10 WAYS TO SAVE TIME (AND MONEY)

Valuable tips you need to know

1 THINK OF YOUR WORTH

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average UK wage is £26,832. So, according to our calculations, your time is worth at least £13 an hour. Before you start a job, think about that and never undervalue yourself!

2 BE GOOD ENOUGH

Perfectionism is rarely time- or costeffective. Sometimes it makes sense to do a job slightly less well if it means doing it more quickly. If you’ve no time to raid the cleaning cupboard, use a damp e-cloth for a quick spruce round. Make the most of multitasking products like Milton Sterilising Fluid – keep it in a spray bottle to make it easy to spritz everything.

3 JUST IN CASE

Write down a list of important phone numbers and pin it to your noticeboard so they’re easy to find in an emergency. Get details of recommended tradesmen before you need them and reduce the chance of lassoing a cowboy.

4 BE SELECTIVE

Music lessons, tennis, karate, spin classes, sleepovers, book club, coffee mornings, committee… decide what is important to you and your family – and cut the rest. You’ll save money as well as time!

5 CHECK OUT ONLINE

Even if you don't do it every time you shop, going online for groceries can save time and money, as you won’t be so prone to impulse purchases. Online grocery shopping costs around £5 for delivery, plus half an hour of your time ordering and unpacking, whereas you’ll spend an hour or two of your valuable time driving to the supermarket, slogging round the aisles and unloading everything from the car.

6 BREAK THOSE HABITS

Get rid of worthless activities that clog up your day. Don’t fritter away hours watching rubbish telly or glued to Facebook. Watch the programmes you love and set a time limit on using social media.

7 NEVER PAY FULL PRICE

The internet is awash with vouchers for money off everything from restaurant bills to days out. Don’t bother printing them out, just save them on your phone to brandish when needed. Regularly check myvouchercodes.co.uk and moneysavingexpert.co.uk for new offers.

8 HAVE A GO AT SAYING NO

Don’t procrastinate or feel guilty if you want to say no to doing something. Ignoring requests or worrying about them can take up more time. Be decisive in turning things down you don’t want to do and enjoy the things you love.

9 TIME-SAVING TOOLS

Invest in gadgets that can do more than one job. A steam cleaner can blitz floors, carpet, upholstery and even windows. Our current best buy is the Vax S86-SF-C Steam Cleaner (£119.99, vax.co.uk). A food processor will chop, dice, whizz and knead for you. Our winner is the Kitchenaid 3.1L (£249.99, johnlewis.co.uk).

10 SET A TIME LIMIT

Writing a list when you’re snowed under – with an estimate of how long the task will take – will help you stay in control. Is it a fiveminute or a one-hour task? Set that as your deadline and stick to it.