If you found yourself with more things to do than time to get them done, which activity or projects would you discontinue to free up more time for yourself?

It depends upon the day as well as the time of day. If the "mini-crisis" occurs earlier in the day, I would triage my activities. If the "mini-crisis" occurs later in the day, then the late-in-the-day items on the list could be eliminated or delegated to my adult children, if they are available. Things that can be postponed for days or weeks, would, of course, be eliminated first. I guess, for me, it is all relative.

My problem is, of course, the list of things to do than more time to get them done is an every day occurance!

Gigi,

What if you were dealing with a permanent reorganising of your life and time?

When I went back to work I had to give up on a lot of my needlework, crafts and painting. I just couldn't work full time, keep the household running and still have time for that. I missed it greatly, and postponed most of it for 20 years. When I retired and had the time for it all, I had lost interest in many things, or couldn't see well enough to do them, like cross stitch. My house never got cleaned very well, not that I'm a fanatic cleaner. Bills didn't always get paid on time. And getting to my son's basketball games didn't happen.  All of that had to take a back seat because work just sucked the life out of me. It wasn't right, but it's what happened. Edey

 Gosh, this is a tough one, Brandy. It's very relevant to me as I've been trying to do some things that matter - like growing my own food and baking healthy food at home - without giving up things like music ( I learn cello) that matters. I do a bit of knitting - well, let's say I have an unfinished knitting project or three - and it's something I don't want to give up, as I'd like to make our own winter knits from Aussie-grown yarn - but I'm not good at it, and it's time consuming. Likewise sewing - I bought a secondhand dressmaker's mannikin but she hasn't even been measured up yet, let alone had fabric near her.

I'm considering selling my guitar. I don't play, and really, one instrument is enough for a busy mum - I feel I need to really let go of some things. But I fear that I'll regret it.

On a short-term basis, when I get really busy, I admit that cooking is the first thing to go - frozen low-fat nuggets, pasta and some salad or something like that. Frozen pies, mashed potato, carrot and frozen peas with gravy. A lazy dinner!  Or better yet, baked beans on toast.

I find it almost impossible, looking at the half-done things I have around me - there's a lot of stuff I want to do, and lots of stuff I feel I ought to do. 

 It is a very hard question and the answer changes often. Being frugal is a lot of work.  I could sit and read for hours or I can get up and bake bread, mend some clothes, weed the garden. It is all work. What do you give up?  Dont know. Babs

I think it depends too on what it is you are paying for instead of what you are doing yourself.  Somethings I find that in the end for the hassle, energy and cost of some things, it is more cost effective to pay someone to do something. Not on a permanent basis but just to get it done.  For example, I paid 2 teenagers $80 for 4 hrs labour each to clean up my garden, one big time.  We have too many weeds etc to keep up. it is a every day chore it seems. I didn't have the energy and couldn't do it with my son around. To pay a babysitter to watch the kids would be almost the same.  So it worked out, kids earned money towards their mission trip and I got a clean garden.

Crafts I do because I enjoy them. Same with gardening. Dh would be happy with all grass instead of shrubs and flowers.  All things in moderation I say.  some things to feed the soul, some the budget.

At my stage of life the amount of energy,childcare and cleaning involved doesn't leave much time for other things. by the time, the reg mess is cleaned up, no energy left for extra decluttering etc. it is either or situation.

When I was really snowed under last year, I got a cleaner in, thinking if it worked out, that I'd get them on a regular basis as a way to cut down stress and enable me to work more hours. But I wasn't that impressed - whatever they shined the taps and sinks with left a greasy residue, and  I didn't feel that the standards were that good. So a bit frustrating - the one thing that I'd really love to outsource, and it didn't work out.

Now that I am home and have more time than I used to at home, I cook A LOT more from scratch and bake all our breads and grow some food too.  If I were in a position that I had to cut something out, those things would probably be first to go.  For sure the gardening and baking.  We currently have a gardener that cuts our grass and weeds the garden 1x per week in Spring/Summer and once every 2 weeks in Late Fall/Winter.  If we did that ourselves, it would likely never be done because other responsibilities get in the way (we've been there before!).

Also, currently my DH's dress shirts (which he wears everyday for work) are washed/ironed at home but if I really needed more time, I'd pay to have them washed and pressed at the cleaners ($1.65/shirt).  It's something that gets backed up around here really quickly and DH ends up doing it himself (something I feel REALLY guilty about!).

The first to go, for me, is always the housework. I guess because its the one thing that always needs to be done anyway.

If it were some life altering crisis then it would be time to sit down and re think prioroties. Some of the things I do now might not be so important then. 

I have to admit that I thought that being a SAHM would free me up to do more things around the house, but I find that I am busier now than I was when I worked outside the home full time. I am currently working part time, helping to care for an elderly neighbor. It helps us to have that little bit of extra income and it's very flexible. I couldn't ask for more than that.