Back to the Basics: Using Naked Binders to Get Organized

by Mandi on February 16, 2012

Like many of you, I have a deep appreciation for office supplies. As in I’d rather visit OfficeMax than Kay Jewelers.

A couple weeks ago, I introduced you to Naked Binder, a Life Your Way sponsor, and their line of environmentally friendly binders. They also sent me a set to test for myself, and I really, really like the look and feel of these binders. They’re made from 97% post consumer waste and are completely recyclable, which is pretty awesome, but they’ve also been independently tested to withstand more than 250,000 flexes. That’s a lot of use!

In addition, the project binders come with your choice of colorful spine wraps. I think all office supply addicts agree that color-coding makes everything better, and these snazzy spine wraps are a great way to organize your binders by color.

I set out to think of all of the ways you can use binders around your home, but I have a feeling this list is still incomplete, so I’d love to hear what other ways you use binders!

source: Mandi Ehman

At Home

Home management notebook
Pages you’ve pulled out of magazines
Recipes & kitchen tips
Manuals & warranty information
Coupons
Holiday planning
Photos and scrapbooking
Sermon or Bible study notes

source: Mandi Ehman

For Business

Brainstorming and continuing education
Important reference documents
Organize receipts and other financial information

For Kids

School binders (color coded by child!)
Lego manuals, puzzle guides, game manuals, etc
Save special artwork
Baseball card collection
Activity books: place activities in page protectors and do with dry erase markers

source: Mandi Ehman

For Homeschoolers

Lesson plans and printable curricula (color coded by year)
Recordkeeping
Subject notebooks
Classical Conversations memory work (like in the photo above)

How else do you use binders?

	Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

KimH

A few of my favorite uses for binders are: I have page protectors in them & put recipes I’ve printed from the internet in them, I have a couple binders with page protectors & many many pages of family genealogy, I used to have binders for each coupon insert page and would uncollate them and put the like pages together because I always had multiples. It made finding my coupons so much easier.

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Ah, I LOVE the family genealogy idea — what an awesome resource!

Sharonrcollins

i used binders to keep patterns printed off the Internet and information about whatever I have queried on about.com or ehow.com. I have also used a binder to take apart a book and place in the binder for easy use. That was before I got a book binder but I still like the fact if I spill it is still safe!

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Oh, wow — what neat resources those must be! Great idea!

Leah

In addition to the above, I have one for my computer reference which includes my maintenance and troubleshooting notes, account details for software and some log in details, and whatever else makes sense to be in there I also have a small ones which I use to keep envelopes with small plastic pockets to separate the different sizes. A tax folder with dividers set up to ready to make the years tax folio. Another few with sheet music, others for special interest articles for reference – anything from gardening to parenting, again more for investment related documents, another titled “Dream Home” which is used to collate clippings and notes that I’d like to either buy for my home or inspire me for design.

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

I love the idea of a computer reference manual, and the home design book is great too! Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful ideas!

http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

I seriously need new binders.

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Well, I know this cute, eco-friendly brand…. LOL!

StacyR

I use my binders for some of the above mentioned but one that wasn’t mentioned is to keep all my insurance EOB’s separate by family member. That way, when all those pesky medical bills come in, I can make sure that the bill matches up with what the insurance company says we should be paying! We have two insurances on our three children, so its a great way to keep it all separate!

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Ooh, that is a good one! Great suggestion!

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Jen

I use a very large binder for each of my children to which I place tab dividers for the school grades from Preschool through 5th and then one for Middle School and High School. Then I include a few highlights of each school year including work papers and tests; report cards; awards like honor roll certificates and attendence certificates; and even a few little projects if they can be 3 hole punched or placed in a sleeve. My oldest daughter’s book ended with a welcome letter from the university she is attending. I thought this might be a compact keepsake that she might want to keep around as opposed to a huge box of disorganized papers.

http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way

Jen, I love this idea! There are a few pieces of school work that I wish my parents had kept for me — my first research paper, for example — but that I think got thrown out with the bathwater because keeping everything from each year was impractical. What a great way to preserve the highlights!

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http://diyorganization.com/ Monika

They look like beautiful binders! I like to use binders with my clients for “Household Hub Notebooks” for upcoming events. Each family member has their own section to hold papers such as invitations, sport’s schedules, team phone lists, party invitations, etc.
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http://twitter.com/MoneywiseMoms Gina Lincicum

Besides my main Household Binder, I use separate ones to organize my other projects and responsibilities. I have one for my multiples club, one for swim team concessions, one for the neighborhood Halloween parade, one for all of our medical info and Flex Plan paperwork, and one for each child saving the highlights of their school year. Instead of huge piles of paper, it’s just lined up behind a cabinet door. I love that I can grab a binder to go to a meeting and that there’s a “home” for every piece of paper that comes in.
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