I Tried 'Admin Nights,' And It Made Planning My Week So Much Easier

The older I get, the more I understand the phrase, “It’s always something”. 

The second you sort out your laundry, the kitchen needs cleaning; as soon as you think you’ve budgeted for the month, a phone (or boiler, or car) needs pricey repair or replacement. 

For a long time, that made me very resentful. Why am I spending most weekends catching up with chores and bills?, I’d bitterly ask myself. Dramatic as it sounds, I felt like I couldn’t keep up with my adult responsibilities and maintain my relationships well.

But, Kara Gammell, a personal finance expert at MoneySuperMarket explained, “admin nights”, which aim to make mundane chores a little more manageable, can help.

What are “admin nights”? 

“If you struggle to tackle money admin, try turning it into a social activity. ‘Body doubling’ – working alongside someone else, even virtually – can help keep you accountable and make the task feel less daunting,” Gammell said.

“Set aside an ‘admin night’ with a friend where you both focus on your own to-do lists”.

Body doubling works for some people because it provides an outside stimulus. Interacting with or even acknowledging another person distracts you enough from the job at hand to make it seem a little easier.

Personally, I don’t limit “admin night” to purely financial tasks. I also focus on “life admin,” like deep cleaning (this is usually done while talking to a friend over video call) and having a pal over to batch-cook on Sundays (BTW, swapping batch-cooked meals makes the work week a lot less monotonous). 

You can use them for whatever tasks you like, and do them at a rate that suits you. For me, it’s about once or twice a week. 

How should I run an “admin night”? 

Arrange for a person, or multiple people, to go through a mundane task with you, either virtually or in person.

“Pair [body doubling] with a simple trick like setting a timer for 15 minutes and tackling one small task, whether that’s checking your balance, reviewing recent spending, or looking at your credit score,” Gammell added.

“Breaking things down into bite-sized chunks makes the process feel more manageable and helps you get started, which is often the hardest part.” 

She recommended tasks like checking your credit report, cancelling unused subscriptions, creating a standing order for your savings, closing old bank accounts, and managing debt together. 

I’ve also found taking a few minutes with my partner on a Wednesday to plan our week’s meals, social plans, and budget really beneficial, too. 

It’s not exactly the most fun night, or nights, of the week. But it makes the rest of my time flow so much more smoothly; I won’t be going back.