This is not a sponsored post, but I did receive the planner and stickers for free.
You may have seen the Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly planner set up as a financial planner. Even I used one this way last year! But I quickly decided it was a little more than I needed and went back to penning my budget on a plain piece of paper. The Deluxe Monthly planner has a monthly calendar followed by blank note pages, and no weekly spreads like the Life Planner. This makes it ideal for planning and compartmentalizing specific things like budgets, social media, or cleaning and household operations.
When Erin Condren released the new Deluxe Monthly Planners this year I knew exactly how I wanted to use one. I have been experimenting with different planners and habit trackers in an effort to streamline my cleaning process. After a few months it was becoming clear that it would be much easier to consolidate everything into one dedicated planner instead of putting it in planners that also contained my personal appointments and to-dos. The Deluxe Monthly Planner is perfect for this because I didn’t need a ton of daily and weekly room, but I did need the extra note pages to catalog lists and trackers.
This is a Deluxe Monthly with 40 note pages and a gold coil. I chose the Heart To Heart cover in pool and black because it coordinates with the other planner covers I am currently using. I actually enjoy cleaning (and the fruits of those labors!) but I love this quote by Phyllis Miller, “Housecleaning can’t kill you, but why take the chance?” I had to add it to my cover!
For accessories I chose the Colorful Circles Sticker Pack, customizable event stickers, a custom gradient sticker sheet, the newest sticker book, and the colorful dual tip markers. For the custom stickers I also chose pool and black. I kind of have a theme going. 😉
I have loosely followed the Clean Mama daily plan for years. Having systems and routines in place makes it so much easier for me to keep up with cleaning! By dividing everything into one task per day its not nearly as overwhelming as trying to clean the entire house in one fell swoop. On the plan Sundays are a day of rest and Fridays are a day to catch up. I utilize both of these days as extra vacuuming days for the heavier-traffic areas of my home. I used the customizable event stickers to denote which task falls on which day. There are 12 of each sticker, so enough to last me for a year when I label like this.
Then I cut the custom gradient stickers in half so I could add any additional chores I want to accomplish for the day, or to split the task up into smaller parts. On dusting day I often wipe down my appliances, or clean my windows as needed, too, so I like to write it down. That way I can always flip back and see the last time something was done.
I used the Colorful Circles stickers on the 2018/2019 calendar to note dates when our homeowner’s warranty payment is due, when insurance payments are due, etc. This would also be a good page to note when you change filters, etc.
I’m using the note pages after the monthly view to track monthly tasks. If these are repetitive for you, you could print them out and washi them in your planner. I personally like to write this out every month so I can analyze what worked, what didn’t, and adjust for any needed changes. I will also be using these pages as kind of a “brain dump” to jot down any repairs, plans, or ideas for the house.
There are 40 note pages in the back of my planner (you can add more if you like) and I am using these pages to track quarterly tasks like cleaning vacuum filters and washing the shower curtain, as well as spring/fall cleaning ideas, and even annual tasks.
Another list I have found to be EXTREMELY helpful is keeping a household wish list. I write down everything from leaf blowers to new curtains. Not only does this help me prioritize what to buy when we have money in the house budget, sometimes I change my mind after something has been on the list for a while. I used the EC sticker book to cover up the page flags on these note pages.
In the front of the planner there are these pages with 12 squares. I decided to use these to track my spending on repairs, decor, etc. because I need to hold myself accountable for impulse buying decor (there may or may not be an $88 Anthro shower curtain on its way to me …) and get an idea of what return we will get on our investments in this house.
October needs to hurry up and get here so I can start using this planner and continue to add to it’s functionality! I have heard from a lot of you who bought Deluxe Monthly Planners for budgets, but it didn’t quit work out so I really wanted to give you a fresh idea on how to use them. If you don’t already have one and think a household and cleaning planner would help get you sorted, I have good news! Erin Condren’s friends and family sale is happening from September 18-24 and you get 25% off EVERYTHING! And if you have never made an EC purchase before, you can also use my referral link to get $10 off.
Make sure you are following me on Instagram to see continued updates of how I am using the planner, and tag me in yours! I’d love to see how you are using it. You can also check out my YouTube video where I show this planner setup!
