This article was written by Michelle Weger.
What is your morning routine like?
Some people start their day with a big glass of water, yoga, and a healthy breakfast.
Other people roll out of bed two minutes before they need to be out the door.
Different things work for different people.
If you’re like me, you probably start the day with a cup of coffee.
Coffee is a big part of my morning routine, but it used to be an even bigger part. And by that, I mean it used to take up way more of my time than it does now.
How?
Watch the video or keep reading below to find out how I saved myself 9.7 hours a year with $20 and 20 minutes.
The average person drinks three cups of coffee a day.
The average CEO of Venture Creative Collective drinks maybe a little more than that.
If you’re like me, at least one of those cups is while you’re at home. And that means you probably have a coffee maker.
One thing that almost all coffee makers have in common is that they need to be refilled with water. Whether you have a traditional drip style coffee maker or one that uses pods, coffee requires water.
Have you ever thought about how much time you spend refilling your coffee maker?
If the average coffee maker holds 40 ounces of water, and you’re the only one in your house drinking those 3 cups of coffee each day, you’re probably refilling your coffee maker about five or six times a week. You grab the tank or the carafe, fill it up with water, bring it back to the machine, pour it in… and once in a while, you probably spill it all over the counter, so you have to take the time to clean it up, too.
Think of how repetitive that is.
Everything repeatable is automatable.
If you can eliminate the repeated task of refilling the water on your coffee machine, how much time would the average coffee drinker save in one year?
Well, I found out.
By ordering $20 worth of parts off Amazon and spending about 20 minutes installing them on my coffee maker, I was able to make it so that my coffee maker refills itself when it’s empty.
It might seem like a small thing, but the two minutes it would take five or six times a week to refill the coffee maker (plus those days where it took a little longer because of a counter spill) add up.
Plus, it also means I never go to my coffee maker only to grumble because I have to refill it before I can get my coffee.
It’s one less thing for me to think about, and by the end of the second week, it had already paid for itself in terms of time saved.
How many other things in your life could you automate?
Make a list of the things you do every single day.
Those little things add up, and a lot of them could be taken over by automation.
Whether they’re personal or professional tasks, finding ways to incorporate easy automation to your life can save you time, money, and stress.