I don't know about you, but I waste too much time looking for things. I spend at least 15 minutes every day searching for my grocery list, a piece of mail, a bill that I'm not sure I paid yet, etc. So yesterday, I spent some time searching the internet for ideas to make a binder to organize as much as possible to help simplify my life, and here is what I came up with!
My binder cover with quotes to motivate me to stay organized!
Week at a glance
I jot down reminders and lists on sticky notes all the time, so this page helps me corral them all in one spot.
I have started a grocery budget to really monitor what we spend. Working for myself, my sales are up and down throughout the year, so money gets tight at times and I have to really make the most of it.
We shop at various stores, so I decided to start keeping separate lists for each store. The sticky notes allow me to just grab and go.
I love meal planning!! It gives me a chance to be creative in our meal selection, ensures we don't eat the same thing all the time, and helps cut down on the grocery bill by only buying what we need each week. I also plan by what is on sale or what needs to be used from our freezer (my husband is a hunter so we freeze a lot of deer, turkey, fish, and hogs, plus we raise chickens).
To organize - This page may not be useful to everyone, but it is to me. I want my whole house to be organized, and I work toward that goal when I have time. Keeping a list helps me quickly see which tasks need to be completed and I can choose based on how much time I have.
To help me get back to blogging regularly, I've added a section in my binder for blog ideas that includes a blog calendar so I can schedule my posts in advance. I also have extra pages here to work on my magazine article submissions and my next novel!
Projects, projects, projects! I always have several going on at once, so it helps to keep one master "to do" list to keep me on track and prioritize.
These future projects are things I want to do when I finish what I'm working on now or when I have a little extra money to buy the supplies. Right now, most of my projects are related to my yard because I'm so ready for spring and digging in the dirt!!
I began the year trying to stick to a pre-determined schedule for reading the Bible through in 2013. I've since decided that I don't love that schedule because if I'm off one day, it throws me off completely. So here, I make a list weekly and just try to accomplish that so I'm not overwhelmed by the big picture (there is a copy of my 2013 master calendar in the back fo my binder, though). I also included paper in this section so I can write down notes as I study each day.
Then the business section: Avon. My Avon business is really growing, and I have other binders to keep it organized, but I always need a place to jot down orders when people call me and I'm away from my desk. This gives me a spot to do that.
In the back of the binder, I have several page protectors. One is for bills that need to be paid. Once paid, I throw the bill in the trash or file it away. I sit down and pay bills once a week.
Another page protector is for coupons! I am big on saving money, but I'm not a coupon queen. I'll let you in on my shopping secrets sometime soon to show you how I save on groceries without coupons.
Then the birthday list. I have big families on both sides, so I need a list like this just for all my family members. One side has my mom's family, and the other side has my dad's. I can't afford to buy gifts for them all, but I'd like to start sending birthday cards at least. Got to start somewhere though!
In the very back, I have cleaning lists. Working from home, I've developed a few routines that cut down on cleaning time overall, but I still keep a weekly cleaning list and a monthly list in here just in case I need to catch up. These lists came from Martha Stewart's website. (I also have lists from her website hanging in my closets to help me stay organized there, but that's for another post.)
So, what do you think?
Do you think it will work and help keep me organized??
We'll see...
