Save Your Precious Mom Time by Making These 9 Purchases Online

If you’re a busy mom, you know the meaning of the phrase, “there’s just not enough hours in the day.” Between soccer practice and dance recitals, doctor’s appointments and science fairs, you’re lucky to ensure everyone eats and brushes their teeth each day — including you. 

You need all the hacks you can get to shave more minutes off each chore. Guess what? Much of your wasted time is spent on the road — but you don’t get paid to drive like truckers do. Why not let them do their job so you can focus on being the mother of the year? Save your precious mom time by making these nine purchases online. 

1. Eyeglasses

Getting your eyeglass prescription renewed used to mean getting dressed, loading and unloading the stroller (and child) from your car and heading to a crowded big-box center’s optometrist. Why hassle with all that? You could end up interrupting naptime and you know how precious those quiet moments are. 

Instead, why not purchase your eyeglasses online? You can even get your prescription refilled via this method. Your optometrist will take your photo or allow you to upload one to get vital measurements like pupillary distance and segment height. From there, you can try on lenses virtually by using your uploaded photo to see what they’ll look like on your face. Select options like blue light filter coatings and submit your order. Viola! 

2. Household and Grocery Staples 

Hey, it’s understandable to want to select lettuce and lemons for yourself. However, you hit the farmers’ market for your fresh produce, anyway. Why not save yourself at least an hour or more a week by shopping for your household and grocery staples online? 

If you get savvy, you can save even more time by hanging a master shopping list of items you typically purchase on your fridge, checking each one you need to order as it arises. You might include things like:

• Toothpaste
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Salt/pepper
• Condiments
• Napkins
• Vinegar
• Pasta sauce
• Pasta 
• Dish detergent
• Cleaning supplies

If your family eats meat, you can save money and time with the right delivery service. You can also ensure your meal was humanely raised and organically fed to tread more lightly on the planet. 

3. School Uniforms 

Back-to-school shopping takes on a slightly different meaning when your kiddos have to wear a uniform. It’s a little bit tricky to get the size right if you order online off the bat. What to do? 

Pro-tip: Take your phone when you go and look for the outfit online when you find one that fits. Once you know what size, you can have the rest of what you need delivered to your house, going up a notch or two on the size chart as your child grows. 

4. Gifts 

You could brave the pre-holiday traffic at the mall this December, but why? Tame your budget and your schedule by purchasing gifts online. That way, you can pick up the perfect surprise for that special someone when you see it and present it when it’s time. 

Many online gifts are more desirable than what you’d find in stores, anyway. For example, the right meal subscription box makes the perfect new-mama present for a busy new parent. 

5. Textbooks 

Are you returning to school and setting a glorious example for your kids? If so, you’ve probably blanched at the textbook prices at your university bookstore. Some hefty tomes can cost hundreds of dollars — and you’re already broke from paying tuition. 

Instead, save money by buying or even renting your textbooks online. For example, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble allow you to rent books at a fraction of the purchase price. However, you can still find bargains if you prefer to buy so that you can scribble in the margins. 

6. Electronics 

Did your computer crash in the middle of that important work project? You could head to the big-box store — or have a custom-built replacement delivered to your home in a few days. 

Buying electronics online allows you to review the specs at your leisure — and ask more knowledgeable friends and family questions without eavesdropping salespeople. Additionally, you can specify precisely the features you need instead of sticking with the standard floor model. 

7. Craft Supplies 

You don’t have to leave the comfort of your living room to order yarn. You can often find better bargains online and part of the fun is opening your prize to see the exact shade. 

Likewise, look online for paints, cookie cutters, scissors and glue. You’ll find everything you need for your favorite hobby, all without a single “are we there yet?”

8. Wine 

Sometimes, mommy needs a glass of adult juice at the day’s end. However, cruising the wine aisle of your local grocery with a toddler in tow can be, um, interesting. 

Instead, order your libations online. You can save a bundle by joining a wine club and have your selections catered to your taste — a bottle or red or white? Perhaps you’re in the mood for both tonight? 

9. Baby Needs

Finally, you could run yourself ragged making diaper runs. Why go through the trouble? You can have a fresh supply delivered to your door, including green options for mamas who want to preserve the planet for their precious babies. 

However, you don’t have to stop with diapers. You’ll probably go through so many wipes and bottles of baby lotion that you’ll wish you had bought stock in those companies — add them to your online shopping list. 

Save Your Precious Mom Time — Make These Purchases Online

Busy moms are responsible for the next generation. They don’t have time for frivolities like shopping — with wriggling toddlers in tow. 

Instead, save your precious mom time by making these nine purchases online. You’ll enjoy more time with your kids — or just a few extra moments of sweet silence.