What's the best way to organize paperwork?

Question

I have tons of paperwork and need to get organized. What are best strategies

Answer 1

Things You’ll Need:

Waste bin

How to Organize Your Paperwork

Step1

Keep your desk in order. Whether you are in your home office or at work, clutter on your desk in the number one enemy. This makes your waste basket your ally. Keep your desk top neat and orderly. Throw out old and unwanted documents, don’t forget to shred them if they contain personal information, and don’t forget to recycle.

Step2

Eliminate unnecessary documents and paper work. Stop and think for a moment. Do you really need to print that email. Instead of making a hard copy of that important document, scan it and save it to a file.

Step3

To prevent paper clutter from taking over, keep all your important documents in file folders. As a last resort, create a "miscellaneous" file for loose papers that can't be filed elsewhere. Keep your filing system simple. You should be able to find anything you need immediately.

Step4

Instead of keeping loose scraps of paper with your notes, telephone numbers and other bits of information, make it a point to transcribe them into your planner. You'll always know where to find the information you need.

Step5

Re-file regularly. As you finish a project, move the files associated with it away from your desk and into a file cabinet or storage area. If you've taken old files out of storage for a specific project, don't forget to put them back when you no longer need them.

Step6

Throw away any documents that you no longer need. Do not file anything unnecessarily.

Step7

Establish a shelf life for each of the different types of files you keep. Throw away paperwork when it is no longer relevant. Do not hold it indefinitely, clogging up the system

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Tips:

Record-keeping is more than merely a matter of neatness and order. Legal and safety factors enter in as well. Many records and papers can be kept in a home file for ready access, while others should be left with your attorney or placed in a safe-deposit box.

Answer 2

get the accordion type binders. use one for bills, manuals taxes etc... or if you really have a lot  get a file cabinet and organize by letters. keep the same system going bills in front with a certain color folder in alphabet order. then say taxes in  green folders by years. manuals in another color by alphabet order  keep a IN basket and an OUT basket. when you open a bill take out all the unnecessary stuff and just keep the bill and envelope

Answer 3

1.  divide into categories and store in file folders (types of bills, receipts, bank statements, legal paperwork, school/work paperwork, etc are good ways to sort)

2.  store file folders in a portable file box or if you have too many for that, buy an appropriately sized file cabinet (I prefer the locking kind in case the house would ever get broken into)

Answer 4

It really depends on the type of paperwork.  School stuff?  Work stuff?  Home stuff?  

Here are some sites to check out.  

http://www.womensmedia.com/new/organizin...

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/te...

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/04/1...

http://wiki.43folders.com/index.php/Fili...

Hope some of these help.

- Laurel Plum

http://laurelplumonline.com