One of the best pieces of time-saving advice I know doesn't address how you organize your house or automate your tasks. It deals with knowing yourself and how you work best.

Let me give you an example: I should never expect myself to do intellectually complicated tasks in the morning or late at night. For example, I write these blogs in the afternoon or early evening. That's why they resemble grammatically correct English.) Still, I often have some time in the morning before I have to leave for work or while waiting for something to happen. Instead of wasting that time by surfing the cable channels or the web, I take care of mundane tasks like folding laundry, emptying the dish rack, shredding paper.

I prefer not to be out and about after dark, so I schedule my work day errands for the way home or immediately after I walk my dog. That way, I'm back home as early as possible.

On a weekday evening, I'm at my most productive right after dinner, so I reserve that time for writing or for handling financial tasks or for organizing my belongings.

Knowing when you are best at each tasks lets you arrange your day so that you get the most from every minute.