A little while ago now I looked at things to do each Sunday to make the week ahead easier, and I wanted to continue on that theme today with a look at things to do at the end of the month to stay organised.
These are things that you don’t need to do too frequently, but when done on a regular basis, can help to make life run just that bit more smoothly – perfect hey!
So, let’s get started, shall we?
#1 – Check Your Diary (And Fill It)
I am becoming a broken record with checking your diary – but it is truly the most important tool that you have to keep you organised and stress free, so it’s worth keeping it up to date and to hand all the time.
Everything about running your life should be in your diary (just as your HOME FILE has everything about running your home), and it should house all the information that you need in it.
It’s a one stop shop that can be a key tool in keeping you on track, whatever you are doing.
Simply get into the habit of checking your diary for the upcoming month so that you can see what’s happening, and balance your month (are you doing all you want to, do you need to tweak anything / add anything in).
Alongside checking what’s already there, you could take this time to book any necessary appointments for the following month – car / home / personal. Organise friends for tea for kids, organise any nights out etc….
Doing it in advance means that you get to mould your time much better, enabling you to check that you are spending some time doing what’s important, and it gives you a great overview of a decent chunk of the year – and is great to keep you on track if you have any specific goals to reach.
#2 – Sort All Cards And Presents
I love to be ahead with all cards and presents as much as possible, as it stops the hectic rush that happens when you forget and have 1 day to find/buy and post a gift…
As such, buying for the month ahead can sometimes be a little late even then – especially if you find that something important lies in the first week of that month.
So, what I would advise is getting everything for the month after next instead.
Being 2 months ahead works really well, and feels lovely as there is no rush at all and you are then in the mindset of looking for the perfect present when out and about, even if it feels like a long time away.
For example, if it’s the end of May, I would be looking at buying cards and gifts for July. If I wait until the end of May to sort out June then I may well miss birthdays at the start, or not be able to buy what I want to get as delivery will take too long.
#3 – Check Your Bank Statement
Keeping on track with your finances helps you stay within your budget, and catch any errors while they are still fresh in your head.
Use your monthly bank statement to go through what you have spent, check for any errors etc…
TIP – Why not create a spreadsheet for your money – split it up into categories (BILLS / SAVINGS / FOOD / PETROL / CAR / CLASSES / KIDS / CLOTHES / HOLIDAYS / CHRISTMAS / GIFTS / OTHER), and fill it out each month. Then you can easily see areas that you are overspending and deal with it before it becomes too much of an issue. This also helps a lot when saving for anything specific as you will get there a lot quicker because you will be more aware of what you are spending.
Doing these three things each month will give you a little breathing space when the day to day kicks in, help you stay organised
You’ll feel like you’re more on track for whatever you are doing.
It is the bigger picture that we often miss when dealing with the little things – and these 3 things will help to give you the bigger picture back again.
P.S want to get every month more organised? Grab some free printables for each month right HERE
