How Do You Organize Your Paperwork?

Hi JC

I have a "bill book" just a binder with dividers with pockets. I label each divider with the bill (ie qwest, PNM, capital one...) and put the statements in the pocket of the divider. I also put my stamps and labels in the front pocket of the binder. This keeps everything organized and in one place.

As for recipts and other paperwork that must be kept we do have a file box. It is just one box with a lid for files. It goes in the top of the closet. It does not take up a lot of room and is small so it forces us to keep it up to date. I go through it once a year at tax time and get rid of everything that is no longer needed.

As for the other paperwork I want to keep for a short time or keep to look at, I have a basket next to my phone where those papers go. I go through it once a week.

That's my system and for us it works great. Good luck finding a system that works for you. I think the important thing is to only keep what you really need. Paperwork piles up fast.

Oh and in case you have things you want to keep for you kids, I have a plastic tub in each one of my daughters closests. I put their stuff in their box with a memory label so it is also put away and organized.

Hi,
As soon as I get the mail, I organize it into piles: my mail, husband's mail, junk mail to throw. We have file trays titled: Husband's mail; my mail, things to be filed. I throw the junk away and file the mail. I go through my mail right away and have other file trays next to the computer titled: Things to do. I have another basket with sections: one for bills that we need to pay and the other for receipts for things I am expecting to get in the mail or from school. Everyday we go throug our mailbox and every week, we file things into our file cabinet. If you don't have one, then get a plastic file tub and label them according to your life style. I have files for every bill that we pay from electric to the exterminator. Every year in January, I clean out the files and take the year's worth and put it in another file, labeled for the year, "2009". I only keep the past 7 years. I recently read that we don't need to keep all receipts, only the last bank statement, when you are clearing out the year files. Probably keep an electric or water bill in case you move and need the proof for the new residence. Every morning before everyone wakes up, I go through my "Things to do" file and take care of those things. We have a basket in the familyroom to put magazines and local newspapers that we should read, that way the basket looks nice and it reminds us to read those things. I hope this helps. I am an organize freak sometimes. I have also watched Mission Organization on HGTV and they have some great ideas.

I have the same problem-I HATE not being able to find stuff. Here are a couple ideas...shred or throw out your paid bill statements, or opt to receive them online or via email (paperless). I always kept paid bill statements and then end up doing a massive shred session once or twice a year. Also, when the mail comes, deal with it immediately-pay the bill, throw out the junk or put in a pile to read. (Don't think I'll read this when I have time, you probably won't!)
Hope that helps a little. If you need some space you could try buying some of those canvas or plastic bins at walmart to store some stuff.

I don't know what I would do about without a file cabinet...they make fairly small two drawer ones. No room in the house anywhere for one?
If not I think 3 ring binders and a three hole punch (dividers too) can do wonders. For bulky irregular shaped stuff like receipts...I sometimes just put them in a big ziplock bag until I need to deal with them later. There are also pretty photo boxes you can find cheap at places, like Big Lots, to store stuff in.
Good luck.

JC

I love to organize! I hope to one day become a professional organizer so I hope my advice helps. I use a filing cabinet but I know you said that you don't have room for one. Another option would be to file your papers in an accordion style file that you can store in a cabinet, closet or drawer. Just label each section. Have a section for each category of paperwork (ex/ srp, cox, etc.) I keep those kind of statements for a year and then shred them, so in January you will want to go through it and shred the past year. I would always keep the last month just in case. There will be some things you may need to keep longer. Other ideas are to file them in a big binder using clear page protectors and tabs to make sections, or you could use a manilla folder for each section and store them in a pretty magazine holder. The key is to have a home for each category of paperwork that is easy to find in case you need it. When you open up the mail, have your organizer right there with you so you can file it right away. If you are in a hurry, you may want to have a section that is called TO FILE so you can quickly throw it in there and file it later when you have time. As for your receipts, I use a coupon sorter with the same idea as your paperwork. Have a section for each (gas, groceries, work, etc.) or you can organize it by month. Whatever works for you! I hope these ideas help. Good luck!

Back when I was a bit more organized, I used those accordion-style folders that had A-Z pockets, a flap that closes over the top, and usually an attached elastic that goes around the whole thing to hold it together. Every year I got a new one, and filed everything alphabetically for that year.

Now, however, everything is all over the place. And I DO have multiple file cabinets. Mostly full of unopened office supplies. I'm so sad... :)

We found a bill organizer at Target that works wonders for us. It has 31 slots in it for the 31 days of the month and a drawer underneath that we keep the checkbooks and stamps and that type of thing in it. It was 25 dollars if I remeber correctly and it works wonders.

Paper is just the bane of my existance too, so I know where you are coming from! What has finally worked for me is a rolling file box. It is like two plastic crates stacked on top of each other and has wheels on the bottom. I got it at Office Max several years ago to use in my classroom. Now that I'm retired, I keep it under my desk in the kitchen where I have my computer. I have files of all the manuals, warranties etc for the house in the bottom crate since I don't have to look there often. The upper crate has files labelled "bills to pay" "pending" for non bill things that have to be done, or I'm waiting for. The other files I have are Medical, Car, Pets, Receipts, Paid Bills (these I shred twice a year unless they have something to do with taxes). Because the crate is open at the top, it is a cinch to file something quickly. One thing I try to remember is the "handle only once" rule with papers. Don't put them in piles thinking you are going to get back to them. They get lost too easily that way. I go through the mail and recycle immediately anything I know I won't need. The rest gets filed right away. It has helped me keep things much neater and far less gets lost these days. Good Luck!!

Do you have a desk with file drawers? If so, you can keep purging those. We shred the gas, city bills after a few months. Keep only important stuff for up to 10 years I believe, that might have changed. There are websites on getting clutter organized also. But I bough a little wire bin (I believe at target. Has different slots and put the kids paperwork that needs addressed in one, and the bills I give directly to hubby as he pays them, he keeps them in a accordian file that has separators and it doesn't take up much room. I have a friend that keeps her stuff in one of those really small file box (half the size or quarter size of regular box) it has a handle and she keeps in on the kitchen floor by her island. I would probably put it in the pantry so I could get to it easy and it be out of the way. I don't have room on my kitchen floor. I hear you on all the clutter and pile that is the thing I hate about school starting there is always tons of paperwork. I have found if I do separate it and toss immediately it helps tons!

www.flylady.com has more of home organizational stuff, but there may be a paperwork/office organization area there. I know there are other websites, but don't know them off the top of my head.

Take care,
K.

Hi JC, I didn't read any other responses so sorry if this is a repeat! My fiance and I are both business owners and we have made it as simple as possible...we have one drawer in our desk at home that we literally throw our receipts for our businesses in. At tax time, the drawer gets scooped out and put in a big box and handed to our wonderful tax person. She goes thru everything for us. We don't "organize" anything at all! Otherwise it's too overwhelming and it doesn't get done! All bills and statements from phone co, srp, etc get shreded after paid. if you need a copy, the company will have it. Anything from our divorces, birth certs, important docs, have hanging folders in one of those locked portable filing boxes. That is all. You need to make it as easy as possible or you won't do it at all. Good luck!

get a short little book called File Don't Pile - great system

I know what you mean! I was once the same way. I would just pile everything into a box on the floor of my office, until one day my husband got rid of the box thinking it was just a bunch of garbage...eeek! Everything was in there. I pray that we never get audited for that year. After that I vowed to never let that happen again and I bought a small filing cabinet. I don't think you need a large cabinet, a small accordian one will work fine.
Here's what I do to stay organized.
First, don't let mail pile up. I keep a garbage/recycle can by the door in my garage, so my junk mail doesn't even go into the house. All the important stuff goes into a little box by my computer.
Second, designate one day a week to paybills, file paperwork, balance checkbook, etc. I go through the box by my computer and take care of everything there.
Third, if a company offers paperless billing, do it!!!! I keep record of all of my bills by saving them to a file folder in my e-mail...no more taking over my office and it's better for the environment :) Half of my bills don't even come in the regular mail and many of them are set up for auto payment. As long as you budget correctly, automatic payment set ups are great way to free up time.
As far as how to organize all the stuff you need to keep, I got a book called "Bonnie's Household Budget Book" at Borders. Not only does the book teach you about budgeting and managing money, it has picture diagrams of how your files need to be kept. Very Helpful!!!

Hope this helps.
-Erin

Well, we have file cabinets. They do have small file boxes you could try. Could you fit a small file cabinet in your closet or bedroom ? Anyhow, we have a file for each utility,credit card and bank account but you could have one manilla envelope just for utilities and one for credit cards, and another labeled 2009 taxes etc. The tax one, I put in all receipts for donations, contact solution, etc. and all tax statements as they come in. You could keep the labeled manilla envelope files on a book shelf. An accordion file would be good for everyday receipts. You could label them discount stores, craft store, dept. store, pet, store,health & beauty,office supply,home repair, etc. or whatever works for you. Good luck !

Hi J C-
Well, 1st...no matter how much stuff you have- you gotta MAKE room for a file cabinet or file box or whatever you are going to use to organize these IMPORTANT stuff. =) I would keep/store it in a bedroom closet or top shelf in the closet in the office where you can keep it out of the way & somewhat private.

For your taxes- file from the earliest year on bottom and up to the most recent year filed on top. You want to keep ALL of them.
Use this type of clip for taxes and etc.
example:

http://static-p4.fotolia.com/jpg/00/00/07/57/400_F_75789_...

You can use something as simple as a file folder. Or a plastic file box. A tall & thin type that takes less room. Many options.
Something handy & everyday/week reviewing:
file folder example:

http://www.gimmestock.com/images/pre/38/gstock_pre_38181.jpg

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THROW THEM ALL AWAY AT THE MAILBOX TRASH CAN BEFORE YOU COME BACK HOME FROM THE MAILBOX OR THROW IT AWAY AS SOON AS YOU READ THE MAIL:
ALL JUNK MAIL,INSERTS,FLYERS, BROCHURES AND ADVERTISEMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE MAIL AND INSIDE THE BILLS.
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It is not necessary to keep any utility bills longer than say 2 months. UNLESS** you are delinquent/past due or you have a dispute or issue with such. Once you receive the next months bill (and it shows you paid the month previous bill)throw the last one away. Keep the bills you are going to are have paid that month in the same section. (I use a top drawer.)
Keep all bank statements for at least 1 year. Use that clip to keep together.
Money order receipts and any proof of payment type papers- keep for about 1 year. (If you have proof it was paid then throw away sooner- just for verification.)

You can file them as:
CAR=(ins,reg,receipts-anything car related)
MEDICAL=(med info,cards,records important med info etc)
MORTGAGE/RENTAL=(receipts,copies & records,paperwork)
PERSONAL=(i.d's,birth cert,soc sec cards,tickets/fines,etc
UTILITY= (proof of payment,receipts,)
SCHOOL/WORK= (whatever related)
BANK RELATED= (statements
MISC= (anything that does not apply to any of the above- then you can add another file from here)

Email me if I can be more of help. =)
Good luck.