As I was browsing Pinterest earlier this week, I found an idea for a
Home Management Binder to contain all of the major household organization items. Like most of the ideas I find on Pinterest (while I am waiting... um... patiently for my baby), I thought it was genius, determined I would begin mine the next morning, and went to sleep.
After browsing
A Bowl Full of Lemons post and pictures of her binder the next morning, I knew this was a must for our household. I have been trying to determine a way that we can organize our information and have it in one neat, concise place. In addition, with the change in our budget, we have to be much more serious about the money we spend and where we spend it. As I looked through Toni's binder ideas, I began thinking of the information we would need or want close at hand...
our budget
a monthly expenditure sheet
a bi-monthly menu
a bi-monthly grocery list
everyday gift logs
Christmas gift logs/ planning sheet
emergency contact information
important personal information
EA's immunization schedule
Following Toni's lead, I grabbed a clear view binder, a binder pencil pouch, and a 5 tab divider (all of which has a special home in our garage... one of the perks of collecting school supplies like they will never go on sale again)
I setup my labels a little differently than Toni. My first section is budget, my second is household items, my third is gifts, my fourth is Emily Ann, and my fifth is Brian and Ashley. This kept me from having to buy another pack of dividers, but still holds all the necessary information.
As I consider our budget, menu planning is definitely our biggest weakness. As we found out this month, one trip to Sam's will kill our allotted food money... even if we need what we purchase. Because of this, this was my number one priority in setting up the binder.
After browsing the web and considering our specific needs, I created templates for our bi-monthly grocery trips and meal plans. These allowed me an overview and specific information.
Next, I focused on our budget.
I created a Bill and Payment checklist similar to
this one from Clean Mama Printables. I added our specific bills so we would be able to track them more easily. I also added additional boxes to track things we may not have considered yet. For further budgeting, I created a Dave Ramsey-like spreadsheet with our specific spending elements. This includes our bills and food, as well as personal money and what we spend on misc items.
Here is Clean Mama's overview budget for an example.
Next, I realized how often I need information about Brian's workplace and have no idea what it is so I have to call or text him to get the information. Though this works, it is not always ideal. Because of this, I created a selection of personal information forms that are specific to each of us and that will be easily accessible if needed. Items listed on these forms included name, social security, workplace, work address, work phone, general physician's name and phone, dentist's name and phone, OB's name and phone, insurance information, etc.
In this section, I included an immunization checklist for EA. I got this information from my pediatrician's website... this does not include all of the doctor's visits, only immunizations.
I also created an emergency contact form similar to Clean Mama's
family information form. Mine differs from hers by adding less information about the surrounding area, but focusing on personal emergency contacts and providing more space for neighbor information.
My next task was gifts. Though they are sporadic, it seems that birthdays always catch us by surprise. Add in the occasional happy day surprise, baby shower, or congratulations gift and we really struggle! Because of this, I created a gift log and Christmas gift log/ planner so that I can begin thinking about gifts ahead of time. This will also be great for me to refer back to when the next birthday arrives.
Other useful templates from Clean Mama include the
Home Improvements Checklist and the
Cleaning Kit. Her website is truly fabulous! Though several of these forms are specific to my family, her site offers forms that are appropriate for everyone.
Finally, I realized that you can not have an organized and useful Home Management Binder without a cute cover! Using my rocking awesome Creative Memories software, I created a binder cover and side tab to make my binder cute!
Feel free to use the cover, spine filler, and any of the forms you deem worthy to set up your own binder. Shoot me an email if you want more information about a specific form or would like me to email you any of the forms in PDF format. Check out A Bowl Full of Lemons'
Home Management Challenge and
Clean Mama Printables for more organizational ideas!
What do you do to organize this information? Do you use a filing system, a binder, or something completely different? Are there any forms you would add to YOURS that I haven't considered? Leave a comment and let me know!
Happy Weekend!
