Contributed by Info Guru Angela Bushong

Let’s face it, life is busy.

Between work, family, your social life, and remembering to pay the man to keep the lights on, you know it’s only a matter of time before you forget something crucial! But if you take the time to start a few lists and get organized, you can stay on track without even breaking a sweat.

10. House Maintenance

I’m not talking about remembering to take out the garbage or clean your toilet; that’s for later. I’m talking about deep maintenance; things you only do once or twice a year. These are tasks like cleaning your gutters, vacuuming your refrigerator coils, or having your home checked for termites. Keep a house journal to remind yourself of when these pesky but important jobs are due throughout the year.

9. Health Checkups

Depending on your gender, there are certain routine checkups you are supposed to have. This goes double if you have children, as they’ll need checkups and vaccinations at specific ages. Don’t let these important dates slip by. Preventative medicine is the best medicine.

8. Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry

Now, I’m not going to get all statistic-y on you for most of this article, but you should know this one thing. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American household throws away approximately 21% of its food. This is due in large part to lack of planning and disorganization. Keep a list of what you have and always use the “first in, first out” rule to determine what needs to be used up first. Be part of the solution, patriots!

7. Auto Maintenance

Your car or truck needs some love on a regular basis. It needs regular oil changes, a tune up, the transmission flushed, belts changed, and on and on. Keeping a log of auto maintenance will help you know when the next “check up” is due to keep your car running in tip top shape.

6. Recipes

Last summer, you made the best potato salad for the company picnic. Everyone raved about it. Now it’s time to recreate this masterpiece, if you can just… locate… the recipe. Instead of frantically tearing up your house every time you want to revisit one of your past moments of culinary genius, or make grandma’s prize pumpkin pie, keep all your recipes together either in a simple index card file or a recipe organizer made just for that purpose.

5. Lawn and Garden

During the summer months, you probably can’t escape the weekly call from your yard to mow the grass, but what about things like repotting the marigolds, trimming the hedges, or remembering to mulch the strawberries for next year’s harvest? Like the house log, keep a calendar of yard tasks to keep on top of things.

4. Daily Chores

If you are the family coordinator, you already know it’s a mess to keep track of who is supposed to do what household job on what day. Control the chaos by putting everyone on a schedule, prominently displayed in an area they will see, so there can be no arguments as to who’s on dish duty tonight.

3. Finances

Bills, bills, and more bills. Everyone wants a piece of you, and if you don’t pay them on time, they start charging late fees and might send someone very unpleasant to plan dark things for your kneecaps. Okay, so hopefully you don’t owe money to anyone on the wrong side of the law. Regardless, it would behoove you to have a running list of your finances—when you get paid, how much, who you owe, how much, and when—so you don’t miss important deadlines.

2. Pets

Like keeping track of your own medical needs, your furry, feathered, or fishy friends require regular checkups, too. And, beyond that, suppose you have them on regular medicine or flea treatments. You need to write all this down so you don’t miss a dose or a shot, so Frida and Fido can live long, healthy lives.

1. Birthdays and Anniversaries

Last year, you forgot to send a card to Aunt Nellie for her birthday and you completely missed your parents’ anniversary dinner. This is a result of organizational failure, not bad intentions. This year, you have vowed to do better. Therefore, you must gather these important dates and put them in your day planner, where they will be commemorated forever after. You never have to be the jerk that doesn’t show up for the party again.