Paper Clutter
This has got to be the hardest thing to organize for so many. Even if you have a filing system set up do you know how to manage it? Does it really work for you? Is it easy for you to find things and do you put things in the files or is there a huge pile of papers sitting next to the file cabinet? Do you know what to keep and how long? It’s a hard subject to handle without seeing or knowing your needs so I will just explain what works for me and you can adjust it to your needs.
The top of the list is junk mail. Do not toss it in with your regular mail. Check it first to see if it has personal information on it other than your address. If it’s an application for anything with your name on it, you need to shred it. When you first get your mail look through it and determine what you need to keep and what is junk and toss the junk right away. I have a bin next to my shredder for things to be shredded. The most important rule here is to address junk mail right away.
Bills and things you need to act on right away. I have a act basket on my desk the only thing that goes in this basket is bills and things I need to do right away. I also keep a letter sorter to sort bills and papers I have looked at and will need to process them later.
I also keep Explanations of Benefits (EOB) from my insurance company in the letter sorter so when the bill comes in I can match them up then I know I can pay my part. Match medical bills like this will help you know what bills have been paid and what bills you need to bring to the insurance companies attention to get them paid. Once you have the EOB and the bill with the amount you owe, pay the bill, staple the two together and file them under EOB. I normally keep these for 2-3 yrs just to make sure nothing gets questioned in the future.
Once you pay a bill you no longer need to keep the receipt. I do online banking so if I need a copy of the check I can request or view the check and who cashed it online. Banking on line is so simple now and saves you so much time and money not to mention it really cuts down on paper clutter. I have some of my bills sent via email or I can go online and access them. Banking online is safer than mailing your check because it cuts out the middle man and the chance of it being stolen. It can be processed faster by the provider and many times without any exchange of paper at all. The other wonderful benefit on online banking is that you can balance your check book every day. You can schedule reminders for bills that are coming up. You can automatically set up bills to be paid on a schedule. If you forget when you paid a bill it’s easy to go in and check on when you paid it and when it was received by the provider. It’s just a better way to cut down on paper clutter and keep better tabs on your money.
Then there is the non-bill act file. These are forms or letters that need either a phone call or to be filled out and returned. I go through my act basket once a week. I write calls down on a post it and hang it by my computer so I will be sure to see it. I have a paper weight that holds all the forms and phone call papers that I need to act on that week. I like to set aside about 2 hours during the week to make calls, fill in forms and pay bills. So far unless I get stuck on hold it never takes longer than that. I also put the bottles of prescriptions I need to call in next to the call pile so I won’t forget them either.
On top of my desk are 3 stacking bins for ongoing projects. I keep catalogs of things I want to order in one bin, long term projects in the next bin and current working projects in the top bin.
I have a mail center with everything I need to mail things. I put my Birthday cards there. Once a month I go through and write up all my birthday cards and in the place that the stamp goes I put the date of that person’s birthday so I can get the card in the mail before their birthday.
Instead of keeping an address book I have a recipe box with index cards so changes can be made without writing the whole book over. It’s easy to just tape business cards to the card too so when you need them they are right there.
I have a cheap plastic file cabinet the top drawer has current files and the bottom has long term files. I have a plastic file cabinet with 2 small drawers on top and 2 big drawers that I keep all my small office supplies in the top two small drawers, birthday cards, get well etc. and programs for my computer in the 2 large drawers. Both of these are within easy reach of my desk.
So how do you go about creating a filing system? I find the best way to build files is in general broad subjects. For example: EOB’s, Car Title and Insurance, personal file for each person in the house, financial, Medical records, Each type of other insurance, Taxes, etc. These do not need to be in alphabetical order; I have mine in order of use.
Long term papers would be your tax returns in order, EOB’s, and any legal papers you need to keep forever.
I found these neat 12 pocket cancelled check holders for a buck at the store. I use them to keep check stubs in order by month for each yr, another for Bank statements and cancelled checks and a misc receipt by yr in the last one. Check Stubs I have found out need to be kept forever along with tax returns. When the 3 yr limit is up I take the last check stub and put it in with my tax return for that yr and destroy all the other check stubs. Bank statements need to be kept only if related to a business. I keep them for 7 yrs and then destroy them. For more information on what to keep and what not to keep see the following sites:
http://www.onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdviceToolboxTips.asp?tipsheet=24
http://www.clearsimple.com/record%20_retention_guidelines.pdf
http://www.shrednations.com/articles/personal-records-retention.php
http://lifeorganizers.com/cm_articles/37_records_retention_462.html
In your phone book look up shedding paper most cities have places you can go to and they will destroy confidential paper for free. We have a paper mill here that will give you a certificate of destruction. What they do is put your papers in the recycling paper vat that then turns your confidential papers into pulp with in 24 hrs. They have no limit on how much paper you can bring in and it’s all free.
I have a suggestion for all those pictures you have piled all over the house too. This one will take awhile and makes a big mess but is so worth it in the long haul. At your local dept store or online you can buy plastic shoe boxes for less than a dollar. I’d start with 10 boxes, label each of them with a subject, i.e.; each child’s name, the name of an event or events for a yr, house pictures, family, holiday, etc. Then start sorting all your pictures into each box. Toss out all negatives and paper. Keep doubles as someone might want one someday. I know this sounds like a ton of work and I’m not kidding it is but once it’s done, looking for that one picture of your son at 3 will take mins instead of days. Not to mention all the room you will save. They stack easy and hold a lot of pictures for almost no cost. Plus they will be kept save in case of water damage and I’ve read that even in a fire the plastic will be a deterrent and keep your pictures safe.
So we have set up your filing system, cleaned off your desk, sorted and destroyed papers you don’t need and stored pictures safely. I think the next topic with be keeping your kitchen clean and organized.
Clutter Buster will continue.
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