'Yes, I live a double life. Here's how I manage the mental load.'

Sometimes I wonder if we moved out of the city just so I could regularly escape from my family.

Oops. I think I said that out loud. 

Two years ago, my family moved two hours south of Sydney. We live in the kind of beautiful little seaside town that people go on holiday to. Sorry, I know that’s insufferable of us. 

It was a move made for peace, space and a different kind of life. And we got all that. 

What I didn’t factor in was that, since my work is still in Sydney and also requires me to travel, means… I’m up and down a lot. 

Some days of the week I wake up and walk my dog along the river, fiddle with my veggie patch in between work calls and writing projects, walk to the one shop in my town, maybe have a drink at the one local pub in the evening… And other days I’m up at five to get to the city, choose where to spend my lunch dollars from the 250 choices within walking distance of our inner city office where I work alongside a group of noisy, smart, hilarious women. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holly Wainwright (@wainwrightholly)

Sometimes, I stay over, and go see a live show alongside hundreds of other people, eat food from any corner of the world, Uber around town like Carrie freaking Bradshaw. 

The double life suits me. But it makes life complicated. 

Which means being organised and efficient has never been more urgent. Nailing life admin essential. Look, I know not everyone has a life like this. But I do know that the mental load is the weight many of us are buckling under. Whatever the complication of your life is, it’s real. 

Children don’t stop needing you because you’re busy. Their needs – for a hug, but also for all the endless stuff they require – don’t turn off because you’re tired. I’ve had to get a lot better at making sure I maximise time with them, no matter what’s going on. 

So here’s a tip that’s been a long time coming to my messy little life. Get organised.

That sound I can hear is laughter. Grown-ups who nailed that a lot earlier than I – and anyone who vaguely knows me – is spitting out their tea right now. Because the first group are wondering how I’ve just come to this, and the people who know me are asking – you’ve finally come to this?

Yes. And now I know what’s smart: Centralise operations. Save money. Make life easier. Enter, OnePass. 

Living a double life is hectic, smart players know how to smooth the edges and for me, OnePass has been part of that. So here’s what my OnePass membership does for me, to lighten the load. 

1. Delivery. But free delivery.

Of course you don’t have to live in a tiny town with four shops to need the convenience of delivery. 

It’s how we live now, sure, but also, it’s efficient and less likely to spiral into a supermarket sweep (anyone remember that cracking show, when someone ran around filling a shopping trolley in an insanely tight time limit? Nope, just me). Also less likely to spiral into a meltdown, if going to the shop involves you having to take children. 

My veggie garden always needs something. And my kids. In fact, in a hierarchy of who’s needier, my vegetables or my kids, it wouldn’t be a clear answer. Bunnings Warehouse and Kmart are the two most regular reasons to get in my car. Or rather, to not get in my car now. 

Last thing I bought and had delivered from Bunnings? A compost sieve, three bags of vegetable and tomato potting mix and a spade. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holly Wainwright (@wainwrightholly)

The last thing I had delivered from Kmart? A big storage tub for veggie bed stuff, some solar lights for the garden and a swimsuit for my daughter and some graphic markers for my son’s school project. 

With my OnePass membership, delivery is free. And if I’ve screwed up on the solar lights, I get free returns 365 days a year.  

2. Earns bonus points for the times you do leave the house.

When I do go into Bunnings Warehouse or Kmart (or Officeworks, or Target), OnePass supercharges Flybuys points (yes, I am now grown-up enough to have Flybuy points). I get five times the amount of points than I would if I hadn’t been smart enough to sign up for OnePass. 

The best bit? The Flybuys points you get aren't going anywhere, they’re a regular thing! So, you have plenty of time to shop and save your Flybuys points even faster for that next product (or holiday!) on your wishlist.

3. And bonus points for shopping online too.

I don’t want to tell you how to live your life but if you do your present shopping on Catch.com.au this year you’ll be a more chill, less stressed person. They have everything, from that Ariana Grande perfume my daughter wants to the bread maker Brent would like, and the prices are good. And again, Catch is mates with OnePass, so I get free delivery on eligible items and orders, members-only prices and 2 x the Flybuy points on whatever I buy. 

Joining OnePass gives me so much bang for my buck across all the shops I actually need to go to most often is one of the most life-saving, adult decisions I’ve made lately.

In even better news, ahead of the festival of shopping that is Black Friday (it falls on November 24), there’s a deal on membership, bringing down the price to $20 from $40. That is half price. With the amount of free delivery I've used thanks to OnePass, it's basically paid for itself. 

So adult, so smart, so time-savingly savvy.  

Checkout OnePass for early access to a range of their Black Friday deals and enjoy more value from your favourite brands. 

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram/@wainwrightholly.