Written by Jenn, Contributing Writer

Several months ago, I came across a few blog posts and videos explaining how to set up a household notebook.  While hardly revolutionary, I had never heard of such a thing. Thank you, interwebs.

Since then, I have adopted my own version and don’t know how I’d function without it.  Nearly every piece of paper I regularly need or receive can be contained in my cute little binder from Target.

It helps me live more intentionally, be more organized, and collect less clutter.

I also like that:

• Important receipts don’t get lost.

• Meal plans and ideas are easily found.

• Grocery lists and related food documents (co-op info, etc.) are all in one place.

• I stay on budget better.

• I’m more focused and intentional in my house projects.

• Random kids’ papers have a home.

• My random papers have a home.

It did take some time to set up, but the initial investment was totally worth it.  I refer to it daily, even if it’s just to see what’s for dinner or to drop in a receipt.

Occasionally, I’ll clean out anything that’s dated or needs to be stored elsewhere (kids’ coloring pages pile up after a while).  But generally, my notebook is not something that adds to my workload; rather, it makes my life way easier.

Everyone will likely have different preferences about categories and format.  Here’s what has worked for me so far:

My Household Notebook

Materials:

• 1 Three-ring binder (mine is from Target), cute factor preferred

• Avery Pocket Tab Dividers (These are my absolute favorite).

• Several plastic sheet protectors for important documents

Categories:

Home :: This section contains spring cleaning lists, house project ideas, Christmas and birthday ideas, pet information, and any documents or loose items related to current house projects (swatches, etc.).

I use this section the most on Sunday evenings when I check the house project list to see what I might work on during the week.  I’m usually in the midst of at least a couple of projects and the master list helps me prioritize.

Budget :: This holds my monthly budget spreadsheet (see above), where I attempt to document what I’ve spend each week for groceries and miscellaneous items.  We use a cash envelope system for one area of our budget (where we have the least self-control) but use a credit card for the rest.

Basically, I keep my receipts in the pocket of the tab divider and, about once a week, enter the amounts I’ve spent in the different categories on the printed spreadsheet.  Having this information readily available helps keep me on budget.

Yes, using cash for everything would save me this step.  But we don’t keep a balance on our credit cards and cash doesn’t earn you airline miles 🙂.

I also make a short list of anticipated expenses for the month—irregular things like family pics, garden supplies, an upcoming road trip, etc. I don’t (and couldn’t) account for everything ahead of time, but the list helps me prioritize and be more intentional in my spending.

Meals :: This section holds my monthly meal calendar. I only plan for dinners, about two weeks at a time.  I refer to my List Plan It seasonal lists of meals when I’m meal planning—I got mine with Stephanie Langford’s Plan it Don’t Panic eBook (highly recommend) but you could also get them here.

Grocery :: This holds any document related to food or food co-ops I’m in—my crazy cost-comparing spreadsheets, Dirty Dozen list, grocery checklist (another List Plan It favorite), etc.

Kids :: This contains the babysitting info sheet for sitters, kids’ favorite works of art, letters from Grammie, medical papers, and any other kid-related bits.

Personal ::  I admit, I labeled this section “Wifey.” That’s me.

This is dedicated to anything of personal interest that is unrelated to blogging or home decor (I have other binders for those).

Right now, it holds batik bookmarks from our friends in Malaysia, a pamphlet on a local nature preserve, Simple Mom’s reflection questions for New Year’s Eve, a muscle testing info sheet, and some favorite articles on parenting and prayer.  And this fantastic list from Ann Voskamp.

In case you were interested.

So, there it is.  Again, nothing revolutionary, but a great help to me in this season of life.

Do you use a household notebook?  If so, how does it work?