Plan Ahead

The person who plans ahead has a definite advantage over the one who hastily rushes into things without planning. The unplanned, do-it-on-the-spur-of-the-moment technique can be costly.

A housewife, for example, who plans meals for an entire week at a time does not have the daily worry of “what shall I cook today?” and does not have to make continual trips to the store. A weekly shopping list enables her to buy many of her needs at least several days ahead of time. Fewer shopping trips mean a saving in money, energy and time.

Plan ahead if you are undertaking a project you have never done before, like wallpapering your living room. Face up to the fact that because you are a beginner, it may cost you more than the usual amount of time and nervous energy. Ask the advice of experienced persons; let them warn you about mistakes to avoid.

Before beginning, ask yourself: “Do I have sufficient time to finish what I am starting? Do I have all the necessary materials and tools? Are my tools in good repair?” Much energy can be wasted by struggling with tools not working properly.

Also ask yourself: “Do I have enough money to carry the project through to completion?” The Bible, at Luke 14:28, reasons: “Who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it?” What a waste of money to start a project one is financially unable to finish!

Planning ahead is also important when moving into a new home. Jot down on the outside of the cartons and packing crates the room where the furniture movers should put them: kitchen, bedroom, living room, and so forth. Then you will not have to drag heavy boxes from room to room when unpacking.

Decide beforehand how to arrange the furniture. You might draw a floor plan to scale, showing the various rooms of your new home, including where the doors and windows are located; then cut out scale models of your furniture. Move the paper models around on the floor plan to determine the most practical solution. It is much easier and quicker to do this than it would be to move the furniture itself. This can even save you money, because excessive movement of furniture can damage it, not to speak of the floor or carpet.

Learn not to procrastinate, because as the 18th-century English poet Edward Young said: “Procrastination is the thief of time.” Also of energy and money. Let us take an example. While dressing, you discover a loose button. Do you sew it on immediately, or at least remove it and put it in a safe place until you can? Or are you the type of person that lets it hang​—quite literally—​until it one day drops off and is lost? Now what? After looking and failing to find an exact replacement, you may end up buying a complete new set of buttons. You have wasted money, energy and time. Similarly, costly and time-consuming car or house repairs can be avoided by taking action as soon as a need is recognized and before it becomes more serious.

Keep Things in Their Proper Place

“Where are my glasses?” “Did someone take my pencil?” “I can’t find my keys!” Sound familiar? The good habit of keeping things in their proper place will help you to find them quickly and easily. It will also save you the possible embarrassment of pointing a finger of blame at someone innocent of any wrongdoing.

The secret of a well-organized office lies in filing papers in such a way that you can find them quickly when needed. The same principle holds true for a well-organized household. But a word of caution! A thing’s proper place is always its logical place.

A thing’s proper place is also its most practical place. Often-needed objects would best not be kept at the bottom of a drawer or at the back of a cupboard, but in a more easily reached spot. What good are your tools if they are hidden away under boxes in the attic?

Another way to make the most of your time is to arrange to perform a task at one stretch, rather than in installments. Instead of spending several evenings wall-papering your living room, why not do the job on a weekend when you can work one or two days without interruption? Think of the time and effort you will save, not having to repeat each evening the same procedure of changing into work clothes, getting equipment and materials ready, and afterward clearing away the debris and washing up.

An efficient housewife can do several things at once. While waiting for a cake to finish baking or meat to finish frying, for example, she will be preparing a salad, or perhaps even doing her ironing or house cleaning.