Wednesday with Dr. X. I then set two reminders for said appointment. Reminders are necessary for everything. I would be completely nonfunctional without my phone.

Take pictures. Of crap. I need to remember that? Picture. I have almost as many pictures of random crap on my phone as my kids. For example:



I use the take a picture of my screen function all the damn time.

These are swimming time cutoffs. Now I don't have to look them up when I'm checking to see if Lexi made the time she needs to move up to the net team.


I also email myself important shit so I can search for it.

Most of the recipes I make are on my phone so I can look at them while at the store.

Amazon prime!!!

TiVo.

Automatically paid bills.

Mobile check deposit.








Heidi

[medpedspouse]

Here is a hack that DH laughs at me for...when I cannot see the price of something on the top shelf at the store, I reach up with my phone and snap a pic of it. But I am short. You taller people may not need this.