Tips Moms Need to Use Phones Productively

Technology can be an amazing thing. There are so many apps to help organize your life, increase productivity, and keep track of things.

This post provides tips for moms to be productive with their phones.

I think it is best to start setting boundaries with your phone BEFORE you figure out how to be productive. Check out this post on how to reduce phone time sucks.

5 Best Tips for Using Your Phone Productively

Tip 1: Share Google Calendar with Family Members

• This has been a game-changer at our house! My husband was always asking me “What do we have going on this weekend?” Now he can just look at the calendar.
• You can adjust the settings so family members can also add events.
• We have a color assigned to each family member. We can easily see who has events going on that week.

Tip 2: Share Reminder App

• I absolutely LOVE I-phone’s Reminders App.
  • I also love to have paper copies/lists, but it is always a great idea to have it saved somewhere on your computer or phone
  • I love the color coding, setting day/time reminders, early reminders, and recurring reminders.
  • I set daily, weekly, and yearly reminders.
  • Every time I get an invitation or important school/work paper, I take a picture and set a reminder.
    • It is extremely rare to forget your phone. It is very easy to forget a small piece of paper.
• Here are a few of my Reminders App list ideas
  • Goals-Daily/personal/business/home
  • Husband Reminders
  • School Info/times
  • Church-server/volunteer schedule
  • Work Reminders
  • Gift Ideas-I have ideas for all family members that I would need for xmas/bdays
  • Garage Sale/Thrift store items to watch for
  • Christmas Lights-I have notes about where things go. I also have pictures of plug-ins, etc. This way, I can ACTUALLY remember where they go one whole year later.
  • Recipes-We have paper copies of our most popular recipes. I also have pictures on my phone of our 10-15 staples plus canning recipes, breads, and smoker recipes.
    • It really does come in handy if you want to quickly find a recipe instead of digging through the drawer.
    • It has also been nice when one of us goes shopping. We don’t forget anything we need for what we will be canning that weekend.
    • Garden-We keep track of what we plant and harvest each year.
      • It is really nice to know what types and how many of each type of seeds we planted. As well as what kinds we didn’t care for.
      • We also keep track of how many jars we canned or freezer bags we froze of each fruit or veggie. This helps a lot to plan for the next year instead of just guessing.

Tip 3: Track Expenses/Plan Phone Checks During Wait Times

• School/Activity pickups or car washes are great times to use wisely with your phone instead of Instagram or Facebook.
  • Track your expenses/pay bills
    • I do this every 1-2 weeks
    • Don’t have all the info on your phone?
      • Can you plan ahead for next week and have a small bag packed with papers you would need?
      • Can you start a notebook and keep that with you?
  • Plan your “Phone Check” during these times.
    • This would be a great 5-10 minute time frame to answer those texts/emails you resisted earlier.

Tip 4: Plan Weekly Meals/Groceries

• This one would need to be checked at home where you can see your groceries.
• Again, a little planning is all you need and you can easily bring a list with you. Then you can do all the ordering/checking on the app while you are in the car.

Tip 5: Plan Social Media Fun for Small Time Frames

• You are probably thinking, “I do like to have some time for social media during the day. When should I do that?”
• Maybe a 10-minute chunk where you are waiting alone in the car is the best time to do that.
• It would be better to do it during the day instead of waiting until the evening and before bed. It is much easier to go down an hour-plus-long rabbit hole if it isn’t during a time limit.
• Plus it is good to not stare at your phone right before bed anyway!

Conclusion

Technology really can be an amazing tool to help keep you organized! If you are really intentional, some good habits and practice can really help you get there without getting distracted.

We should use our phones as a tool to help knock out our to-do lists. We also need to stay disciplined and present with our families. Our phones shouldn’t become more important than our loved ones!