Delegation is the better part of valour

Jane Peyton’s time-saving tips will change your life...

Home is often the setting of more work than should be legal. So here’s one word to restore some personal time to your life. Delegate!

You may have heard the Scouts are reviving Bob-a-Job Week. So in your house why not make it year round and share the chores among your children.

Make it fun by competing for housework glory. Turn on a timer and get them to beat the clock as they do their jobs, then award a medal for the winner. Once a year, tally up the results and bestow prizes. No kids? Then borrow someone else’s.

Shopping is daylight robbery when it comes to stealing your time, so do a bulk shop online and get it delivered.

Preparing food in bulk is a great time saving trick too. Make big batches in one go and freeze them. If you prefer freshly cooked food then rustle up 20-minute meals on weekdays and let someone else cook complicated dishes for you on the weekend.

The trouble with cooking is all that washing up. So train your household to load their own dirty crockery into the dishwasher straight from the table, rinsing it first – no dumping it by the sink and walking away.

De-stress the morning rush by laying out clothes and school uniforms the night before, paying attention to locating homework and shoes. Ever noticed it’s always just one that’s missing?

Looking for an online organiser app for managing the house? Cozi contains shared calendars, to-do lists, reminder messages, and other handy features. It’s like a personal assistant in your pocket.

And finally, the ironing – if you don’t consider it a zen activity then combine the misery with something practical, such as planning meals or the week’s outfits, using the voice recorder on your mobile phone. Or wear linen, then creases don’t matter!