If you’ve been around here for awhile, by now you know about my love affair with binders.
Yes, it’s true.
I LOVE to organize with binders. In fact, I’d put my love of binders right up there with my love of clipboards, label makers and Elfa Storage Systems.
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Organize with Binders: Why are Binders My Favorite Organizing Tool?
So why do I HEART binders so much?
- Ease of Use: Although I like to use file folders to organize reference/archival papers, binders are the easiest way to corral and organize papers that I’m actively using for current projects & papers I frequently reference.
- Portable: It’s so easy to grab a binder off the shelf and take it with me if I need to access those papers on the go.
- Easily Stored: Binders can be stored just about anywhere for easy access throughout your home (drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc.). This makes it possible to store them near their point of use.
- Inexpensive: Binders are fairly inexpensive and they can be reused over and over again once you’re finished with a project.
So what are some of the ways you can organize with binders in your home?
Let’s explore some examples.
1. HOUSEHOLD BINDER
I consider a household binder to be one of the foundations of an organized home.
It serves as the central storage place for all of those papers you need to refer to on a fairly regular basis. The types of papers that are stored in a household binder can be customized based on the needs of your household.
Some common categories of papers include:
- contact information
- emergency information
- school information/schedules
- sports/activity schedules
- cleaning schedules
- budgeting
- home maintenance informatino (e.g., a yearly spring maintenance checklist)
In addition to a general household binder, I use a separate set of binders for storing all of my product manuals and warranty information.
2. KITCHEN BINDER
A significant percentage of our home management time centers around activities that occur in the kitchen. Creating a kitchen binder is a smart way to keep on top of all of these activities.
If you’re like me, you might need to create two binders, on for recipe organization, and a second one that serves as a hub for kitchen-oriented tasks such as:
3. HOLIDAY PLANNING BINDER
Despite our efforts to simply the holidays, there are so many “moving parts” that it’s almost impossible to juggle all of the tasks involved without some sort of organizing or planning system.
Creating a holiday planning binder is the perfect way to store all of your party planning, gift giving, food shopping and holiday card ideas, inventories and lists.
Download the free Refined Rooms Holiday Planner and you’ll be able to ROCK Christmas this year! Just imagine how much more you’ll be able to savor and enjoy the holidays when you’ve taken advantage of all of this planning goodness!
4. HOME PROJECT BINDER
If you’ve ever taken on a major home renovation, home improvement or room makeover project, I don’t have to tell you how many balls you’re constantly juggle throughout the process.
It’s supremely useful to create a binder specifically dedicated to helping me manage all of the moving parts involved in these projects.
Related: Organized Home Remodeling : 3 Home Project Planner Tools You Need
5. SELF-CARE BINDER
No matter what particular brand of self-care you may happen to be focusing on, creating a binder filled with worksheets, planner pages, and trackers can be the key to keeping your self-care goals and habits on the front burner.
6. TRAVEL BINDER
Do you have a vacation of a lifetime in your future, or maybe just your family’s annual pilgrimage to the beach? Either way, there are typically oodles of details involved with the trip planning process.
Why not create a beautiful binder to inspire you during the planning and preparation process?
Items to include in a travel binder include:
- trip itinerary
- packing list
- flight and lodging confirmation numbers
- destination-related brochures
- trip insurance information
- copies of passports, frequent flyer and TSA numbers
7. PARTY PLANNING BINDER
Are you planning to host a major party? Whether your planning a graduation party, a milestone birthday bash or a retirement party, a party planning binder is a MUST.
Your party planning binder should serve as your central hub for managing party details such as:
- a master tasklist
- the menu/grocery list
- the guest list
- a timeline for completing necessary tasks
- rental and booking information.
8. MEDICAL BINDER
Using binders to organize medical information is brilliant!
This is where the portability factor of binders really shines. Got a doctor’s appointment today? Simply grab your binder and tote it with you to the appointment. Having all of your medical information at your fingertips facilitates communication between you and your healthcare provider.
Here’s a summary of key information to include in your medical binder:
- medical history (personal and family)
- surgical history
- test/lab results
- immunization records
- current and past medications.
The Best Binders!
I hope I’ve convinced you why you should organize with binders. They are the key to eliminating paper piles AND your overstuffed file cabinet!
If you are ready to hop on the binder-making bandwagon, check out some of my favorite products for creating household binders:
More Paper Organization Tips
- The One Pile at a Time Paper Organizing Challenge
- 10 Ways to Reduce Household Paper Clutter
- How to Organize Household Manuals
- 10 Categories of No Brainer Papers to Declutter in Your Home
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Rosemary Centofanti says
Your idea on 40 bags in 40 days is working very well for me. I have not quite reached 10 bags yet, but am working on it! Thank you for your inspiration and I find your website very informational. Thanks again.
Natalie Gallagher says
Welcome Rosemary! So happy to have you as a reader and congrats on your successful decluttering efforts!
Adrienne McGuire says
Love love love these ideas!I am currently in the process of conquering my inner clutter monster, and binders has been one of the primary tools I am using. This is a great blog post and very helpful!
Natalie Gallagher says
Saying that the post has been very helpful is the highest compliment…glad you found it so. And yes, binders ROCK!