More Than A Penny Pincher – The Value Of Homemaking Part Four

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To see Parts One, Two, and Three, start HERE.

Here's my final (painful!) post on homemaking (are you sticking with me still?)  I have to share with you that, when Lana got me thinking about the importance of homemaking, I realized how incredibly inadequate I am as a wife and mother.  I have done it for quite a  few years now, so I've learned maybe a few things to share, but most days I simply don't do it well at all!  I'm hoping these posts (and all your sweet comments!) will spur me to action.

The truth is I'm like many mommas out there.  I love my kiddos but their toys everywhere make me nuts.  I love my hubby but I rarely understand exactly the way his brain works (and why he doesn't want to sit and talk all the time . . . seriously, why did God make them so much quieter than us?) And I love being a homemaker but somedays it simply wears me out too!

So here are just a few (random!) practical tips that I've found that seem to make our home run a little smoother.  (I'm planning to post on these on the fridge so that I remember them too!) 

1) Don't procrastinate. 

I still remember staring into a dishwasher full of clean dishes at twelve years old, and recognizing that I could walk away from those dishes all day long but they'd still be sitting there when my mom got home from work (and she would not be happy; she was tired too!)  I figured out then and there that I might as well just go ahead and put those dishes away (because they sure weren't going to put themselves away!), so I chose to get to work.  The same holds true today – you might as well go ahead and tackle that awful chore, because it's highly unlikely it'll ever get done if you don't get started!

2) Figure out a good laundry schedule.

I know this sounds nuts, but a good laundry routine (whatever it is for you!) can totally change your home.  I have tried many different ways to handle our laundry over the years as our family has grown and our laundry needs seem to constantly change.  I am loving my current laundry routine, and can tell such a difference simply by having a daily plan of attack (otherwise our laundry tends to attack me!)  The newest rule I've also challenged myself with is to completely finish the laundry.  Washed, dried, folded, and put away, so that the washer & dryer are always ready for a new onslaught of dirty clothes!

3) Exercise regularly.

4) (Beware, this one is a doozie.)  Limit your time on the computer.

I really can't believe I just told you that.  I'm a blogger, so your daily clicks on PPP make me very happy! 🙂  However, as I've talked to friends about this one (especially couponing friends!), I know it's an area that we all struggle with.  The computer has tons of great information, it is an amazing resource, but it can also sabotage your job as homemaker.  (I've gotta confess, I am feeling completely convicted about this one right now!)  As a hard core couponer even before blogging I could easily spend hours on the computer hunting down new deals.  I looked at every money saving blog out there, researched every deal forum, and would even visit all kinds of manufacturer sites in hopes that I might find a coupon out there that someone has missed.  (Yup, I have issues . . . I know.)

I told myself that this was a blessing to my family, because it saved us money (and it did!)  But at the end of the day, I don't want to become such an extreme couponer that the value of my family suffers because I'm too busy looking for deals.  There simply has to be a point where enough is enough.  (Which is so hard for me to tell you!) 

As a mom, I suggest that you decide a reasonable amount of time to spend on the computer each day, (then add fifteen minutes, I promise you'll use them!), and aim to only spend that much time daily at your computer.  It may be that you set aside a certain amount of time in the morning and a certain amount in the afternoon, and don't allow yourself back to the computer in between, but really try to set limits.  Believe it or not you probably won't miss that many deals, and you won't spend all day with your eyes glued to a computer screen. Even as a blogger I'm really hoping to curb my own computer time so that I'm more efficient but still conscientious of my very first priority:  being a wife and mother.  (Can someone remind of this one in like, hmmmmm, one hour???)

5) Be nice to your hubby.  (This one can be a doozie somedays too!)

I struggle with this one so stinkin' often, that I feel it's fair for me to share (feel free to hold me accountable, honey!)  I get so frustrated some days with the laundry and the cooking and the cleaning and the poop and the pee and the toys and the dishes and the clutter and the planning and the ironing and the vacuuming and the mopping and the driving, and some days even the kids (did I just say that?), that many days I don't treat him as kindly as I should.  I cannot imagine the weight that he bears daily to support our family well beyond what we could ever need.  And yet I still get grouchy!  (I think I'm really just tired, but he deserves way better than that!)  Remember that the two of you are in this together, so have fun and enjoy the ride! 🙂

Since this is the last of this whole homemaking series, I figured the best way to leave you is to check out what God designed homemaking to look like.   Thanks so much for sticking with me through this one. . .(whew, I'm glad that's done!!!!)

Next week we'll start a new series on frugal living.  Are there any specific areas you're looking to pinch pennies on outside of the grocery store?

Photo courtesy of Cake Girl on Flickr.