The Best Time to Do Everything

Exercise: The longer you put off exercising, the less likely you’ll be to actually do it, says registered dietitian and certified wellness coach Elizabeth Di Biase. And since most exercisers hit the gym later in the day, you're likely to score more space and available machines in the a.m.

Place Online Orders: Get your Internet shopping done early in the day, suggests Paul Shrater, cofounder of e-commerce company Minimus.biz. “An order placed earlier in the day has a better chance of getting filled the same day and onto the shipping dock at the company’s warehouse,” he says. ON WOMAN’S DAY: Most Common Time Traps

Call Customer Service: Give customer service reps a few minutes to have their coffee too, urges professional organizer Sarah Long. If you call right whenever the business opens, they’ll be scrambling to answer your call while dealing with messages from the night before. ON WOMAN'S DAY: Learn to Say No

Go to the Post Office: Most people try to squeeze in a visit to the post office (or DMV and other state or government agencies) before work or on their lunch breaks, says time coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders. If you can sneak away from the office, beat the crowds by dropping in midmorning.

Make Reservations: If you call your favorite restaurant first thing in the morning, you’ll probably speak with someone who’s doing meal prep. To finagle a reservation, try calling just after 11 a.m., when maître d's generally arrive, suggests productivity expert Neen James. If you can’t get through, try back around 4 after lunch is over.

Meet for Lunch: Get your important lunch dates in early, suggests Saunders. If you meet clients between 11 and 12, before the lunch rush, the restaurant staff will be relaxed and more eager to serve you. You’ll also be able to land a choice table without waiting. ON WOMAN’S DAY: 10 Ways to Streamline Your Day

Get a Check-Up: Dentists generally reserve the earliest appointments for emergency patients, and lots of doctors spend their mornings doing rounds at a hospital, so it’s easy for either to already be behind schedule when they start officially seeing patients around 9 a.m. Professional organizer Geralin Thomas suggests requesting the first slot after lunch.

Reach Senior-Level Executives: Lots of execs have “gatekeeper” assistants manning the phones from 9 to 5. If you feel your messages aren’t being relayed to the head honcho, try calling after the assistants have gone home for the day, suggests Shrater. Many higher-ups get to work early and leave late.

Fuel Up Your Car: The worst possible time to buy gas is in the morning, when everyone else is fueling up, says James. (Even if you’re not running late in the morning, the long lines at the gas station will likely push you into running-late territory!) Make a habit of checking your gas gauge when you leave work at night. If it’s below a quarter tank, swing by the gas station on your way home.

Buy Groceries: If someone else can tend to the kids, head to a 24-hour supermarket late at night, suggests Teri Gault, founder of The Grocery Game. If you can’t make it to the market at midnight, try a weekday afternoon. Just avoid the grocery store on the weekend, when people are shopping for the week, and right after work, when everyone’s picking up last-minute things for dinner.

Get Tech Support: When your Internet router’s down or your computer’s on the fritz, consider calling tech support in the middle of the night, suggests Gault. Lots of tech-minded companies offer 24-hour support. By catching the staff “when they’re bored,” Gault says you can get one-on-one attention for as long as you feel like talking.