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Organizing Your End-of-Year Files
NOW is the time to go through and clean out your files!
Maybe you need to freshen up your filing system. Maybe you need to create a filing system! Whatever the case, paper piles can be overwhelming. Creating and maintaining an organized filing system makes year-end file clean up easy, saving you valuable TIME! Another good reason to have a filing system: Save MONEY! Many of our clients have found checks that were not deposited,
and bank accounts they had forgotten about. One client even found his Will!
Setting Up a Filing System:
- Start by collecting all of your papers.
- Sort papers into 2 piles: Keep and Trash.
- Next, sort the keepers into categories.
Include a file for each family member.
I highly recommend using labeled hanging folders, but you can also use a file box or binder. Some categories may have subcategories. Use manila folders for subcategories.
Label files in pencil at first, and use for a month or so, in case you want to make changes. Then you can permanently label each file. I also recommend arranging the file tabs in one row. This makes it easy to add or delete files.
Suggested File Categories:
- Bills
- Employment
- Health
- Home
- Insurance
- Investments
- Legal
- Medical
- Military
- Payments
- Receipts
- Retirement
- School
- Statements
- Taxes
- Wills
End of Year Filing Process:
1) Gather Supplies: stapler, post-it notes, paper clips, rubber bands, sharpie or pen, manila folders and a file box or other storage container. Use plastic if storing in a basement, garage or attic, where water/weather damage may occur.
2) Take out each file individually. As you go through the file, decide what you can toss, what you can remove for the year-end file box, and what you can keep in the file.
3) Keep sections together with a staple, paper clip, rubber band, or place in a manila folder.
4) Label each section.
5) After going through every file, you should now have your year-end files ready for storage.
6) Bind all sections together and label by year.
7) Place in File Box. Several years may fit in one file box.
8) Don't forget to label your File Box with appropriate dates.
Congratulations! You should now have space in your file cabinet for the new year!
File Management Tips:
1) Keep a "Working File" for all papers you need to file later. Sure, it's great to file each paper as you receive it. But, at least for me, this is not realistic. I place papers I need to file in a separate folder on my desk. You could also use a basket or paper tray designated specifically for this purpose. File these in the right place weekly.
2) Keep a "To Do" file. This would be for things like bills to pay, forms to fill out, etc. File once the task is completed.
3) Be smart - shred all personal documents before you toss them!
4) Keep your year-end files WITH that year's Tax Return.
5) Keep Vital Documents in a fireproof / waterproof box or cabinet, or a safe deposit box.
6) Maintenance is the key - find time daily, weekly or monthly to keep things filed properly. The more often you do this the less time it will take.
7) Work where the action is. Set up your file system in the kitchen, if that is where papers tend to accumulate. This is MUCH easier than retraining yourself to take them to the office upstairs. The fewer steps involved - the better.
8) Go PAPERLESS! Opt for paperless statements, pay your bills online, and use a computer financial program, such as Quick Books. I also recommend using an Online Computer Backup system like Mozy or Carbonite.
Where are your family photos? In boxes? In drawers? In envelopes? In unmarked albums? Or are you not sure WHERE they are? Wouldn't it be nice to FINALLY get your photographs organized - once and for all? Wouldn't it also be nice to have a system in place to KEEP them organized? It is not as hard as you might think. It may seem daunting, but with a little motivation and planning you CAN have beautiful albums that you and your family and friends can enjoy for years to come. Let's get started! Decide how you want to organize your photographs. I find organizing by year the easiest - I can just add photos to the album throughout the year. You can also organize by event, person, place, or season. Do what feels right to you and think about retrieval. If you want to find that picture of your son's first tee ball game will you look in a 2004 album, a sports album, a summer album or in the child's personal album? Also, do you want to store your photos in albums or photo boxes? Once you decide on the themes and titles for your albums or boxes START SORTING the photos into these designated piles. Get all the pictures sorted FIRST, THEN decide what type and size of albums or boxes you need. I use a 4 inch 3-ring binder for a year's worth of photos. Make sure you make a separate pile for duplicates or photos you want to keep, but do not want to put into an album. (I will show you what to do with these later.) After all your photos are in their designated piles, you can have some fun! Large albums or boxes are often too bulky to get out and share on a regular basis. But pictures are meant for sharing! The solution: turn bulky scrapbooks into thin photo books! They are easier to store and share, make great keepsake books, coffee table books, and memory books. I give them as personalized gifts every year! There will most likely be photos and memories that just don't fit into a regular photo album or box. There is an easy solution for this. Simply keep "like" with "like". I use 3-ring binders to store larger 5x7 and 8x10 photos. I have one for professional and school portraits, another for sport portraits, and a third for holiday portraits and cards. I know exactly where to find the photograph I am looking for. Plus, it is fun to see how the kids "grow" from year to year. Get creative and decorate your binders! Make sure to keep binders in chronological order! In addition to these themed picture binders, I keep a Scrapbook binder. This includes artwork, newspaper articles, notes, and anything sentimental. Keep this binder in chronological order too. Remember that pile of duplicates and loose photographs you have? Use a box with tabs to store them. These photo boxes are available at many stores. I categorized mine like this: Family, Portraits, Child's Name, Pets, Friends, and Misc. They are easy to find if I need photos for name tags, gift tags crafts, or school projects. how off your photos! I LOVE decorating with photographs. I believe you should have things in your house that make you happy - and looking at the people I love makes me happy.
Creating a Family Emergency Binder and Grab & Go Bag ensures that your family is prepared for any unexpected emergency!
The biggest challenge in getting organized is starting! The idea can be very intimidating. Where do you start? How long will it take? What do you do first? What containers do you use? How do you decide what to keep and what NOT to keep? How do you sort through it all? ALL these questions have answers and the process is much easier than you think. There are also many resources available to help you get and stay organized. Who hires a professional Organizer? Very busy people, new moms, families, parents of small children, teenagers and students, teachers, seniors, business executives, small business owners, realtors, entertainers, self-employed, new home buyers and sellers, people who are downsizing, and the list goes on. ANYONE can benefit from an organized life! If you really want to get rid of your clutter but don't know where or how to begin, a Professional Organizer is a great option! A Professional Organizer can expedite the organizing process, guide you in organizing your space, and teach you how to maintain an organized life. You should expect to work closely with your organizer to achieve results that work best for you and your family. Organizing is a very customized process - unique to each individual. A Professional Organizer will help you discover YOUR organizing style. There is NO job too big or too small for a Professional Organizer. And do not let embarrassment stop you from taking control of your clutter! Professional Organizers are very discrete and respectful of your privacy and your space. They are here to help you and work with you - not against you. They will not MAKE you get rid of anything you want to keep - they will simply encourage you to make good choices and find a place for your things. Being organized comes with many rewards. It will save you time - which is priceless - so you will have more time to enjoy the things you love! It will also SAVE you money. If you spend 15 minutes a day looking for keys, kid’s shoes or that unpaid bill, and you make $20 an hour at your job, being disorganized is costing you $5.00 a day! That comes to $1,825 a year! You can also make money selling items you no longer need or want, and donate items you no longer need or use, which is very fulfilling. Most importantly, being organized relieves stress and boosts confidence! There is power in purging! I have had several clients who are unsure about whether an "investment" in a Professional Organizer will be worth it. This is a very valid question in today's financial climate. I am VERY happy to say that EVERY client not only sees the value in getting organized, but most CONTINUE the process in other areas of their lives. They may start with a toy room then move to the office and then organize the kitchen. Once they see how the results or being organized pay off they usually want to keep the process going! Having a Professional Organizer is very much like having a personal trainer for your physical body, a dietitian for your nutritional health or a life coach for your emotional and mental well being. We are Organizing Coaches - ready to motivate and help you in your quest for a less chaotic life. We are also your partners in maintaining an organized space. Organizing is a process - a very fulfilling process! Embrace it and enjoy it. Once you start, who knows, you may even have fun!
