Unit I.

Fundamental Concepts of Household

Resource Management

Lesson 1. Management and the Home

What is Management?
It is a series of steps directed towards an end. They are also called
functions like which every manager performs in the course of making
decisions to solve a problem or realize a goal.
Management process:
1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Controlling
4. Evaluating

Planning - first step is basically a thinking activity. It involves analyzing,

imagining, creating, reasoning, observing, and recalling.
Organizing - process of establishing proper relationships among people
and activities, taking into consideration available facilities, time and other
resources.
Controlling - also called implementing. It is putting plan into action. It
involves constant supervision, coordination careful observation and
continuing evaluation of what is being done.
Evaluating - process of continuous checking up and testing whether the
things are going on as planned. This process helps one to move forward
more surely and clearly towards the direction of the goal.

Lesson 1.1 The Interrelationship of Home Management

Family Values and Family Goals
In a well-managed home that is, a home that is achieving it’s goal to
satisfying degree management becomes an effective tool or process. The
invaluable role that it plays in the operation of a home is shown in
diagram.

1
Home management includes Planning, Organizing, Controlling, and
Evaluating the Use of Family Resources

Human Resources Material Resources

Time
Abilities & Skills
Money
Attitudes
Good/Properties
Knowledge
Community Facilities
Energy
Environmental Resources

Realize Family Values

1. Love- worth attached to relationships with family members, peers,
friends, teachers, members of the community etc.
2. Health- worth attached to physical and mental well-being.
3. Ambition- worth attached to career or future goals in life.
4. Comfort- worth attached to pleasant and satisfying life.
5. Knowledge/Wisdom- worth attached to knowledge, information, and
experience, in search for the truth.
6. Efficiency- worth attached to systematic and orderly performance of
activities.
7. Art- worth attached to the production and appreciation of all forms
of artistic expression o anything beautiful/aesthetic.
8. Play- worth attached to activities that are creative and imaginative.
9. Religion- worth attached to goodness/righteousness and believe in
father Almighty.

Attain Family Goals

1) Provision for good health to every member to of the family.
2) All-around and continuing development of every member physical,
social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and moral.
3) Provision for sufficient resources money, house, lot appliances, etc.
4) Satisfying relationship between and among members of the family.
5) Provision for educational and recreational activities.
6) Active participation in family, community, national, even global
affairs
7) Effective management of personal and Family resources.

2
Lesson 2. Factors to Consider in Effective Management
These factors are: Top management leadership; Communication; Training;
Performance Measures; Employees Involvement; Culture; Organization
Structure; Teamwork; and Readiness for change.

Lesson 2.1 Types of Family Resources

Human Resources
a) Abilities and skills- both native and acquired. The ability to solve
math problems and skill for ex: baking a cake are important
resources of this type.
b) Attitudes- includes ideas, opinions, inclinations, biases, and feeling
towards something. It is important for one to succeed in any
undertaking.
c) Knowledge- facts and information. Success in doing an activity
requires knowledge of what the activity and how it is to be done. Ex:
baking a cake requires knowledge of baking terms for one to
understand and carry out instructions.
d) Energy- capacity to do work. Members of the family must be in good
health, of sound mind, and body to be able to do their assigned work
effectively.
Non- Human Resources
a) Time- made of short and long periods. It is usually measured in
terms of clock time-seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months,
etc.
b) Money- purchasing power that helps one to acquire needed goods
and services.
c) Goods and Property- can be durable, non-perishable, and
perishable. These include food items, furniture, appliances, tools
and equipment owned and used by the family.
d) Community Facilities- available to the family include police station;
park roads, public schools, and library, health centers, government
hospitals,etc.
e) Environmental Resources- which include rain, sunlight, air, and soil
help man provide for his basic needs such as foods, shelter, and
clothing.

Lesson 2.2 Family Values and Goals

• If family values education their will focus on sending children to
good schools and finish their schooling.
• If they value comfort, they will use their resources to keep house
clean, orderly, attractive, and make it a comfortable place to live in.

3
 • If they value efficiency, they will buy appliances that will do
household activities faster and easier.

Lesson 2.3 Family Needs and Wants

Needs- basic or essential living. They support our existence.

Examples: food, clothing, shelter
Wants- desires an individual would like to have or possess to give
him or her enjoyment and satisfaction. Ex: dress, shoes

Lesson 3. Tips in Management Resources Effectively

1. Use energy and time properly. Alternating heavy and light work and
providing rest in between help one to recover spent energy.
Preparing a schedule of work and following it help make wise use of
time.
2. Know how to budget money to make spending worthwhile. As a rule
needs should be attended to first before wants are to be met and
satisfied. Family values should dictate which should come first in
family budget and which should be last.
3. Know how to use, clean, and take care of appliances, tools and
furniture to keep them functioning well. This also reduces cost of
repair and replacement.
4. Adopt cheerful and positive attitude towards work to make work
easy; interesting, and enjoyable. In addition, understanding the
characteristics of behavior of others make you a patient, tolerant,
and pleasant to be with.
5. Assign responsibilities that can make use of one’s talents and skills
in doing family chores such as cooking a delicious meal, recycling
old clothes and decorating the house.
6. Make good use of community facilities such as park roads,
hospitals, schools, churches, and libraries to meet some of family’s
needs and wants, reduce spending and realize family goals.

4
 Unit II. Work Simplification Applied in the Home

Lesson 1. Define Work Simplification

Introduction
One effective way to manage household tasks is to simplify the process of
doing the tasks. To simplify the tasks one has to make a careful study on
how the task is done, what things are needed, where it is to be done and
who is going to do it. Simplifying the task should be the concern of the
family because every member is busy outside the home either working or
studying and there is hardly enough time to do household responsibilities.
Work Simplification is a conscious seeking of the simplest, easiest and
quickest method of doing work. It is accomplishing more task within the
given amount of time. One thing you have to remember is that you should
always be aware of the motions involved in doing a task and an interest in
the possible ways of reducing time known as the motion-mindedness.
Improving Methods of Work
Mundell (1957) suggested five classes of changes that can improve one’s
method of work. These are the following:
1. Change in body positions and motions – Most work can be done in a
sitting position rather than standing. This reduces expenditure of
energy since the lower portion of the body is at rest. Motion refers to
the parts of the body that are moved while at work. The lowest level
of motion starts with the fingers, moving to the wrist, the forearm,
the upper arm, and the shoulders spreading from other parts of the
body form the head down to the lower parts.
2. An example of a change in body position and motion can be seen in
laundering which is done in a sink or similar device with the worker
standing up. Given the same amount of clothes, this position is more
tiring and energy consuming than when sitting down on a
comfortable bench or chair with the legs comfortably resting.
3. Change in tools, workplace, and equipment – The use of modern
equipment and appliances which are time-and-energy-saving has
simplified many house- hold activities today. Washing machines,
floor polishers, rice cookers, pressure cookers, electric grinders,
vacuum cleaners, and microwave ovens, are some of the modern-
day gadgets that have simplified household tasks. In addition, the
use of efficient tools provides ease in doing work. A well-sharpened
knife, a hard and smooth chop ping board, a flexible and durable
rubber scraper, well-pointed ice pick, and a can opener that glides

5
 in the rim of a can with ease and sharpness are very comfortable to
use.

An ideal workplace is cool, well-lighted, and well-ventilated, with

working tables and chairs of comfortable heights and of good
materials and finish. The workplace should make the worker feel
comfortable and as much as possible stimulate and sustain his
interest in doing the job. Household work can be fun when the work.
Place, the tools, and the equipment being used fit well with the job
and the worker.
4. Change in production sequence – Doing a simple household task
follows definite lines of operations or steps. If the sequence of steps
were to be studied closely, it is possible to rearrange these sequences
for efficiency. In laundering, for instance, housewives find it
convenient at the start to rinse dirty clothes before washing (or
soaping) while others would do it the other way around.

One sequence would be like this: rinse, wash, rinse, wash, and then
final rinsing. Another sequence would be: wash, rinse, wash, then
final rinse. Still another sequence can be wash, wash, final rinse. It
will be noted that some sequences are rearranged, others are
eliminated.
5. Changes in the finished product – Nowadays, there is a wide range of
finished products available to the household consumers. This
ranges from construction materials to convenience foods.
Prefabricated walls and colored roofs for instance are already
finished and ready to be assembled, thus facilitating construction of
such components of the house. Ready-to-eat, ready-to- cook instant
foods have substantially decreased food preparation time for
homemakers. For instance, ready-to- cook noodles, various meat
dishes (mechado, paksiw, adobo in cans, and frozen cooked foods
are very much time-saving household foods and delicacies available
nowadays.
6. Change in raw materials – Today, there are pre-prepared ingredients
available in the, market which are convenient to use and can save
time and energy in preparation and 20 cooking. Examples are
guisado mixes, bouil- lon cubes for soups; sampalok broth for
sinigang; mixes for cakes and pastries, pre-cut meat; choice cuts of
chicken; pre-cut vegetable and even fruits.

6
Lesson 2. Improving Methods of Work
Introduction
Improving your performance at work should be a standard practice. As a
manager or leader, you should constantly be striving towards success not
only for yourself but also for each one of your employees or teammates.
The following tips will help your entire organization improve work
performance by creating a more efficient workplace that thrives on
perpetual growth and continuous learning.
How to improve work performance
1 Set the right expectations
Whether you’re planning for your team or working towards a personal goal,
setting the right expectations is extremely important. Setting the right
expectations right out of the gate will ensure your employees or teammates
have a north star. If you fail to set the right expectations upfront, you may
ultimately be disappointed with the final outcome.
2 Have milestones and goals
Just like the way you would set expectations, it’s important to follow up
with milestones and goals. Creating milestones and goals will help both
you and your team improve your performance at work by providing
everyone with concrete metrics that can be measured to gauge success
over time.
3. Organize, plan and prioritize
If you fail to organize, plan, and prioritize, yo
u won’t be able to be successful. Each one of these practices are key in
facilitating a productive environment that attributes to success at work.
Being organized and prioritizing planning can be as simple as creating a
checklist at the start of each day or as complex as creating a quarterly
business plan. Being organized is essential, no matter what your final goal
or outcome may be.
4. Avoid distractions
One of the quickest ways to get derailed from a task or pulled away from
an important project is to get distracted. If you’re someone that’s easily
distracted, it’s important that you set time aside for deep working periods
where you close yourself off to any external factors that may get in the way
of your success.

7
5. Do one thing at a time
Many claim to be prolific multitaskers but it’s very rarely the case. When
you begin to take on task after task the quality of your work may
deteriorate. If you want to improve your performance at work, a quick and
easy way to make a difference is to focus on one core task at a time.
6 .Don’t leave things unfinished
The age-old rule remains. If a task will take less than two minutes to
complete, finish it right away and cross it off your list. If you’re the type of
person that frequently starts a task and fails to finish it, you know that it
can begin to get daunting or even overwhelming. Finishing a task before
you start a new one will not only help you improve your performance at
work, but it will also help you minimize stress.
7. Read something new everyday
The greatest leaders of all time are the people that prioritize perpetual
growth and continuous learning. Reading something new every day is a
simple practice that you can integrate into your daily routine that will help
you acquire new knowledge while sharpening your skills.
8. Communicate effectively
Being an effective communicator is imperative, especially in a remote-first
or digital by default work environment that runs on asynchronous
communication. Being intentional about the way that you communicate
with your employees or teammates will ensure everyone is working in
tandem and taking steps to achieve the same common goal.
9.Acknowledge weak spots and improve
You can’t improve if you aren’t willing to change and grow. Acknowledging
your weak spots and creating an action plan that can help you take steps
towards improving whether it be from a personal or professional
standpoint will be instrumental in your personal life as well as your career.
If you aren’t sure where to start,
10. Delegate tasks
If you were once an individual contributor that has grown to take on a
management or leadership role, you may have a difficult time knowing
when to delegate tasks. No one can do everything themselves and knowing
when to delegate a task that another teammate may be able to complete
more efficiently than you is a superpower.

8
11. Use the right tools
Using the right tools can make a world of difference, especially when you
have an endless list of tasks to take care of. Take automation tools for
example. Automating tasks that don’t require a human touch can save you
tons of time and provide you with the bandwidth you need to thrive in
other areas of your work.
Here’s how you can get started:
✓ Identify areas within your workflow that can be automated
✓ Consult with a third party that specializes in creating workflows and
streamlining business
✓ Reach out to a colleague or superior that may have more experience
working with automation tools
12. Stay healthy
Prioritizing both your mental and physical health is a must. Create
boundaries, take frequent breaks, and recharge when you can, your health
should always be your main priority. If you’re healthy and happy
everything else will follow suit.
13 .Take breaks
No one can operate to their full potential without taking the time to
recharge. Taking short breaks will help you focus and regain the strength
you need to conquer your task with excellence. Encouraging short breaks
in the workplace will ensure everyone is energized and in the right head
space to complete tasks efficiently.
Consider:
✓ Signing off to indulge in a healthy meal
✓ Taking a short walk in-between meeting
✓ Spending quality time with friends and family after working hours
14. Minimize stress
If you’re feeling stressed about work or stagnant in your career, it may be
a sign that you need to minimize stress. Logging off and directing your
energy elsewhere is a great way to give your brain and nervous system a
break. Giving your mind the chance to rest, and recharge will help you be
in a better mindset when it’s time to get back to work.
15. Prioritize self care
There’s nothing better than having time for a warm cup of coffee in the
morning, going for a leisurely walk before work, or reading a good book at
the end of the night. Taking care of yourself and addressing your needs is

9
crucial for your overall happiness. Integrating self-care practices into your
everyday routine will help you remain energized and motivated to do your
best work.
16. Ask for feedback
Feedback is a gift, and it should be treated as such. The only way to
prioritize growth is to constantly seek ways in which you can improve and
seeking feedback is a great starting point. Checking in frequently and
asking specific questions will help you get the feedback you need upfront,
potentially limiting the risk of receiving negative feedback down the road.
There are various strategies to ask for feedback, including Fellow’s 360-
feedback feature, or Hub spot’s free online form builder.
17. Rethink ineffective ways of working
It’s easy to become stagnant and get stuck in the process of repeating
mundane tasks that may not contribute to the overall success of the
organization. Sometimes it’s important and extremely effective to step back
and evaluate the way things are being done so you can make
improvements that may result in a more efficient workplace.
18. Build working relationships and connections
Cultivating strong relationships with your coworkers means you will have
a solid team to collaborate with when you need it most. Spending quality
time or initiating impactful conversations with your employees or
teammates by encouraging check-ins and casual chats is a great way to
build lasting connections and strengthen relationships within your team.
19. Practice knowledge sharing
Knowledge sharing presents a unique opportunity for people to practice
effective communication while sharing their expertise and teaching others
about what they’re passionate about. Everyone comes from a different
background and joins an organization with a different skill set.
20. Promote new skills
Now more than ever it’s essential to continuously update your skill set in
addition to adding new skills to your tool belt. Adding tools to your
personal tool belt and empowering your employees or teammates to do the
same will contribute to a higher level of competence and will ultimately
improve work performance across the entire organization.
21. Take part in regular training sessions
We’re living in a digital era which means information is available at your
fingertips whenever you need it. If your organization or employer doesn’t

10
prioritize courses or regular training sessions, take it upon yourself to
improve and learn new skills via online workshops or free courses.
Improving Work Performance One Step at a Time
Practicing self-care, prioritizing organization, and acquiring new skills are
fundamental practices that can help you improve work performance. These
tips may seem obsolete but when applied collectively over time, they will
make a huge difference in your overall performance at work.

Lesson 3. Principle of Works Simplification In relation to

Movement
Introduction
Work simplification is making work easier. According to Nickell and Dorsey
(1959), “it is the conscious seeking of simplest, easiest and quickest
method of experiences less fatigue when sitting rather than stand doing
work. ”It aims at accomplishing more work with limited amount of time
and energy.
1. Sit comfortably while working.
A sitting position shifts the body weight from the extremities to the hips.
Thus, the working. Choose a chair that provides adequate support for the
back and feet Some household activities, however, are done better
standing than sitting. General housekeeping is done standing most of the
time, while food preparation can be done sitting down in many instances
And so with gardening, sewing, and laundering. Choose those activities in
one big operation (example is gardening) that can be done sitting down.
2. Heights of working tables, other work areas, and working tools
should be adjusted according to the height of the worker and the
nature of the job.
This helps maintain good posture and reduce tiredness.
Today, there are standard heights prescribed for ranges, washing
machines, cabinets, working tables and chairs, and kitchen counters that
allow ease in working and reaching out. When standard heights do not fit
the height of the worker, adjustments can be done by the worker himself.
The use of a supporting stool or bench can add height to a small person
while washing dishes, cooking, or housekeeping. High chairs, stools,
ladders, broomsticks with long handles, rakes with long handles, hoes,
and other garden tools can be bought or improvised to suit the height of
the person and the nature of the work being done. For instance, cleaning
the ceiling requires a broom with a long handle, brushing windows

11
requires a ladder, sweeping without stooping requires a broom with a long
handle.
3.Work areas should be within normal reach.
Normal reach refers to the distance reached by the hands in an extended
position. Arrange tools and supplies in a semicircular pattern to allow ease
in working with both hands. For instance when laundering clothes in a
sitting position, position the clothes, soap, and basin in a semicircular
pattern. This allows ease in reaching clothes and soap and putting the
clothes in the basin.
4.Slide things whenever possible.
Minimize lifting or carrying as this puts more effort in doing the activity.
Use carts to carry heavy things from one place to another
5.Pre-position tools and supplies.
Tools and supplies are kept and stored in places where they are easy to
reach by the hand in order to save time, energy, and effort.
6.Use efficient tools and equipment.
A knife that cuts easily, a kitchen sharpener that really sharpens, a tong
that holds well, an ice pick that punches quickly reduces effort and
frustration when doing the job.
7.Execute the fewest movements possible in doing a job
Giving a bed cover one quick tug at the top is enough to “smoothen” it than
going around it. Dove tailing or combining two or more processes at one
time reduces the hassle of too many preparations.
For instance, in a week’s menu such recipes as nilaga and sinigang can be
pre-prepared by boiling the meat for the two recipes
8.Create a working environment that is conducive and ideal to work
This includes good ventilation, sufficient lighting, comfortable furnishings,
pleasing colors, well-arranged supplies, tools and equipment, comfortable
clothes and soothing music that stimulate interest and reduce fatigue.
9.Use other parts of the body other than the hand whenever possible.
The rule is that: the more parts of the body that are moved, the more
energy that is spent. In time and motion studies. To manage the house one
should know the best way of doing each household activity. To do the work
easily one should know why, how, when, who and where a work should be
done.Dr. Marvin Mundell (1985) has given five factors (classes of change)
that influence the character of work. They are:

12
1. Change in hand and body motions. Work can be simplified by using
each part of the body properly and economically.
This can be achieved by,
1) Keeping body parts in alignment
2) Using muscles effectively
3) Doing the work in rhythmic motion
4) Developing skill in work.
2. Change in equipment and work arrangement. Using labor saving
devices, planning work surfaces at proper height, depth and width with
proper tools and adequate storage space and lighting will improve the
efficiency of work.
3.Change in production sequence. When there are lot of household
activities to be accomplished, time and energy can be saved by simplifying
the work through combining the tasks and eliminating unnecessary steps.
a) Change in finished product. Simplification of work could be
achieved by changing the standards or expectations of the finished
product. Instead of laying a dining table in a formal way, especially
when the mother is working outside home, she can just keep food
items on the table and members in the family can help themselves.
b) Change in material. This is refers to the change in the raw
ingredient to get the same final products.

Lesson 4. Management and Decision Making

Introduction
Decision-making is the process of arriving at a determination or result
after careful deliberation and selection of options to resolve a problem or
conflict. It is the action taken in selecting various courses of action.
Decision-making is closely related to home management because it is
interwoven with the process. One’s management becomes effective if one
makes the right decisions at the right time and place. A manager who
makes the wrong decisions or hesitates to make a decision in the planning,
organizing, or the controlling stages may slow down the flow of activities,
distract the members, and delay the attainment of goals. It would also
cause wastage of resources, both human and material.

Lesson 4.1 Steps in Decision-Making

Decision-making, like management, proceeds along definite lines.
Hence, it follows a series of steps that makes the process logical and
systematic.

13
The steps are as follows:
1. Awareness and recognition of the problem- The problem is clearly
defined at this stage. What are the facts in the problem? How serious
is it? What are its implications?
2. Presentation of options or alternatives- The manager makes a
spontaneous mental exploration of options. He starts to gather
information about each option, carefully weighing one option against
another. Hesitation however, delays the decision.
3. Careful deliberation on each option- The manager considers the
pros and cons of each choice of action. The options are then weighed
and compared against one another. Hesitation then becomes
deliberation.
4. Decision-making- Finally, a choice is made, based on the
consciousness of the values identified in the process of deliberation.

Lesson 4.2 Kinds of Decision Families Make

Today, we will learn the different kinds of decisions families make and
explain the steps in decision making. This lesson will help you to clearly
understand and identify what kind of decision you do every day as a
student.
What is Decision-making?
Decision-making is the process of arriving at a determination or result
after a careful deliberation and selection of options to resolve a problem.
Decisions are made as family members are faced constantly with day-to-
day problems. Some decisions have to be made with much deliberation
because of the severity or complexity of the problem. There is decision-
making done when planning, organizing, controlling and evaluating.
There are Four Steps in Decision-Making
1st step: Recognizing and identifying the problem
2nd step: Presenting options or alternative solutions to the problem
3rd step: Deliberating on each option, weighing and comparing their
advantages and disadvantages
4th step: Making a final choice on which option best solves the problem.

14
Kinds of Decisions Families Make:
1. Routine decisions. The behavior patterns of the members are
already quite established so that decision and action results without
much consciousness.
Ex: Attending to one’s personal hygiene upon waking up in the
morning. Such as washing your face, brushing your teeth, taking a
bath, etc.
2. Non-routine decisions. These decisions made bigger and more
complex problems which arise occasionally. It required careful
deliberation by one or more members of the family.
Ex: Purchase of a house and a lot or buying a new car.
3. Unprogrammed or emergency decisions. As the name would
suggest, unexpected problems which are more complex in nature
require more time and consideration.
Ex: The family that lost their home and livelihood from the eruption
of a volcano.

Whatever decisions are to be made in a family, it is advisable and

advantageous to follow the steps in decision-making to plan and utilize
available resources, both human and material, to the maximum; to show
the right values and attitudes towards solving these problems; and to
exercise traits like perseverance, industry and cooperation.
Many decisions are never made because of the fear that keeps a
person from making them, as there are risks involved. These quotes are
about fear, risk, and the final direction when a decision is made. Use these
quotes to help you in your endeavors.

15
 Unit III. Managing The Family Income

Lesson 1. Define the Family Income

Introduction
“Today’s lifestyle has changed from a home-centered life to a life practically
spent outside the home.” Do you know that even cooking and serving
meals for the family three times a day is not a regular household chore?
They spend more time and activities. This explains why many mothers also
spend their time outside earning a living to help the father. To ensure that
some money is saved, the expenditure must be less than the income. In
order to manage within your income, you need to plan the expenditure.
This is known as ‘managing income’ and means spending wisely so that
all your needs are met
What is FAMILY INCOME?
This combined money by the father and mother (if she is working)
represents the total amount of money that goes into the family treasury at
the end of a period group of persons who come from the same ancestor.
This may come monthly from the salaries of the working members engaged
as employees in companies. Family income means the combined gross
income, whether earned or unearned, that is derived from any source by
all family or household members who are 18 years of age or older who are
currently residing together in the same dwelling unit.

Lesson 2. SOURCES OF FAMILY INCOME

Family income can be derive from one or a combination of these sources;
1) Salaries/Wages – money earned from working as employees of a
commercial/industrial services company. Salary is a fixed amount
paid or transferred to the employees at regular intervals for their
performance and productivity, at the end of the month whereas
wages are hourly or daily-based payment given to the labour for the
amount of work finished in a day.

2) Commission – money earned from selling real estate, insurance,

appliances, educational plans, life plans and the like. A sales
commission is a sum of money paid to an employee upon completion
of a task, usually selling a certain amount of goods or services.
Employers sometimes use sales commissions as incentives to
increase worker productivity.

16
 3) Bonus – money given as addition to a regular income as a recognition
for a number of years of service in a company. It is also a financial
compensation that is above and beyond the normal payment
expectations of its recipient. Bonuses may be awarded by a company
as an incentive or to reward good performance. Typical incentive
bonuses a company can give employees include signing, referral,
and retention bonuses.
4) Fees from Services – money earned from services rendered such as
repair of appliances/vehicles; consultations, writing research for
project/thesis; book writing, running errands, doing laundry for
others, catering or baking cakes and acquaintances.
5) Profit – financial benefit realized when revenue generated from a
business activity exceeds the expenses, costs, and taxes involved in
sustaining the activity in question.

HOW TO MANAGE FAMILY INCOME?

Today’s family income has become bigger and bigger and more members
of the family are earning a living. With the increase in income, there is a
corresponding increase in expenditures. Expenditures should be planned
so that it does not exceed the income. To be able to do this, preparing a
budget is necessary.

• Managing family income is one of the most important activities of

home management. In order to achieve family goals it is essential to
learn to manage the finances, which are prerequisites to all
household activities.
• Family Income management enables the family members to know,
understand and spend the money earned and also to plan saving for
the future.
• Family Income management thus includes the basic concept of
understanding the family income, sources of family income, need for
supplementing family income , and importance of keeping a
household account.

17
Lesson 3. Personal and Family Budget
Introduction
Today, we will learn the importance of budgeting in personal and family
budgets. This lesson will help you to clearly understand the importance of
budgeting your daily life activities and needs as a student.
What is Budgeting?
Budgeting is an essential management tool. Budget tells us how much
money we need to carry out our activities. Budget offers a useful format
for communicating fiscal objectives. It helps us in controlling or spending.
Personal and Family Budget
The main difference between a personal budget and a family budget is that
the first pertains to the financial income and expenses of only one
individual. The second is based on the income of more than one individual
and the expenses they each share.
Types of Spending
One important consideration in making a list of expenditure is knowing
your priorities. What does the family need most at this time? Is it the
education of the children? The payment for house and lot? A new car? To
help you prioritize, it’s helpful to know the types of spending. These are:
1) Spending for comfortable living. Adequate food, clothing,
transportation, and other personal needs are basic items that one
needs from day to day.
2) Spending for major purchases. For a personal budget, one thinks in
terms of buying a new cell phone, dress, pieces of jewelry, books,
and other items that require big cast Saving to buy these items may
take time but it is worth saving when one needs or wants them
badly.
3) Spending for savings. Setting aside an amount at regular period of
a month or a year and depositing this in a bank is really a form of
spending. It is a type of spending that is rewarding because one is
assured of extra cash in the future especially in times of emergency.
4) Splurge spending. Spending for fun and satisfaction that comes
occasionally can be part of a budget. Dining in an expensive
restaurant, buying a new dress though there is no need for one,
giving a blowout on someone’s birthday, or going on a shopping
spree would not blow the budget for as long as one keeps track of
the expenses.

18
Lesson 3.1 Importance of Budget
Importance of Budgeting
A budget is important for the individual and the family for the following
reason.
1. Know how the income is going to spent, where it is going to be spent
how it is going to be spent.
2. Can predict how much money is going to he spent considering the
amount of the income
3. Can apportion the income relative to the needs and desires of family
members.
4. Can prioritize personal or family needs. This is especially true when
in. come is small or limited.
5. The individual or the family has to meet the needs before wants or
desires
6. Able to thresh out problems, concerning money and needs when
expenses are clearly itemized in the budget.
7. Able to balance expenses and income; thus reducing tension and
anxieties.
8. It is an approach for training children how to handle money properly.
Family budgeting is inculcating awareness of proper personal
budgeting.
9. It is an effective tool for maximum use of family income and other
resources.
10.It is an effective tool to economize on time, energy, and money, since
appropriations are all spelled out.
11.It is a way of checking out whether all the family needs are properly
me and to what extent each individual family member’s wants and
desires will be met.
12.Ensures satisfaction of all family members since it assures that
individual needs and desires are met.
13.It is a tool for meeting or realizing family goals
14.Enables the family to realize short-term goals in relation to long-
term goals
15.Why is a budget important? Why does one need to list down all
expenses for the future Having a list helps you to:
16.Balance your income and your expenditure. If your expenditure is
greater than your income, you end up in debt. If your income is
greater than your expenditure, then you have savings
17.It gives a feeling of comfort and satisfaction knowing that your
income is enough for the expenses of the family.
18.It enables the family to list down its needs and wants and to
prioritize the needs more than the wants

19
 19.It gives the family a full and better life knowing that the needs are
satisfied fist before the wants.
20.It is a constant reminder that you are in control of the family
finances, thus reducing worries, tension, and stress.

Lesson 3.2 Principles of Budget

Principle of Budgeting
It is important to remember the following principles in preparing a
satisfactory budget:
1. The budget is planned in such a manner as to meet the individual
or family needs and desires.
2. Budget realizes short-term goals in relation to long-term goals.
3. The budget should be planned according to the income of the family.
Hence, a budget is within the affordability level of the family.
4. An individual’s or family’s needs take priority over luxuries when
limited budget so dictates.
5. The size of the budget depends on family income, family size, and
family needs and desires.
6. Provisions for alternative methods and goals can be set up to meet
emergencies that may arise, like a budgetary deficit.
7. Prioritizing family needs can help solve budgetary limitations.
Hence, what are considered most important should first be attended
to.
8. Ensures satisfaction of all family members since it assures that
individual needs and desires are met.

Lesson 4. Elements of Budget

Introduction
Why does creating a Budget Matter?
Thinking about your financial future can be overwhelming, especially if
you are already struggling with debt or making ends meet. Once you have
a budget in place, you can’t forward, improving your chances of saving
money and investing in yourself and your future. Having a budget is place
is because it allows you to have a better understanding of how much
money you have what your expenses are, and how you’ll be able to afford
things in the future, ranging from a new car to your first home to your
child’s education to retirement and more.

20
Basic Elements
Income- most basic element of all budget is income. For most people,
income means, their total earnings in the form of wages, and salaries, the
return on their investments, pension distributions, and other receipt. For,
businesses, income means the revenues from selling services, products,
and any interest and dividends received with respect to their cash
accounts and receives related to the business. You should keep of how
much you make and from which sources.
Fixed expenses- those expenses over which you have little control or are
unchangeable once you subtract the value of your fixed expenses from
your income, you’ll have a better understanding of the third basic element.
Ex: rent and lease costs , salaries, utility bills, insurance, and loan
repayments.
Flexible expenses- things that you want to spend money on but don’t
necessarily need. Entertainment is an example of flexible expenses, as is
going out to dinner, buying new clothes or buying a concert tickets.
Unplanned expenses- a truly unexpected expense is something that you
can’t predict, such as natural disaster or as medical emergency.
Unplanned expenses or emergency expenses (like your car breaking down
or having to replace a part on your stove). These are the things that could
happen to you anytime, but you can never be sure they will or how much
they’ll cost you if they do.
Savings- Income not spent, or deferred consumption. Methods of saving
include putting money aside in, for example, a deposit account, a pension
account, an investment fund, or as cash.
Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is just getting started so
all you have is record your expenses, figuring out how much you spend,
includes saving in your budget, save an amount that initially feels
comfortable to you , and find ways to cut , identify non essential

Lesson 5. Factors affecting the Family Budget

The following are some factors that can affect a personal or family budget.
1) Amount of Income – The higher the income of the family, the
greater the amount that they can spend for their needs and wants.
Also, the more they can save for the future. On the other hand, the
smaller the income of a family, the more that they need to spend for
what is most important and immediately needed. Food, shelter,
clothing, education, and utilities are some immediate needs of most
families today.

21
 2) Size and Composition of the Family – The more members there
are in the family, the more food to serve on the table, the more
expensive for their schooling, for their clothing and for their other
needs. Also, when family members are still young and growing up,
there are more expenses for food, health and medical necessities,
clothing and other needs.
3) Values of the Family – What does the family consider most
important in the budget? What do they consider least important?
Values of the family can be seen based on what they prioritize in
their expenses. Is it the education of the children? Are they willing
to sacrifice food, clothing, and even shelter so they can give a good
education for the children? Some families love to eat that they are
willing to spend more on food than anything else.

4) Needs and Wants of the Family – Needs are those that the family
needs to survive on a day-to- day basis. Food, shelter, clothing are
basic needs. Today, however, education, transportation, electricity,
and water are also considered needs. These are spent for
comfortable living. Wants, on the other hand, are those that the
family members desire to have. They can be postponed if the budget
is not enough but can be purchased if the budget allows it. Pieces of
jewelry, new dresses, cell phones and other electronic gadgets,
appliances, and cars are some of the wants most families would like
to buy.

Steps in Making a Budget

1) Know your income or allowances for a definite period of time-
monthly, weekly, twice a month.

Make a list of expenses. Expenses can be classified as:

a. Fixed – This is an amount set aside regularly for the
daily expenses of the family like food, transportation,
children’s allowances, and others.
b. Flexible-This amount may be increased or decreased
depending on the money available. Examples of this
kind of expenses include recreations, gifts,
contributions, clothing and accessories, magazines
and newspapers, and others.
c. Occasional and Emergency Expenses-This amount
may be considered a form of savings. The percentage
of one’s income that needs to be saved depends on
one’s fixed and flexible expenses. Emergency expenses
include health and medical expenses, special

22
 occasions like birthdays, fiesta, visiting a sick or dead
relative, surprise visit of friends at home, and others.
2) Determine the amount to be spent on fixed and flexible expenses.
3) Add the expenses for these two categories.
4) Check on the figures to find if you are spending the right amount
where you need to.
5) Do your total expenses balance with your income? Are you
overspending? Is there a need to adjust?
Remember, once the budget has been planned, use it. Give it a periodic
check-up to see if it’s makeable.

23
 Unit IV. Managing Time and Energy

Lesson 1. Define Time and Energy

Time and Energy Defined
Time is a non-human resource which refers to a period that continues and
in which a
TIME—n action or condition exists. It is seconds, minutes, hours, day,
months and year.
ENERGY—Energy is a human resource which refers to one’s capacity to do
work.
Both resources go hand in hand. They are inseparable. When you do a
task or when you are sleeping or just resting, you spend energy. And you
also spend time. The period you spend time sleeping is time spent. On the
other hand, the activities that you do--- studying, playing, doing household
tasks--- is energy spent
Benefits of time and energy Management

• There is no such thing as unimportant time or tasks. Each day is a

gift, a priceless gift that you need to treasure by making yourself
productive and spending your time and energy wisely.
Becoming a good manager of time and energy has valuable benefits.

• You spend less time on things you have to do and more time on
things you want to do.
• Have you sense of fulfillment when the day is done?
• You reduce daily stress and frustration.
• You become a good model for others.
• You can influence others when they see how good you are at
spending your time.
• You enjoy a balanced and better life for you and the family.
TIME MANAGEMENT INVOLVES
1. Knowing your goal
2. Setting priorities to meet your goal
3. Taking control of your time
4. Making a commitment to punctuality
5. Carrying out your plan

24
Why do we procrastinate?
❖ Fear of failure
❖ Fear of success
❖ Perfectionist living up to expectations
❖ Find the assignment irrelevant or boring
❖ Forms of Procrastinations
❖ Ignoring the task, hoping it will go away
❖ Underestimating how long it will take
❖ Overestimating your abilities and resources
❖ Telling yourself that poor performance is okay
❖ Doing something else that isn’t very important.
❖ Believing that repeated minor delays won’t hurt you
❖ Talking about a hard job rather than doing it
❖ Putting all your work on only one part of the task
❖ Becoming paralyzed when having to make choices

How to overcome?
TIPS.
✓ Remind yourself of the consequences of not
✓ Getting the job done.
✓ Create a to-do list, and check things off.
✓ Divide a big job into smaller ones.
✓ Give yourself a prize when you’re done.
✓ Don’t allow distractions learn to say NO!
✓ Don’t talk on the phone, email, or text while studying
✓ “Time is your friend, use it wisely”
✓ Time Management Techniques
✓ The Set Time Method
✓ Block out a specific time to accomplish a task

25
Lesson 2. Benefits of Time and Energy Management

Introduction
There is no such thing as unimportant time or tasks. Each day is a gift,
a priceless gift that you need to treasure by making yourself productive
and spending your time and energy wisely
Benefits of Time and Energy Management
1. You spend less time on things you have to do and more time on
things you want to do. This means that when you spend your time
well on what you have to do, then you save time that you can spend
on what you want to do.
2. Have a sense of fulfilment when the day is done. How do you feel
when you have nothing to do the whole day? And how do you feel
when you have accomplished so much for the day? Which one gives
you a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of worth?
3. You reduce the daily stress and frustration. When you have planned
and have satisfactorily done your scheduled tasks, there is less
stress and frustration on your part.
4. You become a good model for others. You can influence others when
they see how good you are in spending your time.
5. You enjoy a balanced and better life for you and the family.
Advantages of Time and Energy Management
1) It helps you achieve your goals faster
2) It helps you prioritize your work and more focus
3) You get more done in less time
4) Reduces stress
5) Prevents procrastination
6) It boosts your confidence and offers Improved career opportunities
7) Improve self-discipline

Lesson 3. Managing Your Time and Energy

Introduction
Time and energy are family resources which closely interrelated because
the expenditure of one affects the other. This simply means that one works
and uses his energy, he spends time as well. In the same manner, when
one uses time, there is energy expended in the process. Time and energy
are two resources available to everyone. How these are spent and where
they are spent should be carefully planned to avoid wasting them.

26
What is Time?
Time is non-human resource that is available to everyone regardless
of age, sex, color, or creed. Each one has twenty-four hours a day, seven
days in a week, about 30 days in a month, and 12 months in a year. The
manner in which these hours days and years in one’s life is to be spent
varies from individual to individual depending on one’s age, sex, interest,
occupation, health conditions and a number of other factors.
What is Energy?
Energy is a human resource. It refers to the capacity to do work and
play. The energy available to an individual depends on one’s age, sex,
health condition, and physical heritage. Generally, an adolescent is more
active than an adult; a child more than an infant; a boy more than a girl;
and a healthy person more than an ill one.
The effective use of one’s time and energy depends on the person’s
knowledge, experience, training and discipline. The goal here is to use time
and energy to the fullest satisfaction of meeting one’s needs and desires
without undue fatigue and worry.
Importance of managing Time and Energy
It helps one secure a suitable balance between work, rest, and leisure.
The 24 hours a day which is at everyone’s disposal is usually spent in three
major time patterns, namely:
Work time which includes school activities, home chores, and employment;
if one is employed.
Non-work time which includes leisure or recreational activities; and free
time which includes rest and sleep.
There must be a balance in the amount of time allotted for these activities,
to avid fatigue and anxiety and to maintain good physical and mental well-
being.
It gives importance and value to every task.
When enough time is allotted for every task, the person can give his
undivided time, attention, and effort toward the task without having to
worry that there are other tasks to be done.
It is always advisable to give sufficient time to finish a task before going to
another.
It makes the accomplishment of the task easier, faster, and more
satisfactory.

27
When sufficient time is given to do a task, the individual feel relaxed and
confident. With this proper mindset, he is able to do his work faster and
with satisfaction. Hurrying up a task because one is short of time can only
cause blunders resulting in poor performance or a product of poor quality.
It allows one to do more work since tasks are properly scheduled and no
time is wasted in between.
It frees one from tensions of indecisions and uncertainties.
A schedule of activities clearly defines what is one is supposed to do at
given period of time. Following the schedule assures one of finishing the
activities indicated without having worry that some tasks may remain
unfinished or forgotten altogether.
It saves time and energy.
Planning the Use of Time and Energy
Planning the use of time and energy, one must establish a framework
which will be used as the general guide in the implementation of all
activities. This framework may be a Time and Activity Plan (TAP) more
commonly known as schedule.
Schedule structures the time by dividing and subdividing it based on a
sequence of tasks or activities to be done. When this time and activity plan
is put into action, the individual sing it gradually establishes a pattern of
time and activities which eventually become routine as tasks are one
repeatedly every day. With this routine there is the development of skills,
initiative, and experience.
Factors to be considered in Building a time and activity plan for the Family
1. The routine activities of every member including homemaking tasks.
2. The interests and skills of the members.
3. The age, sex, and health conditions of the members. This is a
consideration of the energy demand for each task.
Some tasks are light, others moderately heavy, and still others are heavy.
Extremely heavy tasks are to be assigned to make members who are well
built and capable. The amount of energy spent in work depends on the
energy demand of each task.

28
Classification of Tasks
A classification of homemaking tasks according to their energy demand
on body. Set by Swartz.
Resting means the body is at rest and is not engaged in any physical
activity.
Energy (in terms of calories) spent in resting can be accounted for in the
metabolic processes of the body which consumes more than half of the
total calories needed daily.
What is important to remember about the classification of task?
A light task requires less energy demand than a moderately heavy task,
while a heavy and extremely heavy one requires more energy expenditure,
and produces more fatigue than others.
Some homemaking tasks that are classified according to energy demand
on the body are the following.
1. Light Tasks, under 100%above resting. Hand sewing; crocheting;
pairing; slicing vegetables; Cleaning using labor-saving machines;
dusting/ wiping vases, figurines, plates; sewing on a motor-driven
machine; folding clothes.
2. Moderately heavy tasks, 100-150% above resting. Dusting furniture;
polishing floors; washing dishes; cooking; kneading; sewing on a foot-
driven machine; laundering using a washing machine; hanging clothes;
watering plants.
3. Heavy, 150-200% above resting. Washing clothes by hand; scrubbing
the floor; rinsing clothes by hand; gardening; ironing clothes, hanging
draperies; sweeping floors; trimming plants and hedges.
4. Extremely Heavy, above 300%. Fetching water; carrying heavy loads;
moving furniture; cleaning walls and ceilings; trimming the lawn with
hand scissors.
Parts of Building a Time and Activity Plan
• Time and day for routine and non-routine activities.
• Sequence of activities
• Time for rest, leisure, and contingencies or unexpected
interruptions/ activities
• Persons assigned to do each specific tasks.

29
4 Steps can be used to ensure the workability and the effectivity of a time
and activity plan.
Step 1. List all family activities. These include the daily, weekly, and
seasonal activities.
Step 2. Make a skeleton plan of the daily TAP by writing down the blocks
of time of corresponding daily activities. Start with tasks requiring fixed
blocks of time. Example: Preparing and serving of breakfast, lunch, and
super.
Step 3. Write the weekly/ special/ seasonal activities from Monday-
Sunday in the designed time blocks.
Step 4: Decide why will do each task.
Guides in working out the Time and Activity Plan
1) Write down the most important tasks firs, followed by the less
important ones.
2) Assign the tasks in accordance with the needs, interests, work
habits, and free tie of family members.
3) Synchronize task if possible.
4) Make use of time- and labor- saving devices to save on time and
energy.
5) Allow for enough time to finish a task with ease and satisfactions.
6) Allot Time for rest in between heavy tasks.
7) Distribute tasks equally over the week so that energy expenditure
will be more or less the same throughout.
8) Alternate heavy and light tasks to minimize fatigue.
9) Divide tasks fairly among members.
10)Make the plan flexible to allow for interruptions and unexpected
demand.

Lesson 4: Factors Affecting the Use of Time and Energy

Introduction
We all have 24 hours a day or use in some way. Time is one resource we
all share. Locating ourselves in our environment with reference to time is
an important part of time management. All our activities for example going
to bed, getting up in the morning, having meals, playing, etc. is based on
available time. Time and energy are the resources available to all of us.
These two resources are very closely interlinked. The management and
use of one affecting the other.

30
Factors affecting the use of time and energy
The factors which affect the amount of time and energy used in
homemaking activities are the following:
1). Size and composition of the family – this
refers to the number of members in the
household, their age, sex, and health status.
Studies have shown that the greatest
expenditure of time and energy occurs when
the children are young, usually from infancy to
the preschool years. The mother spends a lot of
time and energy in caring for the children. The
amount of time and energy decreases a great
deal when the children grow up and gradually become independent in
caring for themselves.
When the size of the family is big, more time is spent in a number of
homemaking tasks, specifically: laundering, food preparation, and house
cleaning. When the size of the family is big, and the composition is young,
the demand for time and energy is greater than when
the size is big, and the composition consist mostly if
young and mature adults.
2). Size of income- a good income can allow the hiring
of paid helpers to reduce the workload of members. It
can also allow purchase if time and labor saving
devices that would reduce the time and energy
expenditure of the worker.
The bigger the income of the family, the lighter the workload, as the home
maker can resort to various commercial services.
3). Level of household standard- the standard of the performance in doing
household tasks differs from household to household. One who insists on
a high standard of performance would consume more time and energy
than one who satisfied with minimum acceptable standards. Many
standards are the outgrowth of family traditions and customs.
Take for example, the traditional way of laundering clothes-the clothes are
washed (with soap), rinsed then washed, rinsed, washed and sun bleached
and there after rinse three times before hanging to dry. Clothes are
immersed in starch solution for better handling and durability before they
are hung to dry, then finally ironed. These tedious processes represent a
high standard of laundering which in the present day situation would be
difficult to attain, considering the diversity of activities members are
engaged in.

31
Standards today have become flexible, meaning that they are high when
sufficient time and energy allows their attainment and acceptable when
less time and energy are available.
4). Location of the house- the profit of the house to agencies provide basic
services such as shopping centers, hospital and health clinics, school,
church, transportation, and recreation centers allow less consumption of
time and energy in travelling. The accessibility of these centers means that
basic needs can easily be met anytime. This lessens unnecessary worries
and uncertainties incase of emergencies and unexpected demands. For
example, when unexpected visitors come at lunchtime, one can buy food
at the nearest food store or grocery.
5). Condition of the house, equipment and
furnishings- a house made of durable is easy to
clean materials and finishing requires less
maintenance. Consider a house with marble
flooring and one with wood flooring. The time and
energy spend with the former considerably less
than that of the latter. The size and layout of the
house as well as it’s age also affects time and energy
expenditure in maintenance. Generally, the bigger the house, the more
time and energy is spent in cleaning it. A well laid out floor plan, with
minimum divisions is easier to clean and maintain than a floor layout with
many divisions. An old house that is deteriorating needs more repairs and
constant maintenance, hence requires more time and energy than a new
house.
Old equipment and furnishings when not properly
maintained, give a shabby and dull look. They
become eyesores. In addition, they tend to function
less efficiently. Proper care to improve appearance
and maintain their functions is more time and
energy consuming.
6) Nature of occupation and activities of family members – this refers to the
job of the father (examples: businessman, night watchman, an ordinary
employee) and the mother if she is working outside the home; the nature
of activities, the children are engaged in like school work, church work or
community works affects the time and energy in the home. Even the
schedule of household tasks has to fit in to the time ,the family members
are free from their outside activities. This implies that the school activities
and the time demand on the occupation of the father should be given first
importance.
In our society, the traditional role of the mother is to stay at home and
take care most of the household responsibilities. Nowadays mother are
also working outside the home to help in augmenting the family income.

32
The manner in which they are able to divide their time and energy between
work and the home depend on their managerial skills. The more time that
is available for home outside of the father’s work schedule, and the
children’s school schedule, the easier it is to manage the home. It is fast
becoming acceptable to share household work among family members,
including the father, who traditionally was the sole breadwinner and was
not usually assigned in household works.
7). The change in seasons – there are two seasons in our country- the rainy
and dry seasons. The rainy seasons start in the month of June, while dry
season is at peaks in the summer months of March and April. The types
of household activities vary with the change of season. However, there are
no data to indicate whether the amount of household tasks is greater in
the wet season than in dry season or vice-versa. Managerial problems
during the rainy season include laundering ( it takes longer to dry clothes);
gardening (there is a need to continously trim grass and weeds) ; repairs
for leaks on the roof, water drains, and broken windows; and cleaning of
wet floors and pathways. Managerial problems during the dry season
include shortage of water; need for periodic watering of the plants; need
for frequent bathing and change of clothing due to sweating, resulting in
more laundry work. Summer months are also vacation months. The
children stay at home and this adds to managerial responsibilities.
Planning for summer trips and vacations is practiced by many middle-
class families.

Lesson 5. Preparing Time and Activity Plan for the Family

Introduction
To maximize use of time and energy, prepare schedule of activities plan for
the family members. It is advisable to write down on paper the schedule
and post it on the wall of the kitchen. This will serve as a reminder to
everyone on what they are expected to accomplish at different hours of the
day. It is also a way of finding out if he/she is doing his/her duty. Likewise,
it eliminates the problem of finger-pointing on who is assigned to do the
work because the schedule shows the name of the person responsible
indicated opposite each task.

33
Lesson 5.1. Controlling Your Schedule
Controlling it carry out the plan. This step calls for flexibility in thinking.
At times new decisions are required which may result in changes in plan.
The different phases of controlling are:
• Energizing. This is initiating and sustaining the action. The
individuals who are involved in doing a particular task must be
energized in order to get results.
• Checking. This is a quick step by step evaluation of the progress of
a plan.
• Adjusting. Done in the plan if there is a need for fresh decisions to
be taken. This means putting it into action. Every member of the
family must be fully oriented as to what is expected of them.
Successful implementation requires constant supervision and
checking that things are done as scheduled. Sometimes, there is a
need to guide and direct so that work is done properly and that
standards are met.

Control Schedule is the process of monitoring the status of the project

activities to update project progress and manage changes to the schedule
baseline to achieve the plan. Controlling the schedule includes monitoring
and controlling any and all of the project schedules. You may have several
Schedules you are managing on your project, for example,
• Milestone schedule
• Baseline schedule
• Target schedule
• Deliverable schedule
• Detailed testing schedule

This process is associated with managing all the schedules by applying the
guidelines set forth in the schedule management plan. There is a lot to
monitor to make sure the schedule stays on track. You need to validate
that the appropriate resources are working as scheduled, the duration
estimates are valid, various activities are starting and finishing on time,
and that you are maintaining vigilance on the critical path.
When the work is being done in a salaried environment people tend to
work overtime to complete their tasks, but they may not report it. It won’t
show up as a cost variance as it would if people were paid hourly. This
behavior hides the impact of inaccurate estimates and sets up a cycle of
underestimating durations because the project records show that the

34
duration was met, but it doesn’t necessarily show the effort hours it took
to meet the duration. The people doing the estimating don’t see the effect.
Before your family life becomes a runaway train, consider what is best for
your family when it comes to afterschool activities and the amount of time
you spend together. Many loud voices will tell you all the things your child
needs to participate in for future success. Certainly, extracurricular
activities can make your child’s life richer, but they can also create
additional stress and anxiety for the entire family. When you rarely sit
down for a meal together or have the opportunity to connect, relationships
can suffer. Plus, trying to keep up can be exhausting. So, how much is too
much?
Here are some suggestions from kidshealth.org to help you manage
activities and family connectedness:
1. Set ground rules ahead of time. Plan on kids playing one sport per
season or limit activities to two afternoons or evenings during the
school week.
2. Know how much time things require. Does your child realize soccer
practice is twice a week or more, right after school? Then there’s the
weekly game. Will homework suffer?
3. Set priorities. School comes first. If kids have a hard time keeping
up academically, they may need to drop an activity.
4. Know when to say no. If your child is already active but really wants
to take on another activity, discuss what needs to be dropped to
make room for something new.
5. Stay organized with a calendar. Display it on the refrigerator so
everybody can stay up-to-date. And if you find an empty space on
the calendar, leave it alone! Everyone needs a chance to just do
nothing.
6. Even if kids sign up for the season, let them miss one or two
sessions. Sometimes hanging out on a beautiful day is more
important than going to one more activity, even if you’ve already paid
for it.
7. Try to balance activities for all of your kids — and yourself. It hardly
seems fair to expend time and energy carting one kid to activities,
leaving little time for another. Take time for yourself and spend time
together as a family.
8. Create family moments. Plan a few dinners when everyone can be
home at the same time.
9. As a parent, when you manage family time, it’s a precious
commodity. And your children will grow up in the blink of an eye.
Plan now to set your family priorities, avoid unnecessary activities
and be intentional about spending time together as a family.

35
Lesson 5.2 Evaluating Your Schedule

Introduction

The simplest way of checking whether the plan has been successfully
implemented and all the household work has been accomplished is to
examine every work done. Likewise, the following questions can be
answered: Does it meet the standards expected? Was the work finished on
time? Did it give satisfaction and fulfilment to everyone? Did it realize
family goals? Answering all these questions can be used as basis in
checking whether the plan was successful or not.
Time is precious so it is important to know where you are investing it each
day. Many people believe that they are spending their time wisely only to
find out later with much evaluation that they have spent it recklessly.
Discovering how you are actually spending your time can bring meaningful
adjustments to your everyday activities. Now how are you going to do that?
There is a very useful technique that you can use to determine how your
time is spent so you can easily browse through it to audit your activities
and actually make sensible changes. It is called a time log.
Steps on how evaluate schedule using Time log.
1) List the top six to ten activities that you spend most of your time
on. Use numbers in listing your activities. For example: working on
the job (1), spending time with family (2), eating (3), sleeping (4),
studying lessons (5), watching TV (6), chatting/browsing the
internet (7), gym (8), etc.
2) Next step is to estimate the time you spend per week for each
activity.
3) Record it on your time log
4) Total each activity and there you can see how much time per week
you’re spending on these activities.
5) Keep a time log and compare the time actually spent on each of
these areas over a two-week period. This time you need to be more
specific like jotting down the time spent for each activity a few times
a day so you can monitor actual time spent.
6) Write down the hours spent opposite the activity.
7) Total the actual time spent per day and per week. After you do, you
can easily see how your time was actually spent and you can start
to make adjustments.

36