That disorganization and overwhelmed feeling with household tasks is exhausting. A home binder can help you keep track of important information, schedules, and to-do lists all in one place.

If you are stressed out, overwhelmed, and completely unorganized, you might need a home binder.  A home binder eliminates all of those challenges and keeps everything together in one location.

We are going to show you how to stay organized with a home binder. It is a valuable resource for you and your family.

Paper is a common organizing challenge.  From medical bills to taxes to school papers, the list goes on and on.  Other important documents include immunization records and birth certificates.  All of these important items need to be stored securely.

Follow this guide to create and use a household binder that will keep your home and family running smoothly.

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OUR HOME BINDER

A decade ago, we created our home binder, and it’s been a reliable resource ever since. Over time, it’s adapted to our evolving family dynamics, adjusting categories and binder size to suit our needs.

Crafting a household binder is a simple and efficient method to streamline organization. Think of it as your home’s Bible, consolidating crucial information for easy reference.

Just as you regularly update your resume, maintaining your household binder is vital. With changing circumstances, it ensures your information remains current and accessible.

WHY YOU NEED ONE

Creating a binder will serve as a resourceful resource and will make your life easier.  No more scrambling for papers or trying to figure out where it should go.  This binder will become your go-to guide.  It will be your Home Bible.

Logging into an account and not remembering the password is straight up annoying.  Write down the login information the first time and you’ll be good.  No one and I mean no one likes selecting ‘Forgot Password’.

You’ll want to place it where it can be easily accessed every day, like the inside of a kitchen cabinet or on an office desk.

The kitchen is the gathering place of the household, it’s where everyone congregates.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR HOME BINDER 

1. Gather documents – The first step is to get all of your documents.
2. Determine important categories – Decide which categories get used regularly.
3. Sort piles – Create piles based on categories (school, medical, taxes, pets info.)
4. Discard – Shred anything with personal information on it.

HOME BINDER CATEGORIES: 

Goals

Write down and keep track of your goals in your home binder.  Keeping your goals at the front of the binder holds you accountable and allows you to track your progress.

Account Information

Keeping all of your login information and passwords in one place makes it easy to log into your account.  Having all of your account information safely in one location makes life easier and less of a nuisance.  Let’s be honest, nobody likes doing a password reset.  Save yourself the headache and hassle.

Medical Contacts/Information

If you have kids, keeping your pediatrician information handy makes life easier.  Keep your insurance information in the same area as your medical contacts.  It will be easy to reference if you need to call insurance or if the doctor’s office needs the information again.

Mailing Labels

Having a dedicated area for address return labels, stamps, and stationery makes it effortless to mail that bill or card on time.

School Information

Keep the school information and calendar here.  Other things to include are the list of teachers’ favorite things or their wish lists.

Pet Information

Pet vaccinations and vet visits live here.  This will ensure your pet or pets are current and up to date with their shots.

Important Documents

Birth certificates, Social Security cards, Wedding and Death certificates.  Keep all of these documents together.

Misc.

Use this for any odds-and-ends information that you need to reference often.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Binders

Our number one pick for binder selection is this 4-pack 1″ binder set from Amazon.  If white is not your jam and you want a pop of color, this 6-pack set of multi-colors will give you what you’re looking for.  If white or colored binders are not your thing and you want some design or personality to your binder, Vera Bradley has your back.

• Size: Our recommendation to start is a 1″ binder.
• Style: Choose the color you like best.
• Material: There are different types of materials for binders.
  • Polypropylene (PP): Many binders have covers made of polypropylene, a sturdy and water-resistant plastic material. PP binders are flexible, lightweight, and come in various colors and designs.
  • Vinyl: Vinyl binders are similar to polypropylene but offer more flexibility in terms of design and appearance.
  • Cardboard or Chipboard: Some binders have cardboard or chipboard covers, often covered with paper or fabric.

Pocket Tabs

The next item needed for the household binder is pocket tabs.  Pocket tabs are the inserts for the binder.  Use these over the regular binder dividers as these have folders that are easily accessible.  Regular binder tabs require a 3-hole punch to insert paper into the binder, an added and unnecessary step.

Avery brand is our preferred binder tab choice.  They come in a 5-pack and an 8-pack of tabs.  Each set comes with labels for the tabs.  The quickest way to make labels for these tabs is to use a label maker.