You know how when you are exhausted, nauseous, and headachy, all you want to do is make an emergency run to the grocery store for some toilet paper? Yeah, me either. Having and treating a chronic illness takes up a lot of energy, and makes everyday tasks and errands more daunting and more draining. I try automating daily tasks as much as possible, so I have fewer things on my to-do list.  Here are some things I’m glad not to worry about:
- Going to the bank to check my account balance. Â I access my accounts online (but not from public computers – a secure machine is a must!).
- Pulling out my checkbook and stamps to pay bills. Â Every month I get an email from my cell phone company – they tell me what I owe, and that they’ll take it out of my linked account in two days time. Â This lets me review my bill in case any weird charges show up, but means that I don’t have to lift a finger beyond that. Â Some of my other bills I also pay online, although sadly not via an automatic process.
- Shopping for dog food. Â Rather than going to the grocery store to sling around heavy bags of kibble, I have dog food delivered on a monthly basis. Â This type of subscription delivery service is useful for anything you use at a steady rate (vitamins, snacks, tissues, shampoo, etc.).
Most of these are small tasks, but they add up. Â I definitely recommend seeing if your bank/utility providers/online retailers of choice offer these kinds of services.
Do you have any other tips for automating daily tasks or cutting down on time-consuming errands?  Is there anything else you put on automatic pilot?
