Life hacks are all about saving you time and making your life a little easier. In today's busy world where we spend most of our time hurrying around and then puzzling over where our day has gone, any little tip that provides a time, or money-saving does not pass by unnoticed or unappreciated.

So we thought we would pass on seven life hacks for the modern family that will make you eternally grateful that you came across this article.

Meal Preparation

Let’s face it, preparing meals does take up a fair amount of time. Making a decision of what to eat and then getting the ingredients together and developing it can take quite a bit out of your day.

Save yourself some time by sitting down once a week to plan your meals for the next seven days. This will take the guesswork out of having to make a decision every night and save you some time which brings us to the next point.

Grocery Shopping

Now that you have planned your meals for the week, you know what ingredients you need to buy. Write out a shopping list and make one trip to the store to get everything you need for the week.

Having a planned list on hand will prevent you from wandering around the shopping aisles trying to decide what to buy and cook while simultaneously having to avoid the kids from grabbing all the sweets in sight of the shelves.


Online Shopping

Even better than shopping lists is online shopping. No more traipsing the mall trying to find an affordable pair of shoes for the kids. Hop online from the comfort of your couch, select shoe size, and budget, and voila, Sammy has a new pair of shoes!

On an added note – you can do this for the grocery shopping too. The extra bonus here, of course, is that it gets delivered to your home.

Do The Homework

If you have noticed a common thread in decision making taking up quite a bit of time, then you have seen correctly. In every couple or family, one person tends to be more decisive or make better decisions than the other. This is not to say you shouldn't discuss options with each other because you should. But let whoever is best at researching do the investigating beforehand and then have a discussion before executing the plan, whatever that may be. Whether planning a family holiday, choosing car insurance, or deciding where to take the kids on the weekend, help each other out by saving time doing the homework so to speak.

Get Your Exercise In

Sadly exercise always seems to be one of the first things that we stop doing when we get too busy. How about making a family event of it and schedule every Saturday afternoon to do some cost-effective hobbies such as cycling, or taking a walk around the park, or going for a swim, as a family. Not only will you all get the exercise in that you missed during the week because you were too busy, but you will also have fun doing it together as a family.

Keep Your Home Uncluttered

Clutter causes chaos, and when there is chaos, there is a certain amount of unnecessary time spent stressing. For example, you have lost your car keys and between the morning newspaper strewn over the kitchen counter and the kids’ toys lying around the living room you are too distracted to remember where you put them.

If you keep your living space clear then, there is less chance for you to misplace things and have to spend time turning the house around to find them. You will also be grateful that you tidied up last night when your mother-in-law pops in for a surprise visit on short notice.

Prepare For Tomorrow

Simple things like planning your wardrobe or packing lunches the night before can make your morning routine a little easier. You never know when Sammy is going to need a little more time and persuasion to brush her teeth before leaving the house in the morning. Being organized for what lies ahead will leave you time to deal with any unexpected surprises.