Mar 163 min read

Organizing papers

While there are many ways to go paperless, we still have many types of paper in our homes from important documents, to mail, receipts and more. It can get overwhelming.

There are many solutions for organizing the various papers we have.

Important documents

Our important documents should be kept together in one place to easily access them. Important documents include, but are not limited to the following.

Marriage License
Birth Certificates
Death Certificates
Social Security Cards
Life Insurance Papers
Car Titles
Home Deeds
Pass Ports
Wills
Investments

This are the most important documents in our homes and should all be kept together.

Consider something like this that is both fire and water proof

Warranties & Manuals

warranties and manuals should also be stored separately for easy access. If the receipt is needed for the warranty staple it to the warranty. Now depending on how you organize is going to depend on what you might use. You could give them their own file in a filing cabinet.

Go through the warranties every six months to clear out those that have expired. When a new item is purchased to replace an old one get rid of the manual along with item being replaced. Depending on the number of manuals you have, you might consider getting an expandable organizer.

This can be used to file both warranties and manuals. Be sure to get one with tabs making things easier to find. They can also be used for a variety of other papers as well.

Tax Documents

We all have tax documents which we need to keep for up to 6 years and 7 if you own a business. Once we have filed out taxes we store them in a manila envelope, write the year on it with a sharpie and place it on a dedicated shelf with the previous years. If you do not have a shelf you could use a storage bin.

These can work for other documents you have a lot of as well. They come in various styles, colors and sizes. You could even purchase one that fits under a bed.

Medical Documents

Most individuals do not need to keep medical documents, but if you do need to consider the expandable file folder with tabs. They can be filled by month or by the type such as tests, doctor appointment etc. What ever makes sense to you and makes it easy to find.

Another product that would be good for medical documents is a file box. They are available in various colors, if you need more than one for different people in the household. Various sizes and styles. If you want to be able to put a file folder in it be sure the box you choose can accommodate them, not all do.

Be sure to go through these at least every 6 months and get rid of what you no longer need to avoid clutter. They can also be used for other important documents.

Bills

Personally in this day and age there is no need to keep bills. Bank/credit card statements can easily be accessed online and printed out if proof of payment is required. Bills can be viewed online if you have a question about it. If you feel like you need to keep them. Once you get the bill the next month/cycle get rid of the previous one. Keeping them will only lead to clutter.

For bills that need to be paid, give them a home. Not only does it make it easy to find, but it keeps them from taking up valuable space on flat surfaces. Consider a desk top organizer, can be used other places. Place bills to be paid in it and once it is paid put it in another section. Once the bill comes in again get rid of the previous one. Available in different sizes, colors and style.

If space is an issue consider getting a wall organizer. These are also available in different styles, sizes and colors.