Issue #185: how I keep my brain organized right now 👻

Hi ,

I've got H O M E on my mind lately, likely because we recently bought our first home. In fact, I’m writing this amongst many, many overflowing boxes. While my fiancé is technically the tidier of the two of us, I definitely feel like I'm our household's project manager: I like to plan, plan, plan. I’m the organized one on a more ~cerebral~ level. Which is to say, my socks, books, and other random clutter are usually strewn everywhere, but I probably know what we're making this week for dinner.

As we approach fall and the looming Great Indoors season, I've been reflecting on the lists, spreadsheets, and processes that keep our household running smoothly. Since they're a big part of how I keep my brain organized right now, I'm excited to share them with you, in hopes that you might find them helpful too. Onward and upward, here we go!

1. I'd like to introduce you to my budget spreadsheet
I have tried every app: Mint, You Need A Budget, the sort of janky one that Bank of America gives you in a very poorly-rendered 3D pie chart… and they just don't work for me. All I want is to set a budget each month, see what money is coming in, and record what money is going out. Then, at the end of each month, I want to see how I did. 

There is something extremely masochistic yet freeing about recording every single dollar you spend, line by line. I do this every two weeks, and it’s helped me get intimately and uncomfortably familiar with my spending habits (yes, occasionally too much money has been spent on impulse Instagram ad purchases). 

So here it is: my very lo-fi personal budget spreadsheet. I've included some instructions at the top for how you can make it work for you. 

Note: I'm not a financial advisor. Please don’t base your entire financial thesis on someone who just spent $40 on mini-stairs for her dog so he can get onto the couch comfortably without breaking his poor back. But this spreadsheet helps me and it might help you too. @mywealthdiary also sells great (more robust!) personal budgeting sheets on Etsy. 

2. Yep, I have a template for grocery shopping.
Grocery shopping gives me anxiety. Not the actual act of it, but the preparing for it. It is usually incredibly overwhelming to me to figure out A) what are we eating tonight? B) what ingredients do we need? C) what ingredients do we already have? D) how many bags do I need to take to the store with me? E) where is everything located within the store?

So, I came up with a new system. I buy many of the same ingredients over and over again, regardless of what I’m cooking. Here’s my personal grocery list template. I use this in my to-do list app of choice, Todoist. Every week, I copy and paste it into a new to-do list and edit down from there. It’s ordered in the order in which I’d encounter these sections at the grocery store (yes, I am that Type A). This serves as a “baseline,” i.e. these are the items that I almost always buy. Then, if there are certain recipes I know I want to make, I add/subtract items as-needed. 

3. You bet I have a garden-planning spreadsheet.
If you're a frequent reader, I probably don't need to say (again) how into gardening I've been lately. I’m very grateful to finally have a backyard in which I can plant things into the ground. As such, I started this garden-planning spreadsheet to help me understand which fall bulbs I plan to buy, the sun exposure they need, the height each will grow to (very helpful if you are planning to have a layered garden, that sort of cascades), and where to purchase. 

Just a note that Johnny’s Seeds has much more robust garden planning and planting schedule spreadsheets and PDFs available, but this one works for me.

4. I also make to-do lists for… having fun.
When I don’t want to figure out what to watch/do in my free time, I pull from a joy-sparking list I make ahead of time (and frequently add to). For example, I personally go heavy on including 90’s romcoms and fun dessert recipes to try on my list. If I dump ideas and projects there ahead of time, I don't need to waste my precious, precious leisure time figuring out what to do, watch, tie dye, etc.! It's dorky to have a to-do list for fun, but this is what works for me.

What are your home admin habits? I'd love to hear ‘em — reply to this email if you've got a tip you'd like to share. We'll be rounding up your responses on Instagram this week.

Yours in lists and lists and lists,
Alisha | @alisharamos
Founder and CEO at Girls' Night In 

P.S. Have a friend who loves spreadsheets or getting organized? Forward them this issue in case they want to subscribe to follow along with our upcoming fall reset issues. We could all really use a little help keeping our ducks in a row right now. 🦆