Summer has arrived and along with it an endless list of chores from fence repairs to building new run-ins to harvesting hay and hauling to shows. Try these five time savers at your farm to find a few extra minutes in the day.
- Increase turnout times: If your fences are in good repair and the horses are comfortable outside, increase turnout times to reduce time spent cleaning stalls. Bonus: save money on shavings during summer months.
- Keep an ongoing shopping list: When you run out of fly spray, break a manure fork or need to replace a tattered fly mask, add it to the shopping list in your smart phone or in your farm office or tack room bulletin board. An ongoing shopping list cuts down on time spent shopping and eliminates multiple visits.
- Focus on one job: Rather than juggling three or four small tasks, set aside the time needed to finish a project. If you need to build a run-in shed, restring fence, mow, etc.avoid beginning a newproject before completing the one you’ve started.
- Enroll in automatic bill pay: Sign-up for automatic bill pay on recurring expenses such as phone service, electric service and credit cards. It’ll require budgeting and planning to avoid overdrafts, but once established, the automation can save you hours and prevent missed due dates.
- Reduce social media time: You visit Facebook to post an update or “tweet” show results. Social media is an important marketing tool, but we all know how easy it is to move from sharing an update to other pages. Limit visits to social media sites to once a day. Set a timer to remind yourself it’s time to unplug and get back to work.
There will never be 25 hours in a day. These five time savers can help you discover a little extra space to accomplish tasks on the to-do list and perhaps even provide a little down time for yourself.
