Your family command center

Ok, so it isn't Pinterest worthy...!

Every home, large or small, needs a command center...a place where you have a family calendar, a place for your bills and other current papers and a place to post reminders.  It doesn't have to be complicated or fancy but it should be convenient.  Find a system that works for you.  My system is incredibly simple although I do like the budget program from sparksavings.com.  In my kitchen I have a plastic bin in a cabinet where I put incoming bills, receipts and other mail.  In the same cabinet I have a file drawer for financial papers and I have a large calendar/bulletin board hung nearby.  I use online bill paying for most bills so that cuts down the number of bills I have to physically deal with.  Once or twice a month, I go through the bin and pay the few bills that are there and file the statements and receipts that will be needed at tax time.  Again,  it's not complicated and takes less than 15 minutes each session.  My files take up less than one drawer.  It gets cleared out every January to make room for the new year.  The wall calendar helps keep track of everyone's schedules, appointments and activities.  At a glance, you can see what is going on and where conflicts might occur.  However, a calendar is only helpful if everyone in the family uses it.  The bulletin board holds things like wedding invitations, current store advertisements and coupons I want to use. With these few tools in place, you'll never have to search for important papers again or miss an activity or appointment.