Home Management Nuts and Bolts: Schedules and Budgets

Time and money management issues can put a lot of pressure on a household. However, with both things properly managed, families can experience greater peace and joy at home. Let’s look at some practical tips that can help you better control these areas.

create a schedule

It’s easy to let time slip away, whether it’s unwelcome visits from well-meaning friends or relatives, a distracting TV show…and then it becomes two or three, surfing that endless web, or Those incessant phone calls. ! There have been times when we can all see how few items were checked off our daily to-do lists and wonder, what happened?

A schedule can help; it is simply a budgeting tool for managing our time, since both time and money are valuable goods. Just as a business will leverage both budgets and schedules for maximum efficiency, a household can benefit from a smart time management plan.

In the world of project management, the schedule is based on a work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS describes the activities required to achieve the objectives and divides them into discrete tasks and work packages. These work packages are assigned to workers and put on a timeline or sequence. In comparative terms, activities are broader in scope, while tasks are narrower and work packages are more specific.

In order to successfully set up your typical incremental schedule and find time for everything you need to do at home, you will need to identify each of the typical activities that will go into your schedule. You need to consider the duration of each (how long it will take), the frequency (how often it needs to be done), and the task (who will do it).

When assigning tasks, you should keep in mind the fitness and availability of your workers (who, at home, are usually your children). If you have tasks that are more than you can do yourself and your children are not yet able to do the tasks independently, you can work to change fitness through training. Work with a child on a new task several times. Then allow the child to do it a few more times while you supervise. Finally, release them to complete the task independently, and provide a QA check when they’re done. Often a checklist or written instructions can help them make sure they have completed the necessary steps.

When you set up your schedule, put the fixed events first and then adjust the rest. Establish “slots” of time for activities related to different frequencies; In other words, if you need to run errands or answer emails for both home and home-based business, you can schedule a daily half-hour “record-keeping” period. and decide each day what is the most pressing thing to do during that half hour. Remember, even the best of schedules will require flexibility as you implement it.

Select scheduling tools that fit your lifestyle and needs: Planners, calendars, to-do lists, Outlook reminders, sticky notes, and to-do charts can be used effectively to schedule your time and activities.

Routines: a reasonable alternative to programming

If you’re not the type of person who works well with a rigid, incremental schedule, there are still many benefits to be had from having daily routines that allow you to accomplish everything you need to get done. A routine-based day allows you to be more flexible and enables you to be more productive. At the same time, there is enough structure to promote the necessary self-discipline and ensure that there is a time for everything. Seems like an ideal balance.

So how do you transition into a solid routine that ensures all your life priorities are met? Well, the first thing to do is decide what those priorities are and try to put them in order of importance. Husband and wife need to talk together about what is most important to each of them and why, as there will not always be an instant agreement. However, this is a vital conversation and a lot of stress and frustration can be avoided when both partners are on the same page.

Consider your typical household activities and their relative priority. Then create a routine that includes all of these elements, in order of relative importance if possible. Include anything that is fixed (like toddler naps and mealtimes) in your routines, then decide where and how to include the more flexible items. Consider work as a source of income, if necessary for you, your childcare responsibilities, service opportunities in your church or community, time to build family relationships, and household management (cleaning, grocery shopping, paying bills, and everything related). with that).

Both a solid routine and a fixed daily schedule, complemented by a daily “to do” list, will help you keep up with everything you need to accomplish.

The Dreaded “B” Word: Budget

When setting up your budget, the most important first step is to itemize your expenses. Put necessities first, then include any discretionary expenses. If you’re new to budgeting and aren’t sure what your typical expenses include, take a look at your credit card statements and check register for about six months. Calculate the categories of expenses and the average amount spent. You can estimate your variable expenses as well as their frequency, if necessary. Monitor your average annual and monthly expenses.

Next, detail your income streams (both fixed and variable). When you enter them, be sure to include only “expendable” money (ie, net income).

Simply put, once you’ve considered your inputs and outputs, create a balanced budget! In the red? First, reduce or eliminate discretionary categories. Still in red? Either your income must increase or your expenses must decrease! Consider selling items with payments and buy debt-free (or cheaper) equivalents, get a second job, or get a higher-paying job. Be radical and consider selling your house and moving to a less expensive house in a different area.

When it comes to the household budget, both spouses need to be on the same page. Agree on the budget together, then hold each other accountable for the approved plan. Remember that for a budget to work properly, saving receipts and tracking expenses is vital, so both partners should be responsible for doing so.

Where some families fail with budgeting is that they use the budget to set goals and then simply compare the results “post-mortem” (after the money is spent). Others use your account balance to measure “expendable” funds, creating deficits when recurring expenses arise (such as car repairs, fuel bills, etc.). Instead, use your real-time budget tool to make decisions that will keep your household finances on track.