Hopefully it’s not a secret that I love my Homekeeping Binder and the documents that I have created to go into my binder. If you are thinking of making a binder, have created a binder or just curious as to whether or not a binder could help you in your home, today’s post is for you.
Who needs a Homekeeping Binder?
anyone who wants a central place for family and/or home information
What Information Should Be Kept In a Homekeeping Binder?
any information that would normally be floating around on counters, drawers, or in your brain
Where Should I Start?
start by making a quick list of areas/categories that could use organizing in your home – if you have more than two or three, a binder is a great place to contain your information
Not Sure of Categories? Here Are a Few:
meal planning
cleaning
in case of emergency
while we’re away
home maintenance
calendars
school information
budget + bill paying
blogging
gift giving
holidays
shopping
contacts – family, friends, service companies
The Categories In My Homekeeping Binder?
calendars
cleaning
meal planning
budgeting
listmaking
blogging
What Kind of Binder is Best?
any 3-ring binder will work – if it’s cute, I’ll be more apt to use it. If you’re like me, pick out something cute. My binder is from Target and coordinates in my kitchen. You could also come up with a plan, have the pages printed out at a copy shop and have it bound into a book.
What Else Makes a Binder More Functional?
Post-It notes
pens, pencils, highlighters
dividers
pockets
three hole punch
plastic sleeves
laminated pages
All pages do not have to be in a protective sleeve, but using a three hole punch can be an effective way to punch a stack of papers in a neat and quick fashion.
A simple tool pouch (found in the school/office supply section) keeps tools handy so you aren’t searching for the supplies you need.
Home maintenance and cleaning checklists? The perfect place to keep them is in a homekeeping binder – easy access and not on a counter or table.
What Else?
You have to USE your binder and it has to be designed to work for you or else it’ll be time and money poorly spent. Think through your categories and what will work in your home.
Tweak your categories and printables as you go until you get a system that you love. I’ve been using a Homekeeping Binder for at least three years and it has morphed and changed with our lives, but the time that I have taken to organize it has been so worth it in time saved hunting for information.
Where Can I Find Documents to Help Me Create My Binder
Clean Mama Printables (my Etsy shop – shameless plug, of course)
(all printables in this post can be found in my shop)
printables on the web (here are some freebies from me, too)
make them yourself (hand write or on the computer)
some documents will be ones that come to you – like a school calendar, take out menus, contact information
If you want to start (or tweak) a Homekeeping/Home Management Binder, you might want to consider my 2013 Starter Kit – 46 documents designed to take the work out of organizing your life!
The {2013} Clean + Organized Lifestyle Kit (the bright Starter Kit plus more!)
I have oodles of other organizing goodness in the form of printables and printable kits in my shop to help you organize and streamline your life!
Very nice – I have a binder too, but it’s not nearly as pretty as yours! Well done!
Thanks for the tips. I just made mine
~Gen
I linked to you as a great resource for a binder! If you would be interested in a review and/or giveaway to your shop let me know. (now or in the future)
Oops…here is the link. http://www.thissimplehome.com/2012/02/household-binder-project-part-1.html
I had just ordered your starter kit, and came here looking for how to put a binder together, and here it is! Thanks!!
I soooo want to do a home binder for my family. It’s on my September to do list!
Quirky question…The 3-hole punched snap pouch that you have to hold your extra shopping lists, where did you find that??
Also, thanks for the great printables. They are beautiful.
Hi Missie!
The 3-hole pouch is from Office Max
xo, Becky
Thanks so much!!
Love this! If I want to really customize my lists/documents, what is a good computer program to invest in? What do you use? Is it some sort of home publishing program?
how do you make your templates? love it
I just want to say that at a time when I am feeling
busy and a bit disorganized; this puts it in a different perspective.
i love this! you have great products!
Thanks Michelle!
I like to keep a list of all our combination locks (that we use for the gym, etc.) and the # sequence to open them.
)