Life Admin Hacks: The step-by-step guide to saving time and money, reducing the mental load and streamlining your life

by Mia Northrop, Dinah Rowe-Roberts

A super-practical guide to cleaning up your admin load and freeing up head space.


You have no idea what's for dinner tonight. You need a gift for that party next week. You still haven't consolidated your super. You're out of contract on your phone and paying who knows what. Those cupboards won't declutter themselves. The kids need a plan for the next school holidays. It's time to get the gutters cleaned. You still haven't made a will.

Sound familiar? Then this is the life admin guide you've been waiting for.

Life admin can't be eliminated but it can be minimised, automated and better shared within families.

This no-nonsense

outlines a clear system to transform your life admin into managed order helps you share the mental load with others gives you game-changing tools and small practical steps to follow breaks down life admin into Two Minutes Too Easy, Ten Minute Time Killer or Hour of Power tasks shows you the fastest ways to shop around for new providers lets you focus on your major pain points or do a complete life admin makeover
Working parents Mia and Dinah have marshalled their professional expertise in innovation, finance, design thinking and operations to research best practices, trial the tech and craft the most efficient processes to optimise their own life admin. The result? No more overwhelm, way more spare time and thousands of dollars saved.

Now it's your turn.

PRAISE

'This book is life-changing. Mia and Dinah's practical, wise and clever advice will help you to start important conversations with your partner or children around the day-to-day tasks that have shackled women for centuries' Tracey Spicer, author and broadcaster

'My stress levels subsided from the opening page Helen McCabe founder FUTURE WOMEN, and former editor-in-chief The Australian Women's Weekly

'Life Admin Hacks is for any woman who has ever felt completely squashed by the mental load of modern life. It will teach you how to streamline and conquer all the boring bits so you can get on with the actual fun of living. It's basically Mrs Beeton's Guide to Household Management for modern women, and every home needs a copy' Bron 'Maxabella' Mandile, publisher MUMLYFE

'This book flips the switch on life admin as we know it and the perpetual expectation on women to do it all. This book will streamline your life and support you to share the sometimes-crippling mental load' Tarla Lambert, WOMEN'S AGENDA

'I absolutely love this book and I think it's essential for ambitious and working women. It spells out solutions to life admin rather than just lamenting the problem ... Game changing! Mia and Dinah show you how to take small steps with big impact. They lay out the importance of sharing the load when it comes to admin as well as domestic duties. It breaks down the intersection of parenting, household duties and life admin. So many of us feel frustrated and overwhelmed at the moment. It is a must read for women' Sheree Rubinstein, founder ONE ROOF

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Finance, Audiobook, Productivity

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2022

Reviews

[Adakhc · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent reference book written by Victorian (Australian) writers in 2022. Read as an audiobook on the free library BorrowBox.

A little dry, but frankly so much of life admin is incredibly boring and tedious. Written in an incredibly easy to follow way with lots of "do it once and set and forget" methods. Works for my brain because there are lots of chapters on different topics with bite size methodical chunks, which may or may not work for you to work through things you've been putting off for decades slash your entire life.

I would imagine this book would be particularly helpful for coupled heterosexual women with children wanting a book that addresses how they actually go about sharing the gendered household "mental load" with their underperforming husbands. As a single childless queer woman it was still incredibly useful. I think I will buy a printed copy of this book in for ongoing and future reference when I feel like attempting to tame the various states of chaos that regularly emerge.

If you prefer podcasts the authors have a podcast here https://lifeadminlifehacks.com/catego...

[Bookmarked ByLisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: Life Admin Hacks.
Excuse me while I get my nerd on!
I work in administration and am super organised with a well planned and structured day. Somewhere along the lines I could not be as organised as I wanted to be at home. I thought Single parenting toddlers was hard, then they become teenagers and overnight life got busy. Reading Life Admin Hacks helped me restructure a few things, digitise organisation and welcome contribution from the kids and involving them In some of the day to day functions of our lives. I have monthly Barefoot date nights (with myself, garlic bread and red wine) inspired by The Barefoot Investors book where I look at finances and I will now add a monthly review component to this so I can check, review and plan for the following month inspired by the Life Admin Hacks.

While not every thing in this book was helpful for me this a great resource to pick and choose what works for you and your family. 2022 is looking a whole lot better. Thanks @harpercollinsaustralia for the gifted read and hope many more find this book as useful as I did.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self help books are like dogs - you need to find the breed that fits were you are at in terms of lifestyle and life stage. For me, this book was not a good fit but for someone who wants to have more structure and it fit a lot more into that structure it might work. Lots and Lots of apps, lists and formulas - no doubt many work but the more more more approach was exhausting and somewhat joyless to plough through.

[Leanne Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I’m pretty organised and also not a person to usually give a full five stars but in this case it’s warranted. I learned things from this book, and I don’t usually when reading organisation books. I’ve implemented some changes already. And the book was funny! I laughed out loud at some points, and appreciated that. Well done ladies!

[Lesya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book for young adults learning to live independently. The building and contents insurance chapter is also useful. The health insurance chapter has some gaps around newborns (option to just get just the ambulance cover which may be useful as babies’ illnesses can go downhill very quickly; deadline for adding your newborn to your private insurance before the waiting period requirement kicks in, etc.). Overall, I think it’s a good collection of tips.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay but I didn't love it. The layout was good, the tips and tricks were okay, I guess I just didn't really learn anything. It was a bit dry and the main message seems to be compare the market and find the best bargains. There was a whole chapter on kids which was irrelevant to me and I didn't find the house organization or budgeting tips that helpful

[Trị Mụn Ẩn Bằng Lá Mồng Tơi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trị Mụn Ẩn Bằng Lá Mồng Tơi: Phương Pháp Tự Nhiên Hiệu Quả Cho Làn Da Mịn Màng
Mụn ẩn luôn là một trong những vấn đề da liễu khó chịu và gây phiền toái nhất. Không chỉ làm bề mặt da trở nên sần sùi, mụn ẩn còn khó xử lý triệt để nếu không được chăm sóc đúng cách. Trong số các phương pháp tự nhiên, lá mồng tơi nổi bật lên như một giải pháp lành tính, hiệu quả và dễ dàng áp dụng tại nhà. Vậy, lá mồng tơi có thực sự tốt cho việc trị mụn ẩn hay không? Hãy cùng khám phá trong bài viết này.

Bài viết được tư vấn và kiểm duyệt bởi Y sĩ Huỳnh Ngọc Bích Trâm, người có gần 10 năm kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực chăm sóc da và điều trị mụn, cùng với Bác sĩ Huỳnh Phúc Hải, chuyên gia da liễu với hơn 15 năm kinh nghiệm tại Rebi Beauty Spa, nơi nổi tiếng với phương châm "hoàn tiền nếu không đạt hiệu quả".
Lá Mồng Tơi: Thành Phần Và Công Dụng Trong Làm Đẹp
Thành Phần Chính Trong Lá Mồng Tơi
Lá mồng tơi không chỉ là một loại rau quen thuộc trong bữa ăn hàng ngày mà còn được biết đến với những lợi ích tuyệt vời cho làn da. Trong lá mồng tơi chứa các thành phần nổi bật như:

Vitamin A: Giúp giảm viêm, hỗ trợ tái tạo da.
Vitamin C: Chống oxy hóa mạnh mẽ, giảm tình trạng thâm sau mụn.
Chất nhầy tự nhiên: Dưỡng ẩm và làm dịu da.
Sắt và Canxi: Củng cố sức khỏe làn da, giúp da đàn hồi tốt hơn.

Công Dụng Trị Mụn Của Lá Mồng Tơi
Lá mồng tơi có khả năng làm sạch lỗ chân lông, giảm viêm và ngăn ngừa tình trạng mụn ẩn lan rộng nhờ vào các đặc tính:

Kháng khuẩn tự nhiên: Ngăn chặn vi khuẩn gây mụn phát triển.
Làm dịu viêm: Giảm đỏ và kích ứng do mụn ẩn gây ra.
Thải độc da: Loại bỏ bụi bẩn, dầu thừa tích tụ sâu trong lỗ chân lông.

Xem thêm: Các Phương Pháp Điều Trị Mụn Hiện Đại Tại Các Spa Ở Thanh Hóa

Cách Sử Dụng Lá Mồng Tơi Trị Mụn Ẩn
Mặt Nạ Lá Mồng Tơi Tươi
Nguyên liệu:

Một nắm lá mồng tơi tươi.
Một chút nước lọc hoặc sữa tươi không đường.

Cách thực hiện:

Rửa sạch lá mồng tơi, ngâm qua nước muối loãng để loại bỏ tạp chất.
Giã nhuyễn hoặc xay nhuyễn lá mồng tơi cùng một ít nước hoặc sữa tươi không đường.
Thoa hỗn hợp này lên vùng da bị mụn ẩn trong 15-20 phút, sau đó rửa sạch với nước ấm.

Lá Mồng Tơi Kết Hợp Với Mật Ong
Mật ong có tính kháng khuẩn cao, khi kết hợp với lá mồng tơi sẽ tăng cường hiệu quả trị mụn và dưỡng ẩm.
Nguyên liệu:

Lá mồng tơi tươi.
1-2 thìa mật ong nguyên chất.

Cách thực hiện:

Nghiền nhuyễn lá mồng tơi, sau đó trộn đều với mật ong.
Đắp hỗn hợp lên vùng da cần điều trị, để trong 15 phút.
Rửa sạch bằng nước ấm, kết thúc với nước lạnh để se khít lỗ chân lông.

Uống Nước Lá Mồng Tơi
Ngoài việc sử dụng ngoài da, uống nước lá mồng tơi cũng giúp thanh lọc cơ thể, hỗ trợ thải độc và giảm mụn từ bên trong.
Cách làm:

Luộc lá mồng tơi với nước sạch trong 5-7 phút.
Uống nước này hàng ngày, kết hợp ăn các món chế biến từ lá mồng tơi để tăng cường hiệu quả.

Xem thêm: Tinh Bột Nghệ Trị Mụn Và Thâm: Bí Quyết Làn Da Hoàn Hảo Từ Tự Nhiên

Ưu Điểm Và Hạn Chế Khi Trị Mụn Ẩn Bằng Lá Mồng Tơi
Ưu Điểm

Tự nhiên, an toàn: Lá mồng tơi lành tính, phù hợp với mọi loại da, kể cả da nhạy cảm.
Dễ tìm và rẻ tiền: Có thể tìm thấy lá mồng tơi ở bất kỳ chợ hay siêu thị nào.
Hiệu quả lâu dài: Khi kiên trì sử dụng, mụn ẩn sẽ giảm đáng kể mà không gây tác dụng phụ.

Hạn Chế

Hiệu quả chậm: So với các sản phẩm đặc trị, việc sử dụng lá mồng tơi yêu cầu thời gian lâu hơn để thấy kết quả rõ rệt.
Phụ thuộc vào cơ địa: Không phải ai cũng phù hợp với phương pháp này.

Lời Khuyên Từ Các Chuyên Gia
Y Sĩ Huỳnh Ngọc Bích Trâm
“Trị mụn bằng lá mồng tơi là một phương pháp tự nhiên hiệu quả, nhưng cần thực hiện đều đặn và kết hợp chế độ chăm sóc da hợp lý. Nếu mụn ẩn ở mức độ nặng, bạn nên tham khảo ý kiến chuyên gia để có hướng điều trị phù hợp.”
Bác Sĩ Huỳnh Phúc Hải
“Bên cạnh việc sử dụng lá mồng tơi, hãy chú trọng làm sạch da hàng ngày và duy trì lối sống lành mạnh. Đây là chìa khóa để làn da luôn khỏe mạnh và mịn màng.”

Xem thêm: Cách Trị Mụn Cám Trên Mũi Tại Nhà: Bí Quyết Đơn Giản Và Hiệu Quả

Khi Nào Nên Đến Rebi Beauty Spa?
Nếu bạn đã thử các phương pháp trị mụn tự nhiên nhưng không đạt hiệu quả như mong muốn, hãy cân nhắc đến Rebi Beauty Spa. Với đội ngũ chuyên gia giàu kinh nghiệm và các liệu pháp hiện đại, Rebi Beauty Spa cam kết mang lại làn da sạch mụn và mịn màng.
Kết Luận
Trị mụn ẩn bằng lá mồng tơi là một giải pháp tự nhiên, an toàn và dễ thực hiện tại nhà. Tuy nhiên, để đạt hiệu quả cao nhất, bạn cần kiên trì thực hiện và kết hợp với chế độ chăm sóc da đúng cách. Đừng quên lắng nghe làn da của mình và tìm đến các chuyên gia tại Rebi Beauty Spa khi cần thiết. Chỉ với những thay đổi nhỏ trong thói quen hàng ngày, bạn hoàn toàn có thể sở hữu một làn da khỏe mạnh và rạng rỡ!

[Gervy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the podcast and this book is great too. Not an enormous amount of new content from my perspective as I reckon I’m already doing half of what’s suggested and my husband is doing the rest, but I think this has got me across the line on setting up a password manager! And there are some refinements to what I already do that I’d like to implement.

[Jedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, got aquite few good tips and good to have financial books in an Australian context. Easy to read and follow. Useful all round but targeting mostly women with children or children and separated.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on their podcast, of similar name, "Life Admin Hacks" is pretty much *as advertised*. Essentially this book is a common sense guide to getting your life admin (read: adulting) in order. While little of this book is revolutionary, having a single source of reference and list of clearly defined steps is exactly what I needed when I felt like things at home were starting to spiral and/or slipping through the cracks. The book is helpfully broken up into well defined parts and then into chapters, each with a specific focus. For me, I found the first Part which is all about setting up for success, was really helpful. Learning how to beast utilise digital cloud storage and online admin tools is sure to make my life easier. I also really appreciated the chapters on tackling unsexy (but important) aspects of being an adult, such as wills, enduring power of attorney, and health insurance. Now I've finished reading the book and getting the general gist of how to manage my life admin, I'm ready to go back to the start and work through each relevant chapter to make lasting change and start ticking tasks off my *brand new (and electronic)* to-do list.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this is very simplistic, and probably nothing new to you unless you have never tried any sort of organizational method at all, and/or never tried to use a smartphone for more than texting and Bubble Crush. The second half is very specific organizational advice, but also very specific to Australia, which was useless to me but also sort of interesting to read about. The Australian tax filing system actually seems just as bad as America, which is sort of refreshing, I'm sick of hearing about how everyone else on earth doesn't have to file taxes. And their healthcare and insurance system is less cruel but also very complicated like America's, which once again, I found refreshing to read about. I am glad there is another country of former British colonists out here on this planet just totally failing at modern governance.

[Amanda Watkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well set out book covering most of life admin experienced by women with children. It can be repetitive if you read it cover to cover as the steps, particularly in the middle chapters, are similar. But written in a way that you can jump to the chapters that are most relevant to you.

This book reminded me to use our family calendar, I'm trialling a password manager (not life changing thus far) and gave me a new way of making/categorising my lists which has been most helpful in tackling tasks that have been languishing.

Would definitely recommend this book if you're interested and keen to get on top of the life admin.

[Mel Sweeney (mels.bookshelf_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cheat guide to getting your life admin in order!
I consider myself a pretty organised person (especially when it comes to life admin), so it was nice to read some suggestions that we had already implemented in our lives. And while nothing in this book is revolutionary, having some clear steps about how to put things into practice was really motivating. In addition, the book was specific to Australia which I also found really helpful!
It definitely prompted me to reassess some practices and policies to ensure we are getting the best deal, and was a nice reminder of which items to go back over. In saying that, I do think that a chunk of the readers may find some of the information a bit over the top and exhausting and get overwhelmed instead of motivated.
A good book to help you organise your life. I think everyone that read this would be able to take some positive tips away from it… some will take more than others and that’s absolutely ok.

[Rose Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book would be a great starting point for someone taking their first steps towards managing their life admin. As someone who already tries to implement planning tools and apps in my everyday life, I found the book fairly basic and a bit repetitive in that most chapters made similar recommendations about automating tasks through apps, comparing prices and setting time aside for life admin. Still definitely worth a read as there’s something for everyone, and you may find a thing or two that will help reduce the mental load.

[Carrie Service · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly I didn’t read this whole book but it’s not designed to be. The chapters I did read were practical. These kind of self help style books can make me feel like a hot mess, with a condescending author judging how I got myself into such a pickle. This book wasn’t like that. I made some immediate changes to my tech but I think I’ll revisit this whole thing after the wedding. A re-jig of my entire life admin probably isn’t well timed a month before the biggest event I’ve ever planned. Would recommend if you you’re also overwhelmed and can never remember your passwords.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Getting the foundations right!" Utterly sick of yet again trying and failing at getting new habits in place (especially after the chaos of the past few years...) decided to go back to basics and try to reclaim some control and calm over my home life- this book was perfect. Easy and enjoyable to read with great practical advice and tips for getting life in order - for more time for the things I want to do.

Ready by Kate

[Lauren Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay but a little dry so I skipped through some parts. It also made me realise all the things I already do that were some of the hacks so I’m feeling pretty organised now. It did validate some of my choices to bulk buy and put everything in a calendar. It prompted me to think about my social life differently, in terms of people priority and activity and so that’s the main thing I took from this book.

[Marama · Rating 3 out of 5]

As another said I am a nerd, in my case it is for organising hacks and happiness podcasts. I already have systems in place for big life stuff and necessary chores so I read this quickly as there wasn't any new meat ideas.

Took down a lot of notes from the holiday section as some of our family priorities are changing now the kids just started high school.

[Leanne Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of gold nuggets of advice in here.. I got the most out of the first 50 pages or so. Have now set up a family digital calendar and it's working well so far!
Look forward to implementing other actions later in the year... And ultimately building habits that will create more peace in our household!

[Michelle Le Grand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well and I made a to do list. However, so much of the book wasn't relevant to me as I live in the UK and it was about how to deal with the Australian health care system etc. Also, the 'What Mia did' and 'What Dinah did' sections at the end of each chapter started to irritate me. A lot.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for people starting out living independently or in a new partnership or phase of life. As The Barefoot Investor is to finance, Life Admin Hacks is to getting your admin act together. Will be a gift to the young adults in my life (please pretend you’ve forgotten this review when Christmas rolls around!)

[Alice Bloomfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️✨

There isn’t really anything you haven’t heard before here. The set up/layout is nice but it could have been a lot shorter given many sections felt exactly the same (shop around, make the keep me call and switch providers for energy/health insurance/credit cards/home loans etc.).

[Hannah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to buy a copy because this book was just so relevant and so straightforward. So many useful tips I’ll definitely be implementing. Also liked the book’s focus on optimising your life admin not just for the sake of it or to be a perfect person but to make more time for the things that matter. Great read.

[Chelsea Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one because it seems I’m luckily quite organised with life admin. I think it would be more suitable potentially with children or if you don’t know where to start - I acknowledge they did recommend to skim read/skip to relevant chapters if you are relatively organised but I was hoping to find some golden nuggets

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This does what it says on the tin. Step by step guides to lots of the most common life admin issues and needs - how to set up a calendar, how to change insurers, tips for making the process of life admin simpler

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good. Actually makes me feel quite organised. There were a few recommendations that I think should come with * , mostly related to their financial and insurance recommendations. Solid read for making your life run a little more seamlessly.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful reference. Not everything will be relevant to every reader - it’s a good one to dip in and out of. Some parts are aimed at parents, but still good overall for people who don’t have kids. This book made me finally set up a password manager, win!

[Leon Fowler · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 DNF 3.5hr into Audiobook. Basic and practical time, effort, and money saving tips. Example. Setting goals. Priorities. Scheduling. Delegating. Automating. Strong emphasis on apps and analysing work load distribution amongst household members. Possibly targeted at busy stressed out mother's.

[A.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard one to rate, there is a lot here, but a lot of it just does not apply to me.

I took a few screen shots to remind me to do things later.

So far this year, my library saved me A$940.29

[Emily Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has helped me tremendously in creating order and minimising task build up! Share an email & calendar with my partner now and have genuinely felt a shift in the mental load carried. It was a great general concept map to draw up our own ways of doing things!