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4 Ways to Save Time on Your Next Night Out

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We’re always searching for more time. Our lives are filled with tasks and to-do lists, leaving precious moments to enjoy a night out away from the distractions. Work piles up and sleep cycles wane as we fight to get a few extra minutes for ourselves. Since these moments are so far and few between, we want to make sure we utilize these moments to the fullest. That being said, we’ve saved you some time on your next night out with the recommendations of a few simple features and technologies.

If you want your night out to run smoothly, consider the following tips:

Call Ahead Ordering

In a competitive landscape for time and attention, companies are increasing their value-add on services. Call ahead ordering is a familiar concept in the restaurant business. Some chains even reserve prime parking spots for customers that place to-go orders. This decreases wait time for the consumer and frees up table space for the restaurant. Grocery store chains are picking up this concept, allowing online orders for in-store pickup. The goal is to reduce the time and effort for the customer. Even coffee shops are getting in on the action, allowing you to order your mint mocha and have it piping hot when you open the door.

Because waiting at a restaurant or grocery store line is variable, you could potentially save time by doing it all online first.

Map Beyond your GPS

GPS is a life-saver. No arguments there. Rather than fumbling around with a map while driving (and endangering everyone else on the road!), entering your destination pre-trip and getting turn-by-turn navigation is super convenient. However, sometimes the GPS selects a known or preferred route, but doesn’t always show the shortcuts in every city. Take a minute to expand the map on the selected route to identify any shortcuts or side streets that can avoid traffic or shorten your trip.

Reservations

Living on a whim is exciting–unless your spontaneous dinner adventure leads to an hour wait. As rigid as it might seem, reservations definitely help cut your overall trip time. It’s all in the plan, so if you know your preference ahead of time, make sure you can just walk right in and sit down. Many restaurants have reservation options on their websites, or you can use a great mobile app like OpenTable to make your reservation.

Mobile Payments

Getting to a downtown restaurant for date night can be fun, but sometimes difficult if you are stuck hunting for a parking spot. What compounds this difficulty is when you are stuck in a line to pay for parking with coins or cards. An easy way to shed minutes off your journey is to park and pay with your mobile phone. Technology, like Passport’s mobile pay app, reduces the effort and time involved in your parking experience. Some merchants even offer parking validation, so you can end up saving time and money!