The FlyLady Method: Basic Weekly Plan

I’m sure we’ve all seen those tea towels embroidered with the days of the week and the task of the day. Monday – laundry, Tuesday – ironing, Wednesday – mend, etc. I have a set I bought at a nearby Amish auction and I love them. 

Gone are the days when laundry, ironing and mending took three days out of each week to accomplish – thank goodness! But there is still something to be said for assigning weekly tasks to their own day. Knowing that each of the major household tasks has a designated day means you don’t have to worry about when things will get done. And once you develop a good rhythm that works for your household, many of these things will become second nature. 

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How to Create a Basic Weekly Plan

The FlyLady system takes advantage of that old fashioned idea of assigning a task to each day and updates it for modern times. 

It’s important to remember that every household is unique and our personal schedules may dictate we do things differently than The FlyLady. However, her plan is a good starting place. It helps you see what tasks generally need to be done at some point over the course of a week.

It also makes sense to do some things in a particular order. For instance, time to plan menus and make a grocery list should come before grocery shopping day. Shopping and running weekly errands on the same day instead of just whenever you happen to think of something, saves time and gasoline. 

Here is the weekly plan from The FlyLady website, along with some of my own thoughts and suggestions:

 

Monday: Weekly Home Blessing

I’ve written about the Weekly Home Blessing here before so be sure to check out that post for more details.

Here is the short version:

1. Get up and get dressed to shoes
2. Laundry (throw in a load a day and you’ll avoid “Mount Washmore”)
3. Weekly Home Blessing Hour
   1. Cull/toss old magazines
   2. Change sheets
   3. Empty all the trash
   4. Vacuum all rooms
   5. Mop kitchen and bath
   6. Clean mirrors and doors
   7. Dust

If another day works better for you, no problem. There’s nothing sacred about doing it on Monday. If you work full-time outside the home it might work better to do this on the weekend. Get the whole family involved and you can knock this out in short order on Saturday morning and have the rest of the weekend to relax. Just choose a day that works best for your household and try to stick to it. 

Tuesday: Free Day

Tuesday is “Free day”. FlyLady suggests using this day to water and fertilize plants and spend 15 minutes in the current zone (more about zone cleaning coming soon!). Then take the afternoon off. Yes, you deserve some time off. Go see a movie. 

Wednesday: Zone Cleaning and Partial Desk Day

Finish up the cleaning and then set aside some time at your desk.

This is a good time to ask if you HAVE a desk. You can certainly make out menus and pay bills at the kitchen table but if you can find a place in your home for your own desk I highly recommend it. Stock it with note pads, thank you notes, greeting cards, decent pens that write smoothly and declare it off limits to the rest of the family. 

Running a household is a “real job” and you deserve the proper tools. If you can’t get a desk right now then find a decorative basket or box for your desk supplies and paperwork. Keep everything you need in one place and stash it away when you are through with “desk day”. 

1. Finish Zone Cleaning Chores.
2. Remainder Weekly Cleaning.
3. Make sure refrigerator is clean.
4. Write thank-you notes.
5. Work on menus and grocery list for next week.
6. Balance check book before going shopping.

 

Thursday: Grocery and Errand Day

1. Make sure menus are planned before you go shopping.
2. Check grocery list one last time before you walk out the door. Take your list with you.
3. Grocery Day
4. Errand Day:
   1. Library.
   2. Post office.
   3. Buy gifts and cards.
   4. Buy candles.

Can I just say I love the fact that she has “buy candles” as a task for errand day? I might not need candles every week so I would substitute “buy flowers”. Other errands might include the dry cleaners, picking up a bottle of wine for “date night“, or dropping off recycling if you don’t have curbside pickup. 

Keep a running list of errands and items that need to be purchased so you can do them all in one trip. I keep this in the notes section of my phone so I am sure to have it with me. As for grocery lists, I love the AnyList app. 

Friday: Paperwork and misc.

I like the idea of focusing on romance this day. Sure, it would be nice to include some romance in our lives every day (and you don’t need a partner for that) but sometimes it’s helpful to have a weekly reminder. 

Personally I would include the car clean out on Errand Day and then wash it while in town. It would be a good time to fill up the gas tank, as well. 

I definitely think it’s a great idea to clean out your purse once a week! 

1. Be romantic today. 
2. Get food from the freezer for next week.
3. File papers.
4. Write letters and cards.
5. Clean out purse.
6. Mend clothes and polish shoes.
7. Pet care (Flea and Heart Meds).
8. Clean out car and check fluids.
9. Clean laundry room.

 

Saturday: Family Fun Day

We all need a little fun in our lives. Plan an outing, go out to lunch, play a game or watch a movie. If you need some suggestions check out this huge list of ideas:

62 Spring Activities for the Whole Family

 

Sunday: Renew Your Spirit Day

This is the day to relax and reflect on the past week, as well as what is to come. Perhaps you attend church on Sundays. Or maybe you sleep in and enjoy a big brunch while reading the Sunday paper. Make it an intentional day of renewal, whatever that means for you. 

And then spend a bit of time looking back over the previous week and planning the week ahead. David and I try to set aside time to review our calendars together, sort through mail and make plans for the coming week. 

A Weekly Planning Session

 

If you aren’t in the habit of having a weekly plan this could seem daunting. Don’t try to do it all at once. Choose one day’s plan and try it for a couple of weeks. Remember to adjust the suggestions to fit your own household. 

Once you’ve got that sorted out to suit you, add another day. Keep adding and tweaking until you have a workable weekly plan. But keep in mind that life is rarely static. Seasons change, children grow up, work schedules are altered. Review your weekly plan every so often to make sure it is still a good fit. If not, change it. And of course we all have weeks when nothing goes according to plan. Do what you can and then remember you can start fresh next week. 

 

More FlyLady posts here on Life With Dee:

The FlyLady Method: Crisis Cleaning

The FlyLady Method: Weekly Home Blessing Hour

The FlyLady Method: Morning Routine

The FlyLady Method: 5 Minute Room Rescue

The FlyLady Method: Shine Your Sink

The FlyLady Method: Getting Dressed (Including Shoes!)

The Best (and worst) of The FlyLady

I’m Giving The FlyLady Another Chance