Manage Your Home.

Most of us, at least at times, feel overwhelmed by home management.  Many of us work outside the home, or work at home.  We may have children, or we may be taking care of aging parents.  No matter what, keeping house is still a full-time job.  As the saying goes, "woman's work is never done".

Here are some quick, easy suggestions that may make managing your home a little easier.

1.  Keep a written list.  Keep a spiral notebook.  Each day, put the date on the top of a new page and write what needs to be done.  It may help keep you focused, plus give you the satisfaction of seeing what you've accomplished.

2.  Take one day a week to plan meals for the week.  Make out your grocery list accordingly and match with coupons if you use them.

3.  Keep a large wall calendar.  Put down family appointments and reminders as soon as you know about them.

4.  Take at least 15 minutes each day to quickly tidy your house, or at least the most lived-in rooms.  I zero in on my living room, kitchen, bathroom, and my own bedroom.

5.  Do one or two loads of laundry a day to keep it from piling up.

6.  Set aside one day a week to work on bill paying to keep that from getting out of control.

7.  Try to keep a schedule of going to bed and getting up reasonably early.  This way, you can get a good bit done in the morning.  Of course, if you work outside the home or have children to get up and off to school, you don't have to worry about this one!

8.  Create a housecleaning schedule that fits you.  When I was a teenager at home, my mother worked full-time.  So my mother, sister, and I got up on Saturday morning and cleaned house.  Some people clean their upstairs on Thursday, and the downstairs on Friday.  Some people clean one room a day.  One stay-at-home mom cleaned on Mondays after her family went back to work and school.  The important thing is that it works for you.

9.  Unload your dishwasher in the morning so you can put dirty dishes in it all day.

10.  Don't be a slave to your house.  Family relationships are more important.  I raised boys, so muddy shoes, exercise gear, and sports equipment were a constant in my house.  I wouldn't trade those memories for all the immaculate houses in the world!

Article Source: 10 tips to manage your home.