5 Ways to Buy Time, and a Little Happiness

A "quick" trip to Kroger
A “quick” trip to Kroger. All smiles before the meltdown for not buying all the candy and toys and fruit snacks!

We all want more time. Time with our kids. Time with our sweethearts. Time with The Real Housewives and a glass of wine. Since having kids, I’ve found a few small ways you can spend a few extra bucks to make life a little bit easier and give you more time to spend doing things that make you happy!

  1. Grocery pick-up/delivery
    This amazing service only came into my life in the past couple of months, but now I can’t imagine life without it. For me, it all started with Walmart grocery pick-up. Organic veggies, milk, shampoo, Pop Tarts. Check, check, check, check. You text when you’re on your way and they have everything bagged up and ready to load your car. Now with apps like Instacart, you can shop multiple stores at once – Whole Foods, Costco (no membership needed), Kroger, Tom Thumb, Central Market and more.
  2. Pre-chopped fruits and veggies
    This is one of those little things that feels like a true luxury but doesn’t cost too much extra. My favorite chopped items include onions, carrots and peppers. These make omelets and stir-fries and other quick meals even quicker. Tubs of chopped fruit come in handy for kids breakfasts and snack time. It also gives me a healthy snack option right before bed!
  3. Pre-made healthy dinners
    If you don’t have time to make dinner (who does really???), then places like Snap Kitchen make family sized portions of healthy, homey comfort foods like lasagna, meatloaf, and spaghetti and meatballs. There’s also great family-sized meals at Whole Foods, Central Market, Sam’s and Costco.
  4. Amazon prime
    This was so obvious I almost forgot to name it. Amazon has truly spoiled me. In addition to getting literally anything you could possibly need or want, it arrives in a flash, even on Sundays. I’m embarrassed to admit how many Amazon packages arrive weekly and even daily. But having it saves me trips to the grocery store, toy store, mall, book store…you get it, lots of stores!
  5. Fuel delivery
    Now this one I haven’t tried, but a friend of mine swears by it. Booster Fuel brings your gas to your office and fills up your car! Gone are the days calculating how far you can get on a 0 mile cruise range. Or is that just me? Now if only they would clean out our kids’ car seats and leave Twizzlers and a People magazine waiting for you, we’d really be on to something.

What tips do you have for buying time and a little happiness? Comment below!