Can you do OS and work full time too?

katiegizmo

I'm another who struggles with my time! We are a couple and both out by 7.30am, if we both come straight home OH gets home around 6.40 and I am 7.15 - but we both try to workout so go to the gym (I know its our choice!) so realistically it's 8pm we're home on a weeknight.

As others have said the best thing to do is plan and batch. I now actully take one evening a month (with a large glass of wine for fortification!!) and do a big online shop, and make my whole month's mealplan then and there. Its a big task but it is done - and it can easily be changed if for some reason you need to. I also add on some easy anytime meals (such as pasta and tin sauce) for contingency to add in at short notice. We then top up shop local for bread/dairy etc usually one weeknight (OH goes lucky me!) and one weekend per week. This really works for me and I actually managed to eke out October's shop through November so we saved more time and money. Now I'll do a slightly bigger shop for Dec to compensate.

Another thing I do with chillis and currys etc is make what OH has called my 'never-ending meals', basically I make a batch that would feed about 6, and make it reeeeeally hot. Then serve the hot one with enough cream so it tastes nice, yum yum. then each time you want a batch, I add a can of tinned tomatoes and a few oats/lentils as I reheat. Everytime it gets less hot and tastes a bit different - therefore avoiding the OH complaints of eating the same thing everytime. The last batch I did some how did us 5 meals instead of the anticipated 3. happy days! I also make use of all the different bases for meals - rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes, cous cous etc to try to vary things then you dont notice the same topping.

If I could wish for anything it would be just a couple of hours off a week, maybe one morning to get a few things done. It's depressing to find yourself still doing chores at 11pm at night and having to go to bed without a proper relax, so one rule I have is minimum 30 mins a night 'us-time' to watch something together on the tv/ have a siot and a drink together - it doesn't have to be anything mad just so long as you feel you've had something for yourself.

I had 2 days off last week using my annual leave to catch up with things. I was actually up and out of bed earlier than if I was going to work - and I feel I only touched the tip of what I wanted to do!!

Hope you feel things are a bit more easier from ideas from this board - it does get easier once you learn the art of planning!

rb80

Hi

There are some fantastic ideas on here - thank you for all of your replies escpecially those of you who have even less time than me!!

Larmy16 - food flask sounds like a great idea, I may add that to my Christmas list.

Smeeinnit - slow cooker sounds great as well - I've read so many positive things about them on here.

McKneff - me and my OH were seriously considering a cleaner at one point. The thing that stopped us was the fact that my standards are stupidly high and I would probably be one of those people who clean before the cleaner comes!! But it's certainly something to think about again (although as we are trying to save up for our first house I am reluctent to spend extra cash)

MrsE -

MrsE wrote: »

I think people who are housewives/husbands or part time workers don't quite comprehend that all or most of the things they do all week still have to be done by full time workers but in much less time.

- I agree with this - a someone at work was complaining that she hasn't got time to do all her housework etc but she finishes at 1pm every day!!! I had to bite my tongue. But I think people's time perceptions changes depending on there situation so they don't actualy realise how much/little time they have until they compare it to someone else.

Mands, katiegizmo and misscousinit - thank you for sharing your experiences. I can see that batch cooking is the way forward and I really have to get organised!!

Thank you again for all of your input - and its nice to know that there are other people in the situation

juliapenguin

Oh my goodness - I do sympathise. I'm a teacher and it's the most exhausting job mentally and physically ESPECIALLY when you're newly qualified - the thought of lesson planning and marking after a long day at work is guaranteed to make me think of takeaways.

There's some great advice been given and I agree with everyone that getting organised is key. I also have to say that lowering your standards is essential - maybe your meal plans are too ambitious? I've been really bad recently, but I'm trying so hard to get things back onto the OS but failing miserably.

Excuse me while I go to get an M&S shepherd's pie out of the oven....

proudmumof4

Well after weeks of applying for jobs I have finally managed to get a temporary job, I'm so happy as we really need the money with 4 kids to look after!!!

The trouble is now we are both working full time from tomorrow I'm worried about keeping on top of the house work and meals. I've been at uni for 18months and looking after 2 yr old twins so have been really organised at home, I'm worrying it will all go out the window now.

Any suggestions for keeping on top of the housework and some quick cheap family meals would be greatly appreciated. Thanks x

Jouan

Congratulations on finding work!!

Regarding the housework, I would do a little each day - don't leave it all to the weekend or you'll never stop!!

I work full-time too and limit the meals we have each weekday night to take no longer than 30 minutes to cook and serve - try the BBC GoodFood website for loads of quick and easy nutritious recipes, I've gained loads of inspiration from there!

Good luck!

quintwins

i you shud try bath cooking at the weekend to build up some quick meals, curry/chilli/spag bol/sheperds pie/casarole are all cheap and good for freezing it might be worth freezing some mash aswell

as for housework you'll find it will be easier to keep on top of when your not there, i know in our house the worst things are washing and toy (i have 4 year old twins and u think u've got it bad now lol) so aslong as you do your washing at night when your home at night (depending on your elec supplier this might even be cheaper) you shud be fine

congrates on your new job

proudmumof4

[QUOTE=quintwins;41015722_i_have_4_year_old_twins_and_u_think_u've_got_it_bad_now_lol[/QUOTE]

Don't say that, I thought the terrible 2's was meant to be the worst time lol!

The washing is one of the main things I'm worried about, we are potty training and I do 2 loads a day as it is so really don't want to get behind!!!!

Penelope_Penguin

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread on working FT and being OS, to give you more ideas.

Stkilda14

I work full time and DH is a detective and extremely busy. Mother to DD and DS age 9 and 6. I am too trying to be OS - it helps that DH is keen on cooking and thinks that home cooked meals are very important. WOuld be hard to cook from scratch all the time without him on board.
I find we work it out with planning what we shall have at least a few days in advance and try to cook one night whcih can be two meals - eg roast dinner on monday, stovies on Tuesday, chilli on Wed, leftover chilli with baked potatoes the next night.
If in a big hurry, easy to knock up a quick tomato sauce for pasta, add in prawns (easy defrosted), or bacon pieces, mac and cheese or cauli cheese and chips. Tuna pasta bake is another easy weekday meal.
Make a lot of soup to freeze for the week.
It is hard to work and be organised - I do find that I have started to keep lists and look in the fridge to see what's there and think of what to make before I get home from work!! Have to say, being organised with meal plans and shopping makes life better - good to eat well when you are sooo busy. Have saved money, too, by being organised in advance. It becomes a way of life and easier as you go. Loads of fabby tips and recipe ideas on this site, too x

rozmister

I hate working F/T but I am getting good at money saving. I dream of all the moneysaving I can do once I finish working these ridiculously long weeks (I'm on a year in industry). I find planning is important and I try to go to the shops twice - once on Sunday (my day off) and once in the week (normally Tuesday). I never go without a list which as well as saving money reduces the time wasted wandering around. I also look at special offers online while I'm doing something else (laundry/hoovering/sheet changing) so I don't get distracted by the ends and their promises of savings!

Saying that it is a real struggle and I get a bit depressed by working 6 days a week which totals 54 hrs before the 2hr round trip to work I feel like I'm losing myself in an endless cycle of work work work housework work work work. My housemate was complaining that she hadn't had a whole day off to spend with her boyfriend in 2 weeks, I've only had 5 or 6 full days to spend with my boyfriend since we started going out and we've been together for 5 months, it may be less than that!