It’s About Time…Home Management System

Running a full time business, working full time (I know you’re asking how is that possible, I ask the same thing), being a wife, a mom of four, a nanna of one, running a household and volunteering at my church, I am constantly doing something.  My days can sometimes be a blur, from running kids to dance practice, guitar lessons and going to track meets.  Having a time management system in place is a must for my life.

One of my new year’s goals was to become a better manager of my time. I was always looking for a way to keep everything I need to run my home and my time smoothly.  I tried several ways to maintain my home/time; from apps to calendars on the refrigerator, they worked temporarily.  I needed something that worked the way I naturally worked. Looking at many YouTube videos, I came across several that spoke of a home management binder – YES…this is what I needed!  So I took pointers from many great youtubers and came up with my own version that has been a great help to me and my family. Creating my home management planner has helped me keep track of all my daily todos, meals, expenses and even projects.  I love it, love it, love it!

Below I list each tab and discuss how I use each category to make my life easier.

I chose a 1″ binder from the Martha Stewart home office with Avery collection in the color Shagreen.

I used these colorful tabs as page markers and the sticky sheets I use to jot down small notes that I may add to my calendar. The great thing about them is they are removable and reuseable.

I keep everything that pertains to my families time under the calendar tab.  I use the calendar for appointments, events, etc.  It also has a place to track my tasks for the day, which I check off as I complete them.

The notes area is used to jot down thoughts and information that don’t go on the calendar.  I like being able to write down things that I will need to refer back to later.

I try to cook a meal for my family every night and here is where I write down my plan for the week.  My normal routine is to go through my recipes on Saturday and gather a list of meals I will cook for the upcoming week.  While creating this list of meals, I am double checking my calendar to make sure I will be available to make the meals I’ve scheduled for that day.  I would not schedule try to prepare chicken francese when I only have time to prepare tuna fish and chips : )

We have two vehicles and I use the auto tab to keep up with everything regarding those vehicles such as tire rotations, oil changes, maintenance appointments, etc.  My husband really appreciates this tab since he is the one who handles this for our family.

Inside this tab houses my grocery shopping lists.  After I complete my weekly meal selections, I check the pantry and are being planning out my list for the items I need to purchase.

I keep track of our household expenses from this tab.  I use spread sheets to schedule what bills are due, even upcoming vacations we will save for.

Having one place we can go to locate computer logins has been such a life saver.  The logins kept here are for systems that we all use.  I do not include our financial institution logins here, those are kept in a separate place.

The projects and ideas tab is the go to place for paint swatch colors, room dimensions and any ideas for upcoming home improvements.

When it’s time to send gifts, I wanted to make the process easier for me so I created the gifting tab.  Here, I keep a list of gift ideas and gifts given to my family and friends. As I see things throughout the year or when someone says what they would like, I jot them here.

My miscellaneous tab stores the below items…

Gift cards, notecards, postage and mailing labels are kept in the back of my binder inside plastic pockets.

The last tab is for contacts.  This tab houses frequently used phone numbers of family, friends and companies.  Remembering phone numbers has never been my strength, so having this on hand has been a great help.

Well, that’s it!

I love managing my home using my management binder.  By using this system, I have learned to be deliberate in keeping my home in order.  I hope you can use this information and create your own.

Have a SUPER Day!

Lisa