How do you organize your calendar in FIRE?!

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxfirev5 DW, DM and my Dr appts on the paper calendar in the kitchen. A few entries for other important events. Same as it was 60 years ago.

Same here, we use our Wireless paper calendar hanging in the kitchen, it's always on so we can see it.

[DrRoy]

I have to put everything in my phone calendar or I would miss most things.

[audreyh1]

Sounds like FIRE scheduling syndrome to me.

I use the iOS calender, and DH and I share some calendars on it that lets us see each other’s or shared appointments as well as planned travel. I add alerts to important appointments to remind me in advance. I also have a calendar with monthly repeating reminders about credit card and bank statements, etc.

I do have to be diligent about making calendar entries right away. Especially as they are few and far between and easily forgotten.

The reminders work well for me. I often use a day before plus 2 hours before alerts. They also pop up on all my devices, so hard to miss.

[freedomatlast]

I'm old school. I use a large desk calendar that I keep on the desk in my office. I see it everyday and use it for all appointments and for things like when quarterly income tax payments and RE taxes are due. I like the fact that I can attach any necessary supporting documents for appointments next to it.

[Aerides]

Google calendar, and it I get an alert/phone chime about 30 mins prior. If the appointment is something that I need to go to, I set it up to block the time from when I need to leave the house. So at most, I've got 30 mins to get ready and go if I've completely forgotten something that required me to be presentable.

I don't often have anything on it, so I'll usually just have a quick look at it once a week in case I put something on there a while back and forgot.

[EastWest Gal]

We use our Apple Calendar app. I generally set alerts for one day before, and one hour before, so I don't forget. My calendar is limited to doctor and dental appointments, and home and car maintenance stuff.We have a variety of calendars in the app-our own personal calendars, Family Calendar, and Music Calendar (for rehearsals and gigs). The township provides a paper calendar each year, which we hang. Last, we have a whiteboard refrigerator calendar, which we use for this month's plans, including our few appointments, and even dinner and cooking plans.

The biggest use of the electronic calendars is for future appointments, including stuff like pool opening date and HVAC maintenance.

[DayDreaming]

I'd be lost without Google Calendar. It's one of the tabs that automatically opens when I start my web browser in the morning. And I use it with Alexa, so that Alexa reads me my next few calendar entries first thing in the morning (or whenever I ask).

[scrabbler1]

I began using a homemade spreadsheet for a calendar back in 2004 when my employer ended my telecommute deal and I had to report to my office 3 days a week. I had to keep track of many more things such as which 3 days of the week I worked and my growing personal activities which also varied from week to week. The spreadsheet also kept track of my PTO hours.

After I retired in late 2008, the spreadsheet stopped keeping track of work stuff (yay!) and kept track of even more personal activities, mainly my square dancing which had grown to 3 nights per week along with some daytime stuff.

After I began having health issues in mid-2015 which included a 12-day hospital stay, I had to see more doctors than before. So the calendar showed all of them. When my ladyfriend gave up her car in 2013, I began putting her schedule into my spreadsheet because I was driving her to her doctors. When my snake-bit friend lost his drivers license in 2018 and 2020, I kept track of the number of times I drove to his place so he'd know how many times he'd have to drive to my place.

I'd add reminders to do small things months in advance, too.

[MRG]

When I retired from technology I didn't want to use it to organize. I'd been driven by calendar entries and wanted something different. After 7 years of missed appointments and issues I've changed my mind. I use Google calendar and DW uses a paper version. Does it work? Pretty well.

[Markola]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG When I retired from technology I didn't want to use it to organize. I'd been driven by calendar entries and wanted something different. After 7 years of missed appointments and issues I've changed my mind. I use Google calendar and DW uses a paper version. Does it work? Pretty well.

So even very tech-oriented people can want a break from it. Good to know.

[finnski1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Same here, we use our Wireless paper calendar hanging in the kitchen, it's always on so we can see it.

Same here. We hang the calendar we get each year from The Nature Conservancy right in the pantry door. Write them on there the old fashioned way. Has worked well for us for years.

[pacergal]

I have always had a small paper calendar on our desk in the dining area. Use it for everything--birthdays, appointments, events.
I also use my iPhone calendar with reminders.

[Markola]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow Tasks and calendar appointments are different for me. DH and I share a Google calender and I have it notify me and email me a couple of times for all real appointments. I also use 2 other apps for things that are not appointments or if something is so important I absolutely don't want to forget. I use an iOS app called Alarmed that I put short reminders on. You can set however many reminders I want to. For important tasks or appointments, I set a relentless reminder. It will remind me ever minute until I clear the alarm. On my phone it does a notification every minute. More to the point I wear an Apple watch and it will buzz every minute until I clear the alarm. This has helped me so, so, so much. Particularly the buzzing on my arm. I also use Todoist to organize my tasks. I have it on my phone and I use the browser extension. This is more for tasks that aren't really scheduled. MOre just stuff I don't want to forget about. Alarmed exists just to notify of my tasks or appointments and make it sufficiently annoying that I will read the alarm. (You don't have to have an annoying alarm. For some non-critical tasks, for example, I will set a notification to occur only once).

Thanks for this tip. I downloaded the Alarmed app and went whole-hog premium for $5, which I would have gladly paid yesterday to prevent missing that appointment. Alarmed seems kind of complicated to me at first glance, so I’ll have experiment.

The designer I failed yesterday was nice about it and we’re back on track to talk next week.

Thanks all.

[RobbieB]

I use paper on the wall of the office. Also is marked with yard waste and re-cycle pickups which alternate and estimated tax days.

[Maenad]

I have a bullet-journal-style planner in a discbound notebook with three types of two-page "spreads":

• One is for the whole year, broken down by month (and the back of the second page is left blank for anything in 2022 that I already know about).
• One is for the current month
• Four or five are for each week of the current month.

Appointments for the current week are noted in the weekly; for the current month in the monthly; and later than the current month get jotted down in the yearly one.

At the beginning of each new month I check the yearly to see if I have any appointments, then transfer them to the monthly. At the beginning of each week I check the monthly for appointments and transfer them to the weekly.

Every morning I check for any entries I already have for the day, and I also use the weekly to track daily chores and such, since I forget anything that isn't written down. Since the entire week is laid out in front of me I can see if something is coming up tomorrow.

This sounds really organized, but it's because I just can't remember everything that needs to be done. An electronic planner is too easy for me to ignore, and paper allows me to play with my fountain pens and inks.

[jollystomper]

I use Google Calendar, since I can add entries and get alerts synchronized across phone, desktop, or laptop. Anything I schedule I add notifications for 24 hours before and 3 hours before. So far that has worked for me.

I only need it for irregular things. So far I do not need a calendar for regularly recurring items, my memory can still deal with that .

[Midpack]

I use the free Apple Calendar and Reminder mobile apps, which sync to my iPhone and iPad. Otherwise I’d forget appointments (recurring and unique) and chores all the time (e.g. I use recurring reminders to clean the coffeemaker, replace furnace filters, etc.). I usually add the address corresponding to appointments (the calendar looks them up for me) and just plug my iPhone into CarPlay when I leave and voila - perfect directions!

I don’t have to remember much re: schedule or chores thankfully...ain’t technology grand!

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Google calendar shared to both laptops and both cell phones so wither of us can schedule things wherever we are without conflicts.

[steelyman]

iCal and Errands app (syncs to iCloud) for me.

[EastWest Gal]

Calendar alerts. I need an alert 24 hr before and 1 hr before. We also have a white board calendar. With the pandemic shut down, it mostly alerts the family when I choose to cook or when we have freezer stuff/ leftovers. The alerts are key.