It’s no secret that I like to be organized and anyone I know would definitely categorize my personality type with the first letter of the alphabet. That being said, you can imagine how happy I was when my friend Katie told me such a binder existed where you could literally organize your entire life into one three-ringed heaven. Home management binders’ have become super popular on media outlets such as Pinterest and you can pretty much buy one to coincide with any fashion statement. But, because my fashion sense actually goes hand-in-hand with my money supply and for the most part, I value food more than a designer… anything… I decided to make my own binder and customize it as much as I possibly could.

What you’ll need?

• A three binder from Staples. I got a mini three-ring so that it easily fits in my biggest purse and can go with me to work.
• Mini three-ring page covers. This is optional, but they basically laminate the binder in a really cheap way so you only have to print out insert pages once and you can constantly, easily, update the changes that always arise in life.
• Dry Erase Markers
• A yearly calendar insert (I got 2016 by accident, so I can’t start using mine just yet)
• Printable home management binder inserts that fit your schedule and needs. They exist for just about anyone! Make sure you print them a 50% size ratio to the size of the paper so that they come out small enough for the mini three-ring.

Once you customize your pages and find what works best for you, it’s all about setting them up in a way that makes sense. For instance, I put all of my “to do” and calendar pages toward the front because they’re the most relevant for me, while some people would rather have their grocery and store needs on the first page because they have a family of four and frequent the store more than their house. It’s all about having fun with it and creating something that will assist in your day-to-day.

The biggest question I get about my binder is if I use it conjunction with my phone calendar and reminders or if it serves a different purpose. To be honest, my iCal will always be my best friend. Everything goes in their and everything is color-coded by type (I warned you I was type-A earlier). My home management binder serves more as a very important tracker for me. I only put the highlights of everyday into the calendar. Things like meetings and trips and birthdays. But what I really find it useful for is keeping track of my bills, cleaning, grocery trips and expenses. There’s even a password log where you can put your credentials for any online account you have, which is super useful.

I’ll include some images of my binder below. Have fun with it! It’s just another way to keep things in order and I promise you’ll feel organized and oddly relieved when it’s done.