One of my all time favorite organizing tools is my home management binder. I fondly refer to our household binder as my “command central binder” as it really is an integral part of keeping our home running smoothly. It also helps tame paper clutter caused by disorganized paperwork strewn on counter tops and plastered to the refrigerator.
Do you use a home management binder? If you’ve never heard of one, or you’ve been thinking about setting one up for a while (but haven’t quite gotten around to it yet) be sure to check out my free online class that walks you through how to set up a home management binder, step-by-step. Then, whether you’re new to the whole home management binder idea or you’re a seasoned veteran, here are some tips for making the most out of this terrific paper organizing system.
Start with what you know for sure.
If your home management binder is a well-intentioned item on your to-do list, give yourself permission to bite size this project by starting with what you know for sure. For example, do you need a spot to store sports schedules or the calendar from your yoga studio? What papers get left on the counter because you need to refer to them again and don’t want to file them too far away (or too far out of sight?) Start with the papers that are causing you trouble and those you know need a new and better home. Then…
Let your home management binder evolve over time.
It can be intimidating when we see someone else’s perfectly constructed (and beautiful!) home management binder on a blog post or on Pinterest. We can begin to feel as if we need to get from here (piles of paper on several flat surfaces) to there (perfect home management binder) in one single step. Let go of that pressure and stress, and instead, let your binder grow and change over time. You’ll relieve a lot of pressure and you’ll end up with something much better for you than if you tried to figure it all out ahead of time.
Use sticky notes to experiment with categories.
Often figuring out the best categories for your home management binder can be a point where people get stuck. But this is a minor problem, easily solved by our friend the sticky note. Simply select categories that make sense to you, and then, use sticky notes to create dividers in your binder. Next, live with the system for a while. Once you’ve used it for a few weeks, assess how things are going. The reason for categorizing things is to make them easier to find. Are your categories allowing you to know where important papers are located? If so, make some permanent category labels using binder tabs and a label maker. By the way, this works for completely new home management binders as well as for when you’ve been using one for a while and want to change or add categories.
Edit as you go.
When you add something new to your binder, do a quick scan for any old items that are no longer current or relevant. Editing as you go will keep your binder a current, up-to-date and useful tool.
Schedule seasonal clean outs.
There are a few times of the year when it makes sense to do a more thorough clean out of your binder. Here are some ideas. By the way, you’ll probably find you don’t need to do all of these, especially if you edit as you go.
- The start of summer. Clean out papers from the old school year and create space for the one coming up. Also, clear out any paperwork related to winter activities, creating open spaces for the pool schedule and other summer papers.
- Back-to-school. If the start of summer had you thinking about things other than last year’s school papers, take some time at the end of summer to clear out your binder. You’ll thank me when those new school papers start to filter in and you have a place to put them!
- Before the holidays. If you use your home management binder to plan and organize the holidays, do a quick clean out in mid-October to create space for new lists and ideas for the upcoming season.
- January. It’s the new year so why not give your binder a fresh start, too? Add new monthly calendars and do a sanity check on your monthly organizing checklists.
- Spring. Make a binder clean-out part of your annual spring cleaning process.
Add some home management binder printables.
These checklists and planning forms will help you simplify all sorts of home management tasks like organizing, meal planning and cleaning. Check out simplify 101’s home management binder printables.
Don’t try to include everything in this one system.
While a home reference binder is a really useful system, don’t try to make it be your only paper organizing system. Your binder shouldn’t be a replacement for an archive system (something I discuss in my Organize Your Paper Clutter online class.) Instead, use your binder for papers that you refer to frequently and / or items you want to be accessible in an emergency. Remember, if you’re just getting started our free class will simplify the process of setting up your own home management binder by giving you step-by-step instructions and a supply list. Snag your spot in this free class now.
If you use a home management binder, what tips do you have to share? What works for you? (Is your binder a total life saver like mine is for me?) Thanks for sharing your ideas in the comments!
I have a home management binder but don’t feel like I’m getting much use out of it. I think there are some things I use, but some I don’t. You’re right that you need to customize it for YOU and think about what you really need. Excited to check out the free class!
Thanks, Katie! It’s so true – the best organizing systems are customized to our unique needs and circumstances. Hope you enjoy the class!
I tend to use a folder with brads and pockets instead of a binder, because I have found that a binder falls apart on me too quickly. I think it’s because I don’t put very much in it, but what little I *DO* add gets used frequently. Our folder contains current copies of our bills {each bill held in a separate clear document protector so I can add notes and reminders without any fuss}; a cheat-sheet printout containing our current contact info, birth dates, SSNs, date of marriage, and other crap I have needed to find through the years {and now college-age son can access the info without having to bugging me}; and takeout menus to our local deli, bakery, and Chinese restaurant {since we call in orders to one of the three quite frequently}. My husband’s work schedule changes weekly, so that gets posted on the bulletin board next to our large family wall calendar; same goes with schedules and calendars for school and extracurricular activities. I can’t imagine anything else being necessary for either our folder or our calendar, since this is the only stuff we use on a regular basis.Having said that, however, I’m a sucker for lists and suggestions, so I’m on my way now to check out those free printables! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your home management binder ideas…even though yours is in a folder instead of a binder. 😉 Great ideas!
I have had a “control binder” for many years and couldn’t live without it. It has all our passwords in it. I have a tab for our daughter’s school where I file her schedule, phone numbers and teacher info (she’s in high school now). There is a tab for any activity she is in that has contact information and/or game schedules, etc. I have a tab for family address lists and include my bunco group list here too. There is a tab for my daughter’s medical info. I make notes about flu shots and glasses and other medical events that I want to make note of. I even have a tab for our dog and cat to keep track of meds taken and vet events. Often I just file medical receipts with notes. Recently, my daughter had a big school trip that required planning, payment plan, and lots of additional information to keep track of. I made a tab in our control binder for the trip. Everything is filed in the binder. Nothing gets lost and we always know where to go for information.
I am a very visual person and for me, out of sight is out of mind. I am trying to retrain myself because I love the idea of having a binder and getting rid of all the paper clutter. I currently have a binder but it is very disorganized and stuffed full of items I don’t use. I am looking forward to cleaning it up and finally making it a useful tool.
I used to.consider myself fairly well organized and on top of things. As my kids got older, married and moved out, somewhere in there I started to let things slide until I buried myself. I’m still not completely sure what happened but one day I said to myself, nope this has to change. I came across your articles and feel hope for the first time so thank you! I’m reading everything I can and implementing every suggestion!
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