How do you organize your calendar in FIRE?!

[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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Calico]

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

You made me laugh out loud!

I'm glad I'm not the only person left who uses a paper calendar (and only a paper calendar).

 

[gayl]

I have a paper calendar but forgot to change it from December .....

Also use the phone app bc it 'reminds' me. Hard to keep track of which day it is and when appointments are. Not lazy but weekday VS weekend becomes irrelevant

 

[Golden sunsets]

I have the same problem. I have so few scheduled events that I don't do the checking of calendar that I did in Olden Times.

DW and I use Google calendar and share our calendars with each other. Events in the display are color-coded by owner. The calendar automatically synchronizes on our tablets, phones, and home office computers. We can also set default and special notifications.

+1. This is me. Also part of my morning ritual each morning, after reading several newspapers on my tablet, is to head upstairs to my computer where among other things I check our google calendar. This morning DH has a scheduled teledoc appt, so the morning will be a bit different, but normally I have at least one email to respond to, bill or invoice to review or investment or banking item to execute.

 

[Gumby]

You made me laugh out loud!

I'm glad I'm not the only person left who uses a paper calendar (and only a paper calendar).

Me too. I never used the Outlook computer calendar when I was working, just the wire bound desktop "At-a-Glance" datebook. Since I retired, I have purchased the exact same datebook and keep it on top of my computer desk.

 

[Kwirk]

Apple calendar with family share as default for one-time events. Reminder app with family share for recurring events (trash, recycling, filters, linen changes, etc). My wife stays on top of these things more than I. (We also use the apps and Siri for shopping lists, to-do lists, wine lists, favorite restaurants,...)

Our white board calendar and bulletin board just gather dust now.

 

[W2R]

The first spreadsheet in my Excel investing and spending workbook, is called "calendar". Each line is the next day.

I don't have many entries, since I am retired and since we have a pandemic going on.

 

[Whisper66]

Great post, I'm having similar issues .... gotten worse since COVID took away some of the weekly events that defined the days for us.

Wife and I have syncronized calendars on our Apple devices. So we can see each others appointments and sometimes remind each other about them. My calendar events by default have alerts 1 day before and 2 hrs before. The alerts is set to pop up visibly on my phone screen with an audible beep. I set them up so they have to be acknowledged before they disappear. On the really important events, I will also set a phone alarm the night before that goes off early enough that I will look at my phone and see what I've forgotten. Seems like overkill but I'm enjoying retirement and calendar events mean less and less each year that goes by. : )

 

[Gotadimple]

Google calendar and a small white board in the den where the computer is. I update the white board weekly. If it's not on the white board I don't go!

 

[ncbill]

Paper calendar hanging on the side of the fridge for family stuff.

Google calendar for my individual stuff like dentist appointments.

 

[tmm99]

I used my phone calendar app and put several sounding alerts for important events including an alert a day before, 6 hours before, 1 hour before, etc.