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Updated on January 14, 2020
Setting Up a Home Management Binder. Learn how to set up a home management binder to organize all of your household papers.
A New Year always gets me excited about a fresh start and new possibilities. Although, as I am getting older, I embrace that you can start again every day or even multiple times per day if need be. You don’t have to wait for the “new year”.
One of the things I have been using for years is a Home Management Binder. You may have seen one of these before.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Please read my full disclosure policy here.
What is a Home Management Binder?
A home management binder is a binder (or set of binders) that you use to keep your home running smoothly. Since it is a binder system, it is completely customizable for you and your family.
Different households will require different systems. If you have small kids and are a stay-at-home-mom, your binder will look much different from a working mom with teenage kids or a single person just out of college. The beauty is this binder system can work well for anyone to keep their home running smoothly.
It is both a filing system and a way to keep on top of all the tasks that are required for keeping up a home.
Related: Project Organize: Paper Clutter
I am going to break down how I set my binder up over several posts. Today’s post I am going to share some basic supplies that will be helpful to have to set up your binder. Many of these items you may already have on hand at home.
How to Set Up a Home Management Binder
Supplies:
Shop my Amazon Store: Home Management Binder Supplies
I will share how I have set mine up to give you some ideas, but ideally, you have to find what works for you.
I used to have a huge 2″ binder, but it was a pain to pull out and flip through, so I decided to split my larger binder into two smaller binders – one for home and one for family. You can see my old binder system below.
The first step to creating a home management binder is to think about what you will need to put in it. This will be customized to your family’s needs.
I have compiled a list of categories you may want to consider to get you thinking about what you will want to include. The best part is since this is a three-ring binder you can change it around as you figure out what works for you, or as your family changes.
Sections for Home Management Binder
- Calendar
- Planning
- Schedules
- Household/Home
- Finance
- Family
- Children
- School
- Pets
- Healthcare/Medical
- Contacts
- Project Lists
- Master To-Do List
- Important Papers
- Automobile
- Menu/Meal Planning
- School
- Coupons
- Events/Entertaining
You can include as many or as few categories as you think you need.
I have tweaked my binder quite a bit over the years. For example, I used to try to include a section for my blog, but I never used it. I have a separate binder just for my blog now. Also, I don’t include any financial information in my binder. I have a bill-paying system that works well that I don’t include here.
How to Choose What to Include in a Home Management Binder
Start by making a list that includes all the categories you think you might use in the binder.
Then, gather up all the loose papers you have lying around. The main point of having a binder like this is to corral those loose papers that don’t really need long term filing but still need to be organized and easily accessible. Even though we live in a digital world, we all deal with quite a bit of paper in our day to day lives.
Sort like items together and add them to your binder.
I like to label my dividers with Post Its, at first. Then, as I am using my binder I can figure out what is working and what isn’t. Then, once I have a better understanding of how to organize everything I will add permanent labels.
I prefer to use binder tabs that include folders. This way, if I don’t have time to hole punch everything right away, I can place it in the folder for later. Also, if you are going to use page protectors in your binder the dividers with folders usually extend beyond the page protectors.
Do you use a home management binder? Do you have any categories in your binder that I didn’t include on my list?
Other Posts in this Series:
Regina Partain says
Laura, I love this idea. And thanks so much for the free printables. Staying organized in these areas can be difficult if you are not naturally organized. I am going to attempt this process for staying organized. Thanks again.
Lauras Crafty Life says
Absolutely! It can be really hard to stay on top of things. I am a huge list maker and it is the only thing that keeps me sane (at least most of the time!) :)
ReaderWoman says
I am laughing, because my home management system is a binder – but I call it “The Book that tells me when to Breathe” after the same title in a mystery series I love (by Donna Andrews, the Meg Landslow series.) I keep everything in it – insurance information, phone #’s and all that… this is such a great idea, and love the printables! THANKS!
LuAnn Braley says
Following from Take-a-look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts.
I tend to get overwhelmed a lot more easily than I would like, so I am very happy that you are breaking up the topic over several posts. Right now we have 2 adults, 2 teens, 1 tween, 1 adult dog, 1 adult cat and 6 rambunctious puppies living in a 3 bedroom apartment. Yeah. Hoping to make SEVERAL changes to that situation very soon!
Lauras Crafty Life says
LuAnn – It is a constant struggle for me to stay on top of things, but when I stick to my routines and using my binder, I do so much better. It is a great place to dump your brain and keep everything in one spot. :)
Vanessa says
I need something like this. I try to be organized but it doesn’t always work. Maybe something like this would help.
gale says
This looks interesting. I’m so disorganized I probably need something like this. I’ll be watching for more posts about it.