This year, I have been thinking a great deal about household management because of the coincidence of two books that came into my life simultaneously -- Home Comforts: the Art and Science of Keeping Houseby Cheryl Mendelson and Economicsby Aristotle.
Philosophical reflections have been a part of this process. I have thought about the Greek concept of household management called oikos and how it is more important than we think. It can be the foundation of eudaimonia.
A part of this reflection was also practical. Kate and I, in our 19 years together, have managed our household pretty well. Our home is clean and tidy. We keep our family well organized and our budget balanced. There's always something to improve, and I have been searching for ways to be a better housewife.
Charles MacPherson was a professional butler who I interviewed for a podcast. MacPherson suggested creating a tool which is part of the arsenal of every professional butler: The Butler's Book.
The Butler's Book - The Instruction Manual for Your Home
In Victorian times, the Butler's Book is where the butler recorded all of the household's information: the staff schedules and maintenance schedules; the inventory of china, silverware and food preferences; the measurements for clothing and other items.
Butlers and household managers in wealthy homes have a similar book to the Butler's Book. They call it a "household procedures manual."
Modern butlers use a manual of household procedures to track all contractors who maintain the house, the information on utilities, the inventories of supplies and possessions, and the maintenance schedules for major appliances. These books also include emergency preparedness protocols and instructions on how you can plan and execute dinners and parties.
After learning about the Butler's Book I wanted to make my own.
The main problem I have with managing my house is that I am always on a scavenger-hunt to find out information about household matters:
Who do I contact to fix my Trane furnace if it breaks down? What about the Carrier on the opposite side of the home? When did we replace the windows and by whom? Do we have any Sternos from the previous party left to use for the next one?The Butler's Book will help you keep track of all the questions you have and what you need to do to run your house efficiently. You don't have to waste time and money trying to locate things, or repurchase items you forgot you had.
I searched online to find out if you could create a Butler's Book in your own home using digital services. Many household management apps are available, but they were difficult to use and clunky. All of them try to do too much. You can manage your family's schedule, track your appliances, manage your home maintenance schedules and pay your children's allowance. It's too much!
I didn't enjoy having to tap-tap into the platform of my smartphone keyboard. It's very tedious.
MacPherson suggested creating a physical Butler's Book. I took his advice and did it. It's great because I can personalize it to include the information I want. It is also easy to use. I can easily flip through the pages by pulling it out. Do not discount tactile information you can physically heft.
Many Butler's Books/household procedures manuals cover standard operating procedures (e.g. how to open a pool), but I wanted my Butler's Book primarily to contain information on all of the major appliances and systems in my house. That's it.
The following sections have been added to my Butler's Book:
Water/PlumbingNatural GasElectricalHVACWindows and DoorsRoofGuttersSafety and SecurityHome NetworkSwimming PoolAppliancesEntertainment Inventory (Kate and I host a couple of big parties each year and have accumulated a large number of folding chairs and tables and
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