Friday, May 6, 2011

I Love Lists

If you visit me at my home, you may find little lists all over the place. They may look random, but in fact they will be written and placed in very specific areas around the home. I have my meal planning list and groceries lists, on the kitchen bench. I have a list on the fridge of the meals I plan to make that fortnight (see my Meal Planning post). Granted, not all of you will have time to be this list-crazy. I am not working (although I do take my 'job' as house-wife, cook, cleaner, personal organiser to my husband, finances manager, and craftsperson, very seriously), so I do have the time to make all these lists that make our lives easier.

I have a list by my computer of websites and blogs to visit and read when I have time, otherwise I would forgot what it was that I wanted to read but didnt have the time. There's a list by my bed for those 'middle of the night cant sleep coz I have to remember to do that thing tomorrow' s. This crucial piece of paper and pen by my bed enables me to get a good night's sleep. I have my own To-Do list and I also create a To-Do list for my husband. My To-do is under my kitchen calendar, and Shane's To- Do is by his computer, where I know he will read it (no excuses! :-)) Shane is the bread-winner in our family at the moment, so I have taken on almost all of the other tasks around the home, but there are still things occasionally that I need him to do, like call Telstra to sort out an error of theirs, as this makes me very stressed ;->

Another essential list in our home is a 'Bills to Pay' list, on a small whiteboard mounted on the laundry door. I love this list, I can clearly see what bill I have to pay and when, and this prevents any late fees and helps me do our fortnightly budget (more on finances and budgeting another day!) I find once you are honest about how much money you have to spend that fortnight on bills, you are more likely to stick with your budget and not over-spend. And there's nothing more satisfying than wiping that bill off the white-board once its paid!!

Do you have lists around your home or do you just have a good memory? I'd love to know what you make lists of, and for.

13 comments:

  1. I'm a chronic list maker too Sandy!!
    My most recent 'list-a-thon' was (here's a list!):
    1) possible presents to get my best friend from Singapore, who has just visited me (first time in 8 years!) It gets hard after such a long time, knowing what to get someone who I used to be practically joined in the hip to. Her recent trip (and various shopping expeditions) has brought light to what she might like.

    2) list of places and kinds of food to visit/savour when I go back to Singapore in Aug/Sept this year. It is often spoke about with friends and family "when you come back, we'll have to take you...", "when you come back, you simply must try..." etc. and when I'm physically back there, it's often a bit of a stressful time of where and when to take me.

    I keep these lists on my fridge where Pat or Steve are less likely to knock over, chew (Pat) or throw away by mistake.

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  2. Hello Sarndra and Jamie! I go in and out of lists but when I'm very busy I always have a daily To Do list, otherwise I forget too much.

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  3. Hi Rhonda, Yes I find a To-Do list keeps me sane in those busy times. Thanks for the comment!
    Hi little nite owl, what great ideas. Lists are particularly useful when planning an over seas trip. With all the excitement you could easily forget something very important. Thanks for contributing!

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  4. Great blog! I admire your discipline - I love the idea of using lists so effectively but my lists tend to be mental ones of ways I should be more organised... Reading your blog may well help give me the push I need! I find lists a great stress reliever when I am feeling overwhelmed - at home or at work. Once the tasks that need doing are neatly ordered on the page they become more manageable somehow and it is easier to gain a sense of perspective. Christmas presents and cards lists are an annual feature - and every year I wish I had kept last year's list... And traveling - for all my home chaos I am an organised traveler, making lists of phone numbers and contacts for banks, consulates, insurers, passport details, itinerary details, etc. These lists are possibly more to do with enjoying the anticipation and planning phase of traveling than organisation though :-)

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  5. Thanks for your comment Beni! Yes lists for presents are great; and essential for travel. Thats an excellent idea to make a list of contact numbers for banks etc. Its those lists that could save us a whole lot of stress and heartache while far away from home. Thanks so much for contributing!

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  6. great blog,thanks Sarndra; I've subscribed through Google reader and will be reading with interest :)

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  7. Love Love Love lists My Problem is I keep adding to the bottom of them and feel like I am never achieveing!...lol!

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  8. I'll have to try the whiteboard idea for reminding me to pay bills. I often find i've missed a couple and get slogged with late fees which really add up!
    I popped over from Rhonda's blog which i've followed religously for many years, i'm newly married and get so much great advice from her on how to keep a home and to live more simply as not many of my friends have quite the same values.

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  9. I'm a long-time homemaker and love being at home. We've done it on a very tight budget and have never gone without. I hope you enjoy the time you have to feather your nest and to care for your little baby.

    I like keeping a notebook as I find that I often lose post-it notes. This way everything is neat and tidy for me in one place. I do keep a white board on the fridge for noting things we run out of and that helps come grocery day. If I didn't keep lists I wouldn't remember well otherwise.

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  10. I'm a list lover too. Apart from my normal to-do and shopping lists some of the others I have started to keep in the last couple of years are books I'd like to read (because I kept reading blog mentions of books and couldn't keep track in my head anymore), things I need to buy (so that if I do have some spare money I buy something I actually need), days off and planned holidays (I keep that list on my private blog so family and friends can easily see if I'm going to be around just in case they want to come and visit) and another one of things I want to have in a home (having just moved a couple of years ago I realised once again that there are some things that don't seem to matter when viewing places but that can be annoying to live with but that these are exactly the things I've forgotten about again by the next time I need to move - so I started that list just after moving while it was all still fresh in my mind).

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  11. Love lists! Goodness after the label maker and now lists I do believe we might be long lost sisters!! I am constantly writing lists. I keep a list in my diary for presents - both birthday and christmas. One example of how I use this list - a dear friend commented that she loved my fish cakes. I jotted this is my diary, and for her next birthday I gave her a lovely apron, with the fish cake recipe printed and laminated. I would never have remembered unless I had jotted it down on my present list!

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  12. Thanks everyone for sharing your lists- aren't they essential!! Linnie I love your present list idea- I will definitely try that too. I often think of great present ideas then forget them when the birthday comes up :-/
    Thanks for your comments all
    Xxo

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  13. Hi Sarndra, I'm over from the DTE forum and blog too.....I also love lists, one that's not mentioned here that I do is my xmas card list...I have it on an excel page which includes each year, the address, other people in the family to be included on the card, family or friend, a marker for if I sent them a card, they sent me one...etc...it's all there, and the great thing is I don't have to remember for a whole 12 months who sent who what!....loving your blog...I am trying to get more organised and you have some great hints and tips...thanks!

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