Need to Get organized with your errands? Check out this common errands list and print off the errands checklist!
Running errands is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to take up all of your time, or be utterly boring! Learn how to run your errands in a fun, efficient way.
What are typical errands?
One thing that can make your errand running a lot more efficient is to know what you need to accomplish each week. If you forget something, then that is just one more trip you have to make. Here is a list of errands to run-this can help jog your memory when you are making out your weekly errands list, and you don’t want to forget something.
- Grocery store
- Discount store (Dollar General, Family Dollar etc.)
- Post Office
- Gift shopping
- Event or party preparation
- Gas Station
- Library
- Bank
- Drugstore
- Car Wash
- Car Repair
- Dry cleaning
- Laundromat
- Donations
- Things to buy
- Things to sell
- Doctor appointment
- Veterinarian appointment
- Gym
- Copy Store
- Returns
- Items to deliver
The most common errands would be grocery shopping, getting gas, and buying household items. Most people like to do these things at least once a week. Since I am a stay at home mom, I try to batch my errands together and do them even less than once a week if I can!
How Do You Make Running Errands Fun?
Running errands doesn’t have to be terrible! In fact, sometimes they can be a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite ideas for making errands enjoyable!
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Don’t Run Boring Errands
My first tip would be to make sure that you don’t run unnecessary errands-try to pay your bills and do your banking at home. Bills can be paid online or over the phone. Many companies will also automatically deduct your payments from your account on a certain day. Banks now have apps that can deposit your checks over your phone without ever having to take your check to the bank!
Make it a Date!
Take either your spouse or one of your kids with you to have some one on one time! Car time is a perfect time to talk one on one with someone you love.
Kids love this because they have mom and/or dad all to themselves. Errand dates can end up being a special memory for you and your kids!
Plan Something Fun
This really ramps up the fun value when you are running errands-plan something that you want to do. My daughters love thrift stores and consignment stores. Really, we all like shopping in general!
Younger kids like car washes. All kids love coffee shops or other places with yummy things!
My daughters even enjoy the grocery store-especially if I let them pick out some things. The library is really fun for some kids.
Listen to Audio Books While You Drive
Audio books and audio dramas are a great way to make driving more enjoyable. Some of our favorites are The Chronicles of Narnia Collector’s Edition (Radio Theatre). We also enjoy Adventures in Odyssey. Classic books like Charlotte’s Web are also really entertaining (and educational!)
How to Run Errands Efficiently
I am all about efficiency when I am running errands. I don’t mind running errands occasionally-but occassionally is the right word here! I don’t want too many errands and I don’t want to take all day to do them! Here are some of my favorite ways to run errands efficiently.
Buy in Bulk
First, I recommend sitting down and thinking about whether you can do some errands less often. This especially applies to grocery shopping. I like to buy enough groceries to last about two weeks.
I do this by buying a mix of very perishable items and items that last awhile. For example, we will eat salad, bananas, strawberries etc. within the first week. But, then we have items like apples, applesauce, and popcorn the second week (These items are still fresh the second week).
I also buy a lot of frozen vegetables that we can eat anytime including snacks-we eat unconventional snacks at our house to save time and money.
If groceries are getting really low, my daughters will cook some healthy pasta the second week, and eat a cheese stick with it for a snack. Basically, we get creative, so that we won’t have to go back to the grocery store.
I also buy a lot of meat at the time and freeze it in freezer bags.
Don’t Go to the Store-Have It Delivered
Another way to save time running errands is to have your items delivered to your door. This is one of my favorite ways to shorten my list of errands to run.
I love to order from Vitacost and Amazon.
Vitacost has very quick shipping (and it is free for orders over $49). I usually receive my order from Vitacost within 2-3 days. Vitacost has awesome prices on many things like herbal remedies, castile soap, and Vitacost brand coconut oil.
Amazon carries many things that a natural girl like me loves like supplements that strengthen the immune system and helps to prevent colds and other viral illnesses. Amazon is also a great place to shop for gifts. You can check out some of my favorite gifts for teenage girls here or my gifts for healthy people here.
Another option to have groceries delivered to your home is to use Instacart.
Use Walmart Grocery Pickup
Walmart grocery pickup can save you a ton of time! You get what you need without ever leaving your car!
It can also save you money because you get what you really need and aren’t tempted to put things in your cart that you don’t need. You simply schedule a time that you want to pickup and place your order online.
You pay the same low price for your items as you would in the store. Walmart’s substitution policy is very generous. If you choose to allow substitutions and one is made, you will be charged the price of the lowest priced item.
Walmart Grocery Pickup is seriously a life-changer. Click here to try it and get $10 off of your first order.
Print an Errand List Template
I definitely recommend having a list where you can write down all your errands for the week, and a list where you can write down errands that need to be done sometime in the future (a master errands list).
On the master list, you can write every errand that comes to your mind. Some of these errands will need to be done in the near future. Some may be fine to put off for a few weeks. When you have a master list, you will know what you need to accomplish. This can help you to avoid running errands one at the time. It will also help you not to forget important things and cut down on those frantic trips to the store to pick up two items!
Here is a free printable master errand list template and an errands checklist to organize your errands. Click to download the master errand list template and the errands checklist pdf.
When you have a day that you plan to run errands, check your master list. Anything that MUST be done soon gets transferred to your errands checklist. Now you are ready for the next step-
Plan Your Route
Now it’s time to plan your route. Look at your list and decide what is the best order to run your errands. Try to plan your route so that you don’t have to loop back or otherwise waste time driving.
Here are a few other things to think about to make sure you don’t waste time: If you can, choose to run errands when the traffic is lighter. Check the hours of the place that you are going so that you don’t end up going when the place is closed.
Get help When You Need It
Sometimes life really is very busy or overwhelming. Sometimes, we need some help getting errands done-especially if we are facing a tough situation.
Care.com is a site that provides all kinds of help including people who would love to run your errands for you. You can view thousands of profiles of individuals who provide care services on the care.com site. You will have the opportunity to interview and hire the person that you want.Care.com also has a lot of helpful resources on how to hire safe people. Definitely do your homework before hiring-safety first!
Care.com helps you narrow down your choices with a questionnaire on the front end. This can help you to find exactly what you need-whether it be an errand runner or someone to wash your windows.
If you are in a particularly busy or trying season of your life, consider hiring someone to help you with your errands. Everyone needs help sometimes, and errands may be something that you just need to take off of your plate for now. Check out all that Care.com has to offer-click here to get 20% off of a premium membership.
You may also be interested in a Cute Weekly Planner Printable – Free Downloadable Template or a Free Travel Checklist Printable.
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