What to do while waiting

I’m posting this with the Life as Mom Frugal Fridays posts.

I thought of this post yesterday when I was waiting to pick up our daughter from school.  Below are some ideas for making the most out of your wait time.  Remember that being efficient with your time is also a money saver.  Many of these tips lean towards a do-it-yourself attitude, which we all know saves money from having to hire someone to do the chores and tasks for you.

• If you are waiting in your car, clean it out.  Keep a few extra grocery sacks in the car to make easy disposal of trash.  Keep a few cloth grocery sacks handy to pack those items that need to be brought back into the house.  If you have some of the glass cleaner wipes or Armor-All Wipes, use them. 
• Bring note cards wherever you go.  I am able to catch up on most of my correspondence while waiting in a doctor’s office. 
• Catch up on your calls.  If you have a cell phone, check in on your loved ones.  You may never know how much your grandmother appreciates a call from you.  Set up your annual dental and gynecological appts.  Make those business calls you’ve been needing to get to.
• Do your nails.  I keep a pair of nail clippers and a file in my car and in my purse.  While I can hardly ever wear nail polish due to the gardening and frequently being in water, I do try to keep my nails neat.  By all means polish them, though, if you have the time.
• Clean out your purse.  Ok, if you’ve polished your nails, you might want to wait on this one, but otherwise, go on and get that purse organized.  I’m the worst about keeping a clean purse, and this chore is needed more often than I care to mention.
• Bring your mending or hand work with you.  My friend Honor can whip out a pair of socks in no time, and it seems like every time I see her she has another knitting project that she is working on.  My sister crochets while waiting.  I’ve been known to bring a shirt that needs a button sewn back on with me on a road trip. 
• Read a book or magazine.  This one is pretty easy for most of us to remember, but I add it here because you might want to bring one from home.  Some of the doctor’s offices where we go either do not have any magazines I’m interested in or I do not want to touch them due to the germ factor.  I enjoy bringing copies of Mother Earth News, Organic Gardening, and Good Housekeeping with me so that I can catch up on my reading.
• Pay your bills and read your mail.  If you do not have any concern about the possibility of losing your mail or bills while away from home, then bring them with you.  If you receive any catalogs that you are no longer interested in, call the toll free number on the back and ask that you be taken off of their mailing list. 

What other ideas do you have for using your waiting time wisely?  Please add any additional tips in the comments section.