Once you have kids, adulting becomes whole new level of real, it’s like Olympic-Level-Adult. The increase of responsibilities is pretty major. You might have a need for a larger mortgage, you’re managing childcare choices, insurance needs, credit, family vacation planning, the list is essentially endless. We, as parents, manage so many tasks on a daily basis that it may resemble that of running a business.

There are few hacks though, to make some of the more challenging tasks simpler.

1.     Use a Broker

A broker is someone who shops around FOR you (ultimately saving time and money for you) and makes money by taking a percentage of the purchase from the seller. This is how realtors, mortgage brokers and insurance brokers work. Now they’re even online, RateSuperMarket.ca offers you the ability to shop around for the BEST insurance and mortgage rates in your PJ’s from the comfort of home.

2.     Travel Hack

This is a term I just heard of recently and it peaked my interest because we love to travel as much as possible. Travel hacking is a way of earning upgrades, flights, and perks for free. You do this mostly through credit cards offered by banks and airlines themselves. You can use a site like RateSuperMarket.ca to compare the best in travel related credit cards to apply for. A blogger I follow recently confessed that he had applied for 17 cards in one day simply for the purpose of travel hacking, and he’s traveled to every country in the world!

3.     Ask People

Utilize the power of social media to ask other moms and parents what they do or use when you’re looking to make a new purchase or find a new doctor, service or business nearby. Facebook groups have exploded so find a local one, and talk to those parents. You never know, someone’s Uncle is going to be a car salesman and can give you a special discount on that new mini-van!

4.     Kin-Keeping Trick

Kin-keeping is that thing where we have to remember our extended family’s birthdays and anniversaries and the pain that comes along with forgetting them every now and again and having to call the day-after a milestone birthday. (‘been there.) Grab your smartphone and your favourite (or the default) calendar app. Now enter their birthdays for the next year. Every time you enter one, use the REPEAT button and chose ‘Every Year’, then set an alert for a week before. This way you’ll never have to remember them again, your calendar app will remind you a week beforehand every year, thanks to the beauty of iCloud and good quality calendar apps!

5.     Warranty & Instructions Binder

Purchase a fat zipper binder and some clear pocket inserts for it. Inside each clear pocket, goes appliance and large purchase instructions and warranty papers. When you buy that new TV, throw that instruction booklet and warranty info straight into a pocket in the binder. Now everything is in one place, it has a home, and that binder can be stored somewhere both you and your spouse can reference it.

This post is in partnership by RateSuperMarket.ca which helps you chose the best rates for insurance, mortgages, credit cards, investments and even bank accounts in Canada! All opinions are my own.

*Photo Credit: Shutterstock