Discover how using a weekly planner helps save time

Whether you use a paper or electronic version, a weekly planner is an invaluable time saver. It’s a terrific visual aid that, if you use it on a regular basis, will help you manage your time more effectively. It’s sensible to set aside a few minutes a week to fill in your weekly planner for the week ahead. While you might need to tweak it during the week itself, it will be a practical step in helping you save time and organise your household more effectively. 

You will typically use it to schedule appointments and meals for the week ahead. It’s a useful reminder to you and the rest of the family about the plans for the next few days. 

Appointment organisation with a weekly planner

• A weekly planner lets you see at a glance what appointments you have for the week ahead. It helps reduce the chances of you double booking or forgetting to turn up in the first place!
• If you leave your weekly planner in a place where everyone can see it, then it can also ensure that older family members are regularly reminded about the events for the week ahead.
• A weekly planner that clearly highlights appointments and events also means that you can be organised in advance of it occurring. If you have a meeting scheduled you will know to leave your briefcase by the front door, or if you have a doctor’s appointment you will remember to bring any notes or queries in your bag to the appointment.
• You can use your weekly planner to schedule in your exercise and social plans. It can often be very difficult to find the time and energy for these commitments. Writing them in your weekly planner is good place to start in terms of scheduling and making time for you, your needs and well-being.

Meal organisation with a weekly planner

• It enables you to plan your meals for the week ahead. A weekly planner allows you to decide what meals you’ll be having on a day-to-day basis and decide if you need to choose a recipe that requires a few minutes preparation or one where you need more time in the kitchen.
• You can look at what activities you have planned for the day and if you’ve left yourself enough time to prepare the meal you have planned. A weekly planner means you can plan a varied and nutritious menu for the family rather than trying to organise meals on a day-to-day basis.
• If you plan and schedule your meals for the week ahead, it cuts your shopping trip time down dramatically and ensures that you’ll have the ingredients required in advance as well. This can be an excellent time saver for a busy family.