Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Mama Life || Are You Making Life Harder?



None of us set out with the intention of making life harder for ourselves, but bad habits and a lack of time, money and energy mean that it often ends up being the case. With just a few simple changes we can all make our days run much more smoothly and possibly even reduce some of the daily stress too, hoorah. Here are just some of the ways you may be making life harder than it needs to be, and a little about what we can do about it.

Difficult journeys...


It’s so easy to put off learning to drive and I'm so glad I got it out the way with my earnings when I was eighteen. I think if I'd left it until now I would never be driving! Public transport is pretty good in most areas these days though, and with services like Uber you can usually get to where you need to be. Public transport can be expensive unfortunately and it can be stressful getting the kids from A to B carrying bags, prams and everything we need to carry around with kids. Having your own car really can make life so much easier. An errand that usually takes you all morning can be done within an hour, with no waiting times, no worries about losing tickets and boot space for all those things the kids insist on bringing with them. Dropping the kids off at school or at their friends, grabbing groceries and going on fun, family days out all become a breeze when you have a car and I can't imagine life without ours. If you have the option to start learning, stop putting it off. If you have it in your head that you want to drive one day, start taking steps towards it right now! Book some lessons with a local instructor, and once you pass check out some of the cars from quality garages like Ron Skinner. You might think you’re managing OK now without a vehicle, but when you learn to drive and start doing things in your own car, you’ll look back and wonder how you ever got by without one. You’ll free up time in your schedule too, which is always useful when you’re a busy parent. 




Finances out of control...


Are your bills all over the place? If there’s no rhyme or reason to the way you manage your money then you put yourself at risk of financial problems if issues arise. One great way to manage your money is to work out how much your bills cost each week or month, then whenever you get paid, transfer that amount (plus a little extra in the beginning as a buffer) into a separate bank account. Set all of your bills to be taken from that account via direct debit, or at the very least have them all go out straight after pay day so you know what you're left with. Keeping your finances in order, consolidating any debts and knowing what money you have and when makes life so much easier. None of us want to be guessing if we have enough money for that school trip or food next week, so set yourself a budget and stick to it. 




Chaotic home...


When you have kids, your house is never going to look like a show home, but there’s a difference between a bit of mess and a serious case of chaos taking hold. There might be toys on the floor and a constant pile (or large mountain) of washing that needs doing, but if you aim to have your home as organised as possible where you can, it does make day to day living easier and less stressful. Buy storage containers so it’s easy to put things away, regularly declutter and get rid of what you no longer need. Come up with a cleaning schedule if you need one and get the kids involved in age appropriate chores too, it's a good way for them to earn their pocket money, relieves us parents of some of our duties and teaches them simple life skills as they grow up.




Do you need to work on any of these things?