Since some readers expressed an interest in starting a home-management binder, I decided to ask the readers in my
facebook group what they have included in theirs. I'll give you a few of their ideas in just a second, but before I do, here are a few of my printables that you can use to get started:
And:
After reading through your ideas,
I intend to add more printables to this list in the very near future. The response was an incredible source of information. Thank you!! Now here's what some of you had to say:
"Mine used to be simpler, but it eventually got to the point where I had to split it between two binders. I'd added some of our favorite standby recipes to it and it became, uh, overstuffed after a couple of years :-D But my current binder has my housework routines/reminders, frequently used phone numbers, birthday reminder list and a legal pad.
Very, very critical (for me) is a pencil pouch holding some pens. If I didn't hoard pens in the binder, I'd never be able to find one when I needed it!"
~ Susan"I have a regular household binder and this year I created a Christmas binder after reading about it on a blog. Since I no longer have children at home mine is pretty simple.The sections I have are: To Do, Schedules, Information, and Meals. My Christmas binder was awesome this past Christmas. It really made life easier. In that I have sections: To Do with a December calendar, To Give (presents to buy/make) To Mail (stamps, address labels and names and address lists) To Thank (keep a list of gifts given to me and baked items people gave me) Party Menu and Recipes. I printed all the recipes that we seem to make year after year and printed them on decorative paper. I also have copies on plain paper in my regular recipe binders but this way I do not have to dig through them all. I will continue adding to this each year. Also keep a clear pocket that zips in the front of each binder for receipt--big help. Hope these ideas help."
~ Carol"I am in the middle of making mine. Found some good stuff here:
DonnaYoung.org"
~ Laura
"Mine is rather simple....my kids are grown and married, but I enjoy having a home-management binder anyway. I have a section for each month with a calender and daily work sheets for each day of the month, and weekly menus. I do alot of home canning so I have a section for planning my gardening and canning. I have a section with a list of pantry stock on hand and items needed."
~ Misty
"I have my routines, cleaning schedules and bills to pay. I have them all in clear sheet protectors, so I can check things off with a dry erase marker." ~ Jamie
"I have the following sections: calendar, inspiration (poems, articles,etc to encourage me as a mom and wife), to do (weekly, daily, month lists), health (medical info, contacts for docs, etc), money (budget section), recipes, menus, projects, crafting (scrapbooking inspiration), gifts (list for birthday and Christmas), Bible (reading plans, etc)....my grocery is a separate binder as I coupon and have a binder for my coupons and include flyers, and lists in there. I also have a separate one for Christmas planning, and a separate one for preschool curriculum as I run a family child care program in my home weekdays." ~ Shirley
"My sections include--or WILL include: weekly meal planning/ingredient list for shopping (still working on that), daily/weekly cleaning checklist, calendar to write appts/activities on (with a page for writing birthdays/anniversaries of special people/extended family, contact list/church directory, ideas to remember (includes where i can write what my hubby/kids might like as gifts for their bdays), projects and what I need to finish, book authors I like, books I want to read, etc." ~ Becoming God's Gift
"I don't do anything consistently. Two best books I've read on the subject are "Sidetracked Home Executives" (old book) and Flylady's " Sink Reflections." ~ Lisa
"Great topic. I keep schedule and daily routines separate. My household binder has a section for each person with copies of birth certificates, ss cards, and person specific info. Then it has a section for "doctors/medical insurance" with names and numbers of doctors and medical insurance policy information. The next section is for passcodes - a listing of all of those online accounts with login information. The next section is "document locations/will/taxes." This lists where to find important family papers and has copies of wills and recent taxes. I have a section for banking, with bank contact info and account numbers. There is a section for insurance policies, with carrier information and policy copies - for home, auto, and life. Then have a utilities section. This includes phone numbers, account numbers and logins. It took a little while to collect this info into one place, but it has been nice to have it all in one binder. Should anything happen to my husband or I, I didn't want our household management to become a burden." ~ Sharon
"I'm splitting mine in two this year. One will be my shopping binder. The other my household. I have sections for coupons, rain checks, shopping lists, pantry and freezer inventory, master list for shopping, items we need ( things watching for bargains, clothes or shoe needs with sizes for next season...etc). I have daily, monthly, and seasonal cleaning list, garden sections, animal care and info, any quirks the house has or things that need to be fixed, spruced up, or added. I keep personal things else where since I take my binder out in public when i go shopping and wouldn't want to leave personal info behind on accident." ~ Nicky
"I have 3 notebooks (Occasional, Writing, & Daily) and my system combines digital & paper systems. I blogged about it here, "
Create Harmony Using Digital Paper" but I really should update it with better photos. I've been thinking about doing a short series with more information, but haven't yet."
~ Jennifer
"I'm not at all as organized as I need to be, but I keep a calendar of all the children's activities, holidays and appointments handy because that usually affects my cleaning and how elaborate a meal I can cook that day. I have a list of meals with ingredients that I use to plan my menus and blank shopping lists. (I try to plan meals for a month at a time because when I buy in bulk I save money). I also try to keep an updated list of the prices of goods that I buy in different supermarkets so that I can budget properly. (I shop around a bit because prices differ so much and I can save). My schedule for cleaning and laundry, which is always in pencil because I have to be so flexible (I spend more time on the road sometimes than at home). I also keep a copy of my monthly budget with reminders of birthdays, anniversaries etc. I know there's room for improvement so I eagerly look forward to everyone else's ideas." ~ Lisa Maria
"My main Household Planner has dividers and then sub-dividers:
- Main Divider) Finances (sub-divider) Checkbook Register (sub-divider) Budget & I also have a pocket 3-ring folder which velcros shut that contains my stamps, pre-labeled envelopes for the water bill I can't pay online, and return address labels.
- (Main Divider) Meal Planning (sub-divider) Menus (sub-divider) Grocery Shopping (sub-divider) Nutrition.
- (Main Divider) Cleaning
- (Main Divider) Address Book
- (Main Divider) Pantry
- (Main Divider) Personal - Individual family member information
- (Main Divider) Ideas
I have a separate Recipe Binder, Garden Binder, and Homeschool Binder. I have another binder that I keep all my home canning information in. I keep the garden and canning separate, because the garden binder tends to get dirty.
I'm always in the process of changing things around as the seasons in my life change. Plus my hubby got me a color printer, so I can't wait to update my binder with some pretty things."
~ Pam"The only thing I would add is that I use plastic page covers and write on them with a dry erase marker or a CD pen. That way I can erase what I wrote and use the page cover over and over. This saves on paper."
~ Rosilind
For those of you who missed my radio interview the other day with Julie and Marsha from Grace Cafe, you can listen to the podcast here! Click the image below.
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene
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