Since I do not have many obligations right now, it would be easy to run out every time I remember that I need something. I have found, however, that I have more time for fun activities if I condense my errand adventures into one or two days of the week. This eliminates driving to the same area of town multiple times each week. The trick is to remember where you need to go and to plan the most efficient way of getting there.
Where to go?
I keep track of items that I need to buy on the side of my fridge, or in my head, if I'm not feeling too forgetful. Usually the list works better... I tend to write off-base items on a separate sheet or part of the page. Sometimes I have a pressing errand, or I have an appointment somewhere off-base. I will use the opportunity to run errands in that area of town. Looking at my whole week's schedule helps me to avoid extra trips. Also, having this list helps me remember that I have dry-cleaning to pick up when my friend and I take a random trip for frozen yogurt right next door to the cleaners!
Which route to take?
One of my friends from high school recently posted this site on his facebook page. The driving route planner allows you to input all of the addresses that you are going to and optimizes your route. You can choose whether you want the route to be based on the fastest time or shortest distance. I discovered that you do not even need to know the address. You can input the business name, city, and state, and it finds the location for you! You can download the route into your GPS (if you can figure out how to plug it into your computer- I seem to have issues with that at the moment) or you can have them emailed to you. If you are a fan of hard copies, you can even print directly from the website. I just emailed mine and then read them from my phone as I was driving. Don't worry- I had a navigator sitting shotgun.
Happy planning!
*Personal Record. This is a common phrase amongst runners to describe their fastest time for a certain race.
Thanks Beth!...hope all is well
ReplyDelete- Ryan