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Imagine coming home after having a long day—the last thing you want to do is make dinner. But don’t worry! By prepping in advance, you can grab something from the freezer and throw it in the oven, microwave, crockpot, or instant pot for a very quick and easy meal.

Meal prep has become more and more popular in recent years. Whether you’re a family, a couple, or single, meal prepping is a great way to choose healthy options, save time, and increase consistency.

Although there are several wholesale clubs to facilitate this, you don't need a pay for a membership in either to buy or cook in bulk. You can buy when items go on sale and freeze the ingredients to meal prep for later. You'll need to set aside some time up front, but in the end you can save a lot of time when you need it most—when you're tired at the end of the day. Plus, meal prep is one of those things that the more you do, the easier it becomes.

There are lots of websites with how-tos and recipes, but here's one we recommend with loads of information.

Top image by Freepik

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wished for more time in your day! We all get 24 hours in a day—and it’s impossible to get more—but here are some ways that can help you will feel you that you've really found more time in your day:

1. Set your alarm. Sometimes the most obvious solution is the best one! Even 30 minutes can make a difference. Waking up earlier is an easy way to add time to your day. If you can’t wake up earlier, try staying up 30 minutes later.
2. Meal prep. Making 2–3 meals a day takes a lot of time. Meal prepping once or twice a week can save a lot of time (and money)! Meals can be frozen and easily re-heated in the oven, instant pot, crockpot, microwave, etc. See our meal prep article on where to start if you’re not sure!
3. Multitask. Some considered this a bad word, but if you make it work, it can really benefit you. If you commute to work via public transportation or carpool, then spend this time going through emails, reading, doing homework, responding to messages, etc. We all spend too much time standing in lines—use this time to do a quick task, like responding to an email or message, making a to-do list, etc. If you are cleaning, put in earbuds and return those necessary calls.
4. Set a timer. Sometimes we put off doing things, but really, they don't take a lot of time if we just get to it. Set a timer for 5 minutes (or whatever time you want to set) and tackle one goal. Fold laundry, do the dishes, clean the bathroom, grab things and put them away… You’ll be amazed at how much you can actually get done in a short amount of time when you're focused.
5. Delivery service/personal shopper. We all know that Amazon Prime does 2–3 day delivery, but did you know there are other services that offer free/discounted delivery as well? Some places reward loyalty. For example, if you fill your prescriptions through the University of Utah Health pharmacy, they offer free medication delivery. If you have a Target card, they also offer free delivery. Due to Covid-19, our world has changed and “pickups” are a common for many businesses. When ordering online, you'll often see “pickup” as an option. Most of the time it’s a free service. Basically, you order your product/food online, an employee will grab it for you, charge your card, and run it out to your car once you are there. There are in-store pickups as well if you’d rather go inside.
6. Catch your ZZZs. It sounds weird to say go to sleep when finding more time in your day, but getting enough sleep has a huge impact on how you spend your day. When you're well-rested, you're usually more productive. If you're too tired to focus, set an alarm and take a short nap. Your body and mind will thank you, and you’ll be able to accomplish more!

Top image by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels