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Errand Running Made Easy

1. Consolidate Errands
   Declare an errand day. Schedule one day, afternoon or evening to take care of all of your errands. Keep a running list of supplies that are needed. Have everyone in the family contribute their "wants" to the list. This saves both time and gas!
2. Map the route
   Plan your errands in a clockwise order to avoid time wasting left hand turns. Consider shopping at a mall where you could take care of several errands at once.
3. Menu-plan
   Plan your meals one week in advance. List ingredients that are needed for the planned recipes, as well as items that you have run out of during the week. Grocery shop once a week. This will save you the time and effort that it takes to stop every night. Plus, it relieves the stress of trying to figure out what to serve one hour before dinner.
4. Sort your groceries at the check-out
   I like to bag like items together. Try to pack all frozen items together to keep them cold. Unpacking groceries is a breeze when everything is pre-sorted.
5. Use web services
   Many errands can be eliminated by taking advantage of online services. Make purchases, do your banking and pay your bills online. Have your photos printed through a service like www.shutterfly.com and they will deliver the photos to your door. Skip the stop at the video store and order your DVDs through www.netflix.com or www.blockbuster.com.

Karen Henke is the owner of Come2Order in Minneapolis, MN. Visit www.come2order2day.com and request a free Time-Savers Kit which is loaded with time-saving tips and services. And sign up for a subscription to the free monthly newsletter.