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Keeping a House Book by B. Dear To keep all of our household records organized, my family uses a house book. A house book is simply a three-ring binder filled with all of our important household records seperated with document protectors and cardboard dividers. I put standard notebook paper in the back of the book to jot down ad hoc notes as we use the book every day, then type them up and add them to the book once a month. Using this type of system keeps all of our useful information in one central location and ready when we need it. A binder is a great way to organize this type of information. The book stays is kept in a central place that everyone in the family can access easily. It's simple, and doesn't require IT support. I have listed it's contents below along with some organization tips in case you would like to organize your stuff in a similar way. We store the following things in this book: Bill Payment Checklist: I make up a checklist to ensure that all of our bills are paid on time each month. The checklist gets checked off as bills are paid. This list also comes in handy as a quick reference if I can't remember what the date was when I paid the bill. I budget the money every month and balance the checkbook in an Excel spreadsheet, then add all the information that I want to track from the monthly statements such as credit card balances, paycheck deposits, etc. I print a copy of the sheet each month and place it in the book.Checkbook: The checkbook goes in the front pocket of the book. It's used to pays bills when I can’t pay them online. Keeping your checkbook in the house book makes it easy to find and keeps it at home to discourage any impulse shopping. Bank Statements: Bank Statements help with balancing the checkbook. I punch holes in them with a three hole punch and keep at least a year's worth of statementsin the book at a time. This way, I can easily review the money spent from my checking account in the prior months. Creditor List: The Creditor List is a list of your creditors (all the people you owe money to) along with their telephone numbers for making inquiries about billing statements, dispute charges, confirm payments, etc. I write the credit card numbers on the sheet by hand to keep from storing them on my PC. Home Repair List: The Home Repair List helps you plan for costly repairs that need to be budgeted for. By writing down all the items that need to be repaired in your home, you can track and set aside the right amount of money to make them each month. This list is also nice to grab if you know you'll be making a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's. It helps you to remember what materials you'll need to get the job done. Car Maintenance Schedule: The Car Maintenance Schedule reminds you when oil changes, tire rotations, and brake replacement needs to be done. It will ensure that car maintenance is getting done regularly and helps to spread out the cost of maintenance throughout the year.. Credit Reports: Each year, you should request a copy of your credit report. Keep this copy in your house book to remind you to dispute any incorrect information. You can get a free annual credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com. If you keep tabs on your credit reports and work to fix them throughout the year, it saves you a lot of hassle when you want to buy a house or car. Grocery List: As I know I need items from the grocery store, I jot it down on a sheet of notebook paper in the housebook. I ask my family members to do the same thing. Add items as you realize you need them. Then take the list with you when you go shopping. When you get back, replace the list in the book so others will know what you bought on the last trip. Address Book: The address book includes a list of all telephone numbers for emergency services, relatives and friends. Information should include Name, Address, and any available telephone numbers. This list comes in handy when you have a babysitter, your cell phone is turned off, and one of your kids gets sick. (Trust me, it happens.) To Do Lists: These lists keep me on track and getting things accomplished. I make additional lists for temporary projects just so I can remember where I left off. It also makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something as I check items off on the list. Restaurant Flyers: Restaurant flyers are useful when we are trying to decide, as a family, what we what to order for dinner. We just pull out the book and the local menus are all right there. Medical/Dental Insurance Cards: I keep the family's medical information in the book so it doesn't get lost. You never know when you might need to take someone to the hospital in a hurry and an emergency is not the time to look for a medical insurance card. A babysitter may also need this information if one of your children are injured or get sick while you are at work or out on a date. Emergency Document List: The Emergency Document List details the location of all important documents should something unfortunate happen to you. If you are seriously injured or killed, your family should be able to locate your will, social security information, life insurance information, bank information, etc. By keeping track of this information, you can make an unfortunate situation easier for your family. If you have any additional information to add to this list, I'd love to hear about it. Please send any comments, questions or other remarks to contact@pro-think.com. |
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