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Simplify Home Filing Don't make filing household paperwork a chore. Simplify. Are you currently filing everything under one month? Do you forget to label your file folders? Oh no! Here are some simple, basic guidelines for filing your household paperwork. -Start out by making a list. I know, another list?!? Yes. Think about the types of information you want to store. Start at a high level such as "home" and "personal". These will be your file drawers. Then break them down one level. Perhaps "financial", "house", "hobby", "resume" and "employment" are some of your choices. These will become your hanging files. Then break down each of these. There is more detail on this at the end of this article. These will be the manila file folders. -Use both hanging and manila file folders. Using both tools, papers stay in place better and it allows you to further categorize the paperwork. Treat the hanging files as high level categories. Then, the manila files inside them break down the higher level category of the hanging file to something more specific. -Line up hanging file tabs. Arrange hanging file tabs in a straight line in alphabetical order. It's easier to identify the files this way because you aren't looking all over in the drawer, just up and down one row. If your drawer is to your left as you open it, put them near you on the far right, not in the middle of the hanging file. -Alternate manila tabs. Try to alternate the tabs of manila folders so you don't have two aligned one behind the other. They are difficult to read that way, especially if there are skinny. Also alphabetize these the best you can. As you add new files, you might find this hard to do. When you find a system you like, you might want to "realign" your tabs so that they all alternate perfectly. You can recycle file folders - just turn them "inside-out"! -Make empty file folders. Anticipate files you will need and make up a folder even if you don't have anything to put into it yet. This will prepare a place for paperwork in advance and you won't cut corners later by filing it in an ambiguous place or an unlabeled file folder. A place for everything makes it easy to get everything in its place. -Use color if it helps you. Further categorize with colored hanging files and folders if you like. If you don't want to spend the money on colored files & folders, you can use a highlighter over the label/name, round colored dots on the label, colored hanging file label holders or colored file folder labels. -Always label your folders. Even make labeled folders for things you don't need yet but you know you will have soon. If you don't label it, you'll never look in it again, you'll never find it again and you're just wasting your valuable time. If you have trouble reading the labels, get the new 3-dimensional labels you can read from above. -Keep things handy. Keep a stack of blank folders near the file cabinet or in a hanging file in the front of the drawer. Don't keep them in a box tucked in a closet. You'll avoid them like the plague. Also keep a good marker, dots, labels, whatever you need to make up new folders right by the file cabinet. -Index your files. For those who want to be really, really organized, maintain a list of your folders in outline fashion for quick reference. Keep the index in the front of your cabinet, on the front of the cabinet or with the empty folders. This is also the key for those who like to file by number instead of alphabetically (I won't take offense!) -Purge. Purge at least once a year (tax time is great for this!) If you are in the right frame of mind, it can be a very uplifting thing to do. Some people like to purge while they are looking for things. I don't find this to be very productive, but you might. Be sure to purge the empty file folders you may have made in advance. If you haven't used them after a year, you probably don't need them. Recycle them instead. -File only what you need. Always think before you file. Only file what you absolutely have to and no more. Do NOT file it if: you can get it online, you can get it quickly and easily from somewhere/someone else, you don't think you'll access it again this year, you don't know when or why you might need it. DO file it if it is required by law, for taxes, etc. Sometimes, it is better to file information about where to get the information instead of filing the information itself. For example, instead of keeping a magazine for a craft project, file the name of the project and the magazine, page and date. This could amount to no more than an index card. Or just pull out the pages you need and file those instead of keeping the whole magazine. -Long-term storage. Don't think that every bit of paper needs to be taking up space in your home office. Full file cabinets are not efficient (or fun!) to use. If you don't know when you might need to access it next, consider a long-term storage solution. Plastic file boxes are great for this. Store old taxes and other legal paperwork in appropriate long-term storage. This might be off-site such as a safe deposit box or a box in the basement. (Just be sure to label the box & date it!) - Suggested household paperwork hanging file
(manila folder) headings - Safe Deposit Box suggestions. What are some things you might want to store safely off site? Wills, legal docs, passport, birth and marriage certificates, deeds, home inventory, diplomas, vehicle titles, stock certificates, and estate planning documents. Note: This article is not intended to address all types of papers and documents you might be required to maintain. It is a general guide to suit typical households. For specific legal requirements regarding your paperwork contact your lawyer or accountant. |
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