Week 6 of 6 Weeks to An Organized Life

Let’s talk family binders. I know you are looking at me with crazy eyes wondering what the heck a family binder is. Don’t worry I’ll walk you through everything. A family binder is a place to keep all things important for your family. A binder to organize the budget, emergency plan, cleaning schedule, etc. One location to find all the important items.

Why have a family binder? There are three key reasons why we keep family binder:

1. Partners are on the same page

The family binder keeps my husband and myself together and on the same page, whether we see each other often or have those weeks were we’re apart. We know where to go to get on the same page and communicate. And my kiddos know where to find the important items, like an emergency escape plan.

2. A Place for all School Papers

A family binder helps to organize all your Childs important papers for school, like our homeschool curriculum and portfolio. We know where we can add papers and to organize any important documents for school. This is especially important when your kids are little and can’t keep track of their own papers.

3. You’ll have your important information readily available

Often, the problem with staying organized is finding the items we need when we need them. This binder keeps those important papers at the ready for when you need to have to pull them out. No worry, no searching, just ready to go.

Ok, we now know why we want a family binder, but what to include? There are an abundance of paperwork my family needs on a daily basis. The binder is an easy place for a quick reference.

Here’s what you can include:
Emergency info – MD, pediatrician, poison control, my son’s asthma action plan, any 911 numbers you need.
Important info – health insurance info, anything you need to refer to quickly
Important Documents – birth certificates, marriage license
Meal Plan – dinners for the next 2 weeks. I don’t usually list day by day, but I do have a running list of meals I’m planning to make for the next couple of weeks
Recipes – All your family’s favorites in one spot
Gift Ideas – Think of an idea in July for Christmas, jot it down
Reading/watchlist – Or other things you want to watch or rent
Budget – spending list and budget plan
Checklists – Packing checklist, chore lists, car maintenance, etc.
School – School calendars or other important information

For more information on family binders and free printouts check out Sarah Nourse’s video here. I loved her print outs and currently use them in our family binder.

I love our family binder, an easy reference for all of our family’s need and something I can grab quickly on the go. The work is totally worth the time and makes life all the easier.

Start today and watch the video above to get your free print outs! Let me know how you do in the comments below. I’ll be checking in with your next week!!