A household management binder is a wonderful way to get yourself – and your household – organized. There are countless options on the market for planners and organizational binders, but I’ve found that the ones that work best for me are the ones that I create myself. I’ve used some version of my mom binder for about six years or so.
To create your personalized home management binder, all you need is:
- A colorful, attractive binder (or a plain white one, but colorful is more cheerful)
- Divider tabs (again, colorful just makes me feel better)
- Paper
- Pens
- Clear page protectors (optional)
- Printable calendar/filler sheets (optional – you can make your own)
- Printer (if you’re using printable sheets)
What you’ll include in your household management binder is entirely up to you and should be determined by your unique needs. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Calendar
I love big, wide, month-at-a-glance pages. Two page spreads are my favorites. DonnaYoung.org is one of my favorite sites for free, printable household planner pages. Of course, you can always make your own.
It’s often helpful to put your month- or week-at-a-glance pages in a clear page protector at the front of your binder.
Menus and Meal Planning Pages
One of the easiest proven methods of saving money at the grocery store is making a menu and shopping from a list. I plan our lunches and dinners each week and have a handful of standard breakfast items. Then, I shop from a list of items needed to make these meals, plus staples and paper goods that need to be restocked.
As a side note, I keep a magnetic notepad on the refrigerator so that my husband, kids, and I can jot down things as they run out. This has saved a lot of frustration on my part.
Cleaning Schedule and Checklists
Our household runs much more smoothly when I keep us on a fairly regular cleaning schedule, so you might want to include a section for daily cleaning checklists or cleaning checklists for kids. This could be another great spot for clear page protectors and a dry or wet erase marker for checking things off as they’re completed.
To Do Lists
If you’re a list-maker like me, having a centralized location for your to-do list(s) can be invaluable. You could include current/daily lists, as well as long-term to-do planning.
Contact Information
Phone numbers, addresses (physical and email), emergency numbers…it’s always nice to have them all in one handy location. It sure does make addressing Christmas cards easier. It’s also a good idea to list birthday information here, if you enjoy making others feel special by sending them a card or giving them a phone call on their special day.
Health and Fitness Log
Tracking your calorie consumption and activity level is one of the best ways to lose weight. Include a section in your binder for logging what you’ve eaten each day, as well as the type and duration of of physical activity you’ve completed, workout plans, balanced meal planning tools, and more.
Blog Planning
If you’re a blogger, it’s wonderful having a central location for things like an editorial calendar, post ideas, review due dates, advertiser’s contact information, ad start/end dates, and other commitments.
What sections would you include in your household management binder?
If you want to take your household organization high-tech, but simple-to-use, check out AboutOne’s online organizer.
