The Best Frugal Time Management Tool !

Anyone who's interested in saving time for the people and things that are important in their lives should utilize one of the cheapest time management tools around - a simple kitchen timer. This average $3 investment pays for itself in the first 15 minutes of use. After all, YOUR time is valuable!

Let's say you have X amount of time today to finish your work so you can move on to the fun stuff....Start with the most important job on your TO DO list (assuming you have one and it's listed in priority order). Decide on a realistic time goal for either completing the job or taking a big chunk out of it. Set the timer and go for broke....once the buzzer goes off, drop what you're doing (well not literally if it's glass related or something like that) and take a short break (timed of course). Then back to the second most important job....and so on.

Some uses are:

1. For decluttering anywhere, bring in some trash bags and a few boxes. Set the timer for 15 or 30 minutes. Start sorting where you stand. Sort like with like and fine tune later. Buzzer goes off, leave the area! Do it again tomorrow.
2. Play a game with the kids.....who can pick up and put away their belongings before the timer goes off? Everybody gets a hug from mom.
3. Manage your online time before it starts to take over in your real world. YIKES!

What could you use a timer for? Would love to hear and share your thoughts.


P.S. If you don't have ready access to a kitchen timer and you want to start now, CNET.com has links and reviews on free online timers to help keep you organized. I've never tried of these free timer downloads, but fellow writers swear by them.

P.P.S.S. Moms with young napping children may want to buzzer-proof the kids first so they grow accustomed to the noise or ban the buzzer during nap time. Just a thought.....