Homemaking Checklist – Get Tasks Done as a Homemaker

As a modern homemaker, you have a lot on your plate. The to-do list can seem completely overwhelming at times, and may even be hard to keep up with. There’s also so many beautiful things you can do with your home as a homemaker. One of the very easiest ways to keep track of all your must-do’s and ideas is with a to-do list. 

Admittedly, I love to create to-do lists. They are a great way for me to remember everything I have going on at home, with the kids, and with my online work. To-do lists are perfect for the busy modern homemaker. 

If you’re struggling with keeping up with all of your homemaking tasks, you should definitely try making to-do lists, too! You can then schedule all of your to-do’s into your daily, weekly, and monthly routines. A good old fashioned homemaking checklist is the perfect solution for helping you organize all of your tasks in a way that works for you.

Tasks of a Homemaker

Just what does a homemaker do all day? Surely, we don’t just sit around watching soap operas and eating bon bons, right? Of course, the activities of a homemaker are stacked. If you’re striving to become an excellent homemaker, you’ll want to make sure you’re covering all of your bases.

Here are some of the most important homemaking skills you can add to your checklist.

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Meal Planning
• Laundry
• Organizing
• Budgeting
• Home Management
• Gardening
• Appointments/Errands

This is a very general overview of homemaking activities that you will break down even further when you create your homemaking checklist. How you want to schedule your homemaking tasks is completely up to you so long as you can get them done in a reasonable amount of time.

What to Include in a Homemaking Checklist

When I first became a homemaker, I felt extremely overwhelmed with the amount of tasks I needed to accomplish in a given day. If I thought about them all at one time, it felt like way too much I ended up doing nothing.

Over time, I learned it was best for me to break my tasks into manageable, bite-sized chunks and focus only on one small task at time. Below I’m going to include some of the homemaking lists I make on a regular basis.

Daily Routines List

My daily routine is my non-negotiable. This is pretty much the bare minimum daily tasks that need to be done before everything in the house starts falling apart. 

I begin with my morning routine:

• Coffee/Breakfast
• Get dressed, tidy bedroom, tidy bathroom
• Load of Laundry/Clean cat litter
• Tidy Kitchen
• Make sure kids have done their routine
• Start homeschool

Evening Routines List

It’s absolutely imperative that you have an end of the day routine to help you close down your home. Here’s a look at my evening routine:

• Quick Kitchen Declutter
• Put Away Folded Laundry
• Cook Dinner – Clean as I Cook
• Eat Dinner – Kid Help Set Table and Clean Up
• Kitchen Clean Up – Wipe tables, load dishwasher, sweep floor, take out trash
• Kids’ Evening Routine

Weekly Checklists

I use weekly checklists to help me remember everything I need to get done on a weekly basis. Here are some of my weekly tasks:

• Meal planning
• Weekly grocery shop
• Clean windows and other glass in main living areas
• Dusting
• Mopping
• Vacuuming
• Clean one zone (read more about zone cleaning here)

You’ll also want to make seasonal checklists from time to time for each holiday such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. If you like to grow your own food, you’ll want to add a garden planning checklist to your lists, as well. Spring cleaning is another great checklist to include.

Quick Tips for a Practical Homemaking Schedule

The very first thing I would suggest for stay-at-home moms or any full time homemaker is to treat keeping the home like your job. It is a serious endeavor and all the hard work you do in your home lays the foundation for your family. If your home runs smoothly, you’ll find everyone in the house in a bit more of an agreeable mood.

The next step you’ll want to do is begin developing a cleaning routine. Get those daily, weekly, and zone cleaning tasks and household chores in order. Having a clean house is such a blessing. I know I personally don’t function as well when my house is a mess, and those routines can really go a long way to cut back on that feeling.

Now you’ll want to work on your laundry routine. (Check out my favorite non-toxic laundry detergent.) Clean clothes are another thing you always need, and dirty clothes are something you’ll always have.

Your laundry routine may look nothing like mine, but you need to find something that works for your family. You may decided to dedicate one day of the week to laundry, or you may decide to do it every day like I do. Just keep that laundry moving through the laundry basket, and you’ll be just fine.

Meal planning is an important skill every homemaker should master. Begin by surveying the food you already have on hand and build a list of simple meals that your family can eat on rotation. Then, make your grocery list and either order your groceries online or visit the grocery store to shop in person.

Need some ideas for simple meals? Check out my simple living recipes box! A few of my favorites include the very popular beans and rice with sausage, and the whole chicken roast in the cast iron skillet.

Finally, I will suggest making a list or using some sort of budget planner to pay bills. When you’re a homemaker your job isn’t really about making money for the household, but it’s about saving money and using the money you do have wisely. Having a plan and making sure your bills are getting paid on time is the best way to accomplish this.

Best Planners for Homemaking

Let’s talk about planners for homemaking. My favorite is my Homemaker’s Friend planner. It’s small enough to fit in my purse, and it has space for all the lists I ever want to make! Each year it has a new design. I highly recommend it!

I also use this budget planner. It’s inexpensive and easy to use.

Of course, I keep all of my important information and master lists in my home management binder. You’ll definitely want to have one of these on your shelf!

Would you like a pretty printable free to-do list? Check out The Homemaker’s Resource Library to grab it! If you aren’t subscribed, you can do that below.

More Homemaking Tips for You

This blog is chockfull of homemaking inspiration, encouragement, and tips. I hope you stick around and browse. Here are some of my favorite posts:

• Old-Fashioned Homemaking Skills 
• A Homemaker’s Prayer
• 10 Homemaking Books You Need To Read