Many of us use smartphones or tablets to keep our appointment and meeting schedules with us at all times. Digital devices aren’t going anywhere, and there is no doubt about that. But don’t get rid of your wall calendar just yet. It might surprise you to know that most people don’t really know how to use a calendar effectively.
Many people use both a wall calendar system and an online calendar because each offers different benefits. Writing down appointments helps you remember them better, allows you to step away from screens, lends itself to big-picture planning, and helps to keep you and your family organized.
How To Use A Calendar
A calendar is handy to help keep up with the current date and also special dates, like birthdays and anniversaries that repeat year after year. Although there are many other places to get today’s date and to store those select dates, a calendar is the most common.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
They come once a year, every year. The best way to keep track of these would be to put this on your wall calendar. You can be prepared for the coming month. Organize your calendar to do lists like who do you need to buy cards for and when do you need to get them in the mail. Having a calendar that you see regularly is the best way to pre-plan and stay organized for the month ahead.
Sport Events
Do you or your children play sports? When is practice? Where is the game this weekend? Having a calendar on your wall by the door you use most often, or a magnetic one on your fridge where you’re most likely open up to 22 times a day, is an excellent way how to use a calendar effectively for you to be prepared for the current week.
Meal Planning
Yes! You can also use your calendars as meal planners! Say, it’s Saturday evening or Sunday morning, you look at your fridge calendar, and you see that Tommy has soccer at 5 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Sally has gymnastics at 5:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. Instead of eating out on those days, why not make a crockpot meal and use your calendar as a food planner? Head to the store first things Sunday morning, get your groceries and supplies for the week. Start your crockpot meal on the morning of practice, and it will be ready to eat before the kids have practice. Meal planning can help save you time and money!
What To Do With the Extra Space On Your Calendar
On many calendars, there are spaces for notes, contacts, or just a blank space. You want to make sure you are using your calendar to its fullest potential.
There are lots of things to put on your calendar! Here are some of them.
Notes
In the “Notes” area, start your grocery list and calendar to do list, write down any maintenance that may need to be done to the house by the end of the month, or let your kids know what their chores are for the week. To-do lists are great ways to utilize this space and keep tasks front and center.
Contacts
Need more things to put on your calendar? How about your contacts?
In the “Contacts” area, you should list essential phone numbers. Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters, and even the neighbor’s number in case there is an emergency, the numbers are right there, and no one needs to go digging through there contacts on their cell phone. Leaving a few entries blank can be helpful for planning future calls that may occur at some point in the month. A good example may be a maintenance appointment or babysitter’s number, something you may not readily store in your phone.
Blank Space
If you don’t have a note or contact section on your calendar, use the blank space for the things listed above. If you have a blank space on your calendar, this would be a great place to write something inspirational or loving that everyone can see every time they look at the calendar. Even if it’s as simple as “SMILE” or “I LOVE YOU”, whoever is reading the note will know that you are thinking of them.
Why a Magnetic Calendar?
Many people ask, “Why would I put my calendar on the fridge?” The simple answer is the average person opens the refrigerator door 22 times a day! That means every time you go to the fridge, you can see what, where, and when you have things going on this week, or if you take the last of the milk, you can add milk to your grocery list.
Having a magnetic calendar on your fridge is convenient. It’s practical and can help improve your everyday life. Mark the month, select the date and write the details. You can also use it to post any messages for everyone in the house. Important events, workout schedule, nutrition plan, your whole routine can be found in one convenient location.
