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Oh hey there, organizing friend!
I have a question for you:
What’s the one thing every organized home needs?
Take a guess…I’ll wait…
.
.
.
Tough question, right? Because when we think about organizing we think about decluttering, and when we think about decluttering we think about the stuff we don’t need.
But the one thing you DO need is a home management binder.
Your home management binder, also known as your “home binder,” “household binder,” or even “family binder,” is your one-stop spot for everything you need to keep your home running smoothly.
And there are a TON of reasons for having one. Not convinced? Here are the top four reasons you need a home management binder in your life:
1-) Reduce paper clutter
While most home binders do in fact use physical paper, they consolidate a lot of information into one space. As a result, you can transfer important information from all your incoming papers to your binder and then recycle the excess.
2-) Keep all basic information together
Maybe it’s just me, but when I think about one thing I need to look up, ten other things come flowing into my head at the same time.
When you have a home binder, you have the luxury of being able to look into all those things in one place at one time. You can go through it and keep everything straight in your head with minimal effort. Win!

3-) Keep your family members on the same page
If your family is like most, you have a lot going on at any given point. And keeping track of everything can be a recipe for some head spinning.
In situations like these, your home binder can help keep everyone on the same page. It can be your one-stop spot for long term calendars, household repairs, inventory lists, etc. Whoever is in charge of managing each part will know exactly where to find the information they need.
And just like that, the family chaos is subdued. You’re welcome 😉
4-) Save time
Remember how I said above that a home binder gives you the luxury of having everything you need in one place? Well for the same reason, you’ll save a ton of time.
Not only will you easily be able to find things, you’ll also spend less time pondering where to put things when the information comes into your home. It’s a much better system than the “mail” or “I’ll-deal-with-this-later” piles that manage to take over counters and tables (don’t lie, I know you have one…)
But what should I put in my home binder?

Great question. And now that I’ve convinced you that you should have a home management binder, I’m happy to help you get set up!
While what exactly you should put in your binder depends on your personal situation, the content generally falls somewhere between a planner (day-to-day planning) and a proper filing system (long-term filing). Here are a few of the categories you may want to put:
- Budgeting and finance
- Health and Fitness
- Emergency information
- Meal planning and Recipes
- Inventories
- Cleaning and chores
- DIY and home maintenance
- School
- Pets
- Traveling
- Holidays and entertaining
- Etc.
What you include and how detailed your sections will be will depend on your priorities. For example, you may want a detailed medical section if you have a special needs child. Or if you’re working on a tight budget you may have a detailed finance section.
Ultimately, I think the best way to get it to work for you is through trial and error. And keep in mind that it’s fluid…you’ll always be updating it in some way. After all, life changes over time too.
There you have the top 4 reasons you need a home management binder. Now if you’re ready, I’ve got a home binder starter kit that you can have to get started! When you opt-in below I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Grab it to keep that motivation going!
Want more organization ideas for your home? Here are some of our favorite posts:
10 Home Management Tasks You Can Do In 15 Minutes or Less
How to Clean While You Sleep: 8 Chores to Do While You Snooze
Practical Family Laundry Management Tips with Kids
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