How to Create a Household Organizer

Do you feel like your personal life is getting broken down into smaller
and smaller fragments: sticky notes, business cards and take-out
menus that stuff backpacks, pockets, purses and briefcases? Corral it
all with a low-tech but incredibly effective organizer that holds everything
anyone in the family needs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Purchase a large three-ring binder, a dozen or two section dividers with pockets (depending on the size of your family), plastic sleeves and a three-hole punch. All the papers you need to hang onto and find easily at the right moment will go into this binder: Medical forms, school handouts, class schedules, babysitter phone numbers, master occasions list (birthdays, anniversaries), emergency numbers, recommended Web sites, book club ideas and so on.

2. Create section dividers into broad categories: to do; to buy; to fix; schedules; phone and address lists; medical; home repair contacts; and a school file for each kid.

3. Train your family to transfer all the scraps of information that they bring home into the family organizer and to get into the habit of writing down what they need in the appropriate section.

Tips & Warnings

• Tape the emergency phone list on the inside front cover.
• Make the binder accessible to everyone at home. If your kitchen has a desk, label the binder clearly "Family Info." The idea is make information readily available to whoever needs it.
• Put time-sensitive papers in your tickler file (see 10 Set Up a Reminder System) with a reminder written in your calendar (see 266 Coordinate a Family Calendar).

on 7/31/2006 I began my organizer with a section for shopping lists, weekly meal planning and an address book. Starting with only a few regularly needed sections and then expanding as needed makes the transition to organized living a lot less daunting!!