I am trying to re-organize my home - sort of downsizing everything, including paperwork. I need to know what I need to save, how long I should save it, and how to save it. I know about tax info. I'm talking about receipts, instructions, Medicare stuff, medical stuff, etc. Just about everything I've been holding on to that takes up 4 file drawers. I grew up with "save everything for 10 years" - canceled checks, bank statements, merchandise receipts for big items, etc. I just need to know how long and what do I keep. I really want to get a handle on our paperwork so that if someone asks "Where's this?" I can pull it with ease.
I read Getting Things Done a few years ago, and I recently wrote a (very long) post on how I adapted a small part of David Allen's approach to get some kind of control over my household paperwork. I was convinced when I started that I'd need about four filing cabinets, but the secret is not to put your 'current' stuff and your 'archive' stuff together. That way you can have the things you need daily where you can access them easily, and the archive in a back room or on a high shelf where you don't have to worry about it because you only need to get to it once in a while. (And you'll probably end up with less of both than you imagined - check out the photo for my day-to-day filing box which holds 1-2 years worth of filing at a time.)
i have seen on various websites that you should just scan all your papers and keep the files on your computer or a flash drive. it will definitely help out having papers since I'm living in a small space but it's not very safe, is it?
Many of the ideas shared here are great; however, keeping things for 4+ months is really difficult for me due to lack of room. I've tried the breakdown Cindy S. describes and it works great but my husband's medical stuff fills a full file cabinet drawer! I have oodles of hanging folders - 4 drawers of a standard file cabinet full and each folder is full plus I have 4 storage tubs full of paperwork for only the past 7-10 years. I don't know what to pitch, what to keep, how long I need to keep it, etc. I am searching all over the Internet for ideas but am finding there are organizations that charge hefty fees to help you organize. There has got to be free information out there somewhere.
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Request: Organizing Household Paperwork
Archived on 11/19/2007
I am looking for tips for paperwork organization at home.
Thanks,
Carol from Strongsville, Ohio
Answers:
RE: Organizing Household Paperwork
I am not an organized person, but am learning to become one. The free web site that I love is flylady.net and she is teaching me daily how to do little "babysteps" to eventually be organized. Check it out! (09/09/2006)
By lindajeang
RE: Organizing Household Paperwork
I use binders for organizing my papers. For school papers, I use a 3 hole punch so the papers stay in. Then when I don't need the paper, I can just rip it out. For other papers, I use sheet protectors which I found at a great deal. I have a big binder for 'mail', where I put things that I want to go through again later. I have one for recipes, etc. I can't organize in files, I need to see what everything is and go through quickly so using sheet protectors are a godsend to me. (09/09/2006)
By Kim
RE: Organizing Household Paperwork
Hello fellow northeast ohioan! I am in Lorain. My system is fairly simple. I have one file drawer (it came in my desk) and several hanging files. They are marked as follows :
insurance
medical
bank
credit reports
automobile
utilities
paid off
misc receipts
paycheck stubs
verizon wireless
local restaurant menus and coupons
school papers (one file for each child)
social security (hubby on disability)
That's it! When I pay a bill I mark it with the amount paid, the check number, the date and then I paperclip it to the last one. All gas bills together, all electric bills together etc. Then every once in awhile I shred the old ones but I always keep at least 4 months of utilities and some other things longer. I have a small fire safe in my closet that I keep the deed to my house in, our social security cards, birth certificates, etc in for safety. I keep track of my monthly budget and expenses in a regular school notebook. This system has served me well for almost 20 years. Good Luck!
(09/09/2006)
My system is very similar to Cindy S', except I also have a hanging folder for taxes, and I mark all bill due dates, work hours, and any extra money I earn outside my regular job on my wall calendar so I don't forget them. At the end of the year, I use the calendar to do my taxes and then keep it with my tax papers for that year. It's been very helpful to me to have all that info in one place. (09/10/2006)
There is a cool book called "Getting Things Done" which addresses this in detail. We have applied it, and we have no more "piles"! it's easy to do and even a little bit fun.
(09/26/2006)
