How to Make a Home Binder Part 2

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Welcome back to the second part of How to Make a Home Binder. If you missed the first part be sure to check it out here. You will want to decide what is going in your home binder before you actually put it together. Today we are going to be putting it together. It may take a few hours to a few days to get it all completed. It depends on how much stuff you have on hand and how much time you have to put towards it. You may need to break it down and do it a section at a time, whatever works best for you!

To start we want to gather our supplies we are going to need. Here is what I suggest:

3 ring binder
3 hole punch
Pens
Paper
Dividers or dividers with a folder
Access to a computer and printer

*I’m just going down my list of items that are going in my home binder. The concept will the same no matter what you are putting in your binder. If you don’t have access to a computer and printer or are not savvy enough to create some of the forms you can purchase them here or use good old fashion pen and paper.*

The first thing I did was make a list of everything I wanted to put in my home binder. In my last post I went over everything I wanted to keep track of. There were a few things that I wanted to keep track of, but didn’t want them in my home binder. Here is my list that is going into my home binder (* possibly going into binder depending on the size of the binder when everything is in it):

School Stuff *
Home Inventory
Contacts/Address Book
Emergency Info
Home Maintence/Repair
Utility Info
Cleaning Schedule/Plan
Projects
Long Term To Do List
Pet Care *
Medical Info *
Long Term Goals
Password Keeper

My list really got cut down after I asked myself if this is something that belongs in a home binder or do I have a better system already in place. I either gather documents or created them to use in my home binder. You do what works best for you and your information. My home binder will be kept in a 3 ring binder. Most of my documents will be hole punched and placed in the binder. I will eventually make dividers for each section.

School Stuff – This is where I would keep information sent home with my kids about the school year. When the new school year begins I will get rid of the information that we no longer need.

Home Inventory – Home inventory is a list of all your items in your house. For me I listed electronics, jewelry, any family heirlooms, etc. You want to include as much information about each item as possible like brand, model, serial numbers, description, when and where you bought it, warranty info, etc. Include a picture of each item would be ideal, but I have also saw where people have walked around their house and videoed everything. If something happens to your house like a fire, flood, burglary, etc., then you have documentation of your possessions.

Contacts/Address Book – Make a list of all your contacts, their address and phone numbers.

Emergency Info – This would be information you or others would need to know in the event of an emergency. I have an Emergency Binder so for me this will be more like a master sheet with names of who to contact, insurance info and important medical information.

Home Maintenance/Repair – This is where I list all the routine maintenance that needs done on the house. Things like change furnace filters, clean gutters, etc. I have a schedule when everything needs done. This is also where I would list any repairs that need to be made.

Utility Info – This lists all the utility companies we have, their phone numbers, websites, and our account numbers for each.

Cleaning Schedule/Plan – I don’t know if you have ever heard of the FlyLady, but I found her many years ago and I really loved her clean plan. She has a schedule for what you should clean each day and then she has zones that you work on more in-depth cleaning. I took her system and tweaked it to fit my house and families needs. You should really check her out if you don’t have a cleaning plan in place.

Projects/Long Term To-Do List – Remember I said I would combine these. I just have a list of projects I need/want completed with a tentative time frame. I also have a list for my projects that I want done, but know it will be a few years before they are completed.

Pet Care – I have this information listed in my emergency binder. I will probably put a master sheet in my home binder that includes vet info and shot records. Here is what I keep in my emergency binder: Current Photos – It is a good idea to have a current photo of your pet(s). In an emergency you never know what could happen and your pet could run off, having photos to show shelters or make posters to hang will be helpful. Proof of Ownership – If your pet has any kind of papers it is a good idea to keep a copy of them in your binder. Medical Records – If your pet has any medical problems it might be handy to have that information, but you should especially have a copy of their shot records.

Medical Info – Again this is information that I keep in my emergency binder. I will put a master sheet of our medical history, doctor’s information and any allergies we have on it. Here is what I suggest keeping in this section (This section will vary based on family and medical issues.): Immunization Records – I keep a copy of all our immunization records in our binder and the originals in our fireproof safe. Insurance Cards – I carry our insurance cards with me, but I wanted to have a backup in place. I placed our insurance cards on the scanner and copied the front on one side of a piece of paper and the back on the other. Medical Documents – If anyone in your family has any kind of medical condition you should keep any information you need here. Prescriptions – List of prescriptions for each person. You should have any needed prescriptions ready to go with you in case of an emergency. Medical Power of Attorney – You may need this if something happens to one of your family members.

Long Term Goals – List of goals I want to achieve over a period longer than a year.

Password Keeper – I have a password keeper everywhere! I have one on the computer and in my emergency binder. I also want to stick one in here just in case!

I believe the main thing I want my home binder to do is help me have a better cleaning plan. The second thing is to help me have all the information I need about my house in one place. I think the items I chose to include in my binder will do just that. I hope these posts have helped you put together a great home binder that you will use again and again!

Stay positive, stay motivated, and make today amazing!

With love and encouragement,