Use these tips to get your organising off to a flying start!
Think of a home file as the "Manual" for your home. It is the place that has all the information you need on a weekly if not daily basis, and is an invaluable tool that you will wonder how you did without.
Ensure that this is easily accessible and that all family members knows where it is - I find it usually works well by the side of the wall planner - most families have these in their kitchen as its the most frequently used room in the house.
Anyone should be able to find what they need easily - this is a backup guide to running your home - specific to you - so if you were in hospital or on holiday, the house could run just as smoothly without you.
An A4 Ring Binder is perfect as it can be added to, can have dividers that make finding things easy, and pages can be removed when required (such as babysitters information list). If you have each page in a plastic file then you can also add in items that haven't got holepunches easily, such as vouchers. Below are all the items you may want to purchase to make setting one up that bit easier for you.
Whats in a Home File? Anything that you need to run your family can go in, and any titles you want as well - they are listed in very general blocks here - but here are a few ideas to get you started (some of which you will find ready to print out in the FREEBIES section of this website):-
ORGANISING YOUR TIME
Schedules for the family - school timetables etc...
Events lists from organisations such as Church, Sports groups, Playgroups etc...
Master Year
Planner with Special Occasions marked on
Master Monthly /
Weekly / Daily Planners
FAMILY INFORMATION
Familys Clothes
and Shoe sizes
Medicenes any
family member is currently taking, allergies etc...
RUNNING THE HOUSE
Emergency Information
Babysitters Information sheet
Meal planners
Shopping Lists
Inventory for Fridge, Freezer and Cupboards
Household decorating information
Cleaning
Schedule (including monthly and yearly tasks)
Car maintenance
information
Home Inventory
List (in case of theft)
Shopping
Vouchers
Household Budget
information
List of all
suppliers for the house with contact details (gas, water, council tax
etc....)
List of
recommended tradespeople
First Aid Kit
Checklist
List of all
credit cards and who to contact if stolen NB DO NOT LIST ALL CREDIT CARD
DETAILS IN ONE PLACE
Warranties and
Booklets for items in the house (TV, Stereo etc...)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Present ideas
Phone numbers - how many of us only have these in our mobiles nowadays - what would happen if you lost it?
Party Planning information
Magazine
subscriptions
Websites and other info to look at (clippings from magazines etc...)
Outings Ideas
Sheet
Preparing for
holiday checklist
Packing
Checklist
Whats NOT in a home file? Any paperwork thats got more longevity and is only required very occasionally such as birth certificate, insurance certificates, passports etc.... . These are best kept in a fireproof cabinet/box in a more hidden away place in your home. The home file should purely be a reference for the family. I like to think of filing in 2 parts - Deep filing for items that are important to keep but are not needed often, and your home file, which can be accessed easily and has more frequently used paperwork.
Another great idea that helps keep your family on track is what has been known as a "Tickler File" which we will call a "Diary Add-On File" as I feel that this says what it does as well - so its easier for everyone to understand. Have 15 plastic folders within this file (use one the same as the home file as they will work well together). Label 12 with the months of the year, and 3 with this year and the following 2 years. As you get things like invitations, paperwork for meetings in the future, notes that need keeping relating to some time in the future - you can put these into the relevant month. This will mean that you will not have your usual diary or a wall planner crammed with extra paperwork, you are less likely to lose something when the time comes to need it again - and as long as you get in the habit of looking at it every month then you will be about as organised as you could be! (use the yearly ones in the same way - especially useful if planning a holiday for next year, or a wedding etc...) You can also go a little further and have 1-31 tabs for the specific days of the current month - this is especially useful if you tend to have lots going on, or work from home.
GET YOUR HOME FILE ORGANISED TODAY!
HOME FILE CREATION, HOME FILE ORGANISING, ORGANISING YOUR HOME FILE, GET ORGANISED TODAY
GET FREE BONUS WHEN YOU SIGN UP - "50 TIPS TO GET STARTED TO YOUR ORGANISED LIFE"
ADVERTISE WITH US
If you would like to advertise your organised home related company on this website, or are a professional organiser wanting to write an article with a link to your site, please CLICK HERE for more details
