Open your mail everyday to avoid mounds of paper. Opening a few pieces daily is much easier and less time consuming. Put the junk mail and envelopes straight into the recycle bin. Use a desk to (upright) file to sort the rest; bills to pay, needs attention, to read etc. In five to ten minutes a day you can control the incoming paper.
The Perfect Filing System
There are many great filing systems on the market. The thing I have learned when creating a home filing systems for clients, is that it must make sense to them. A particular system might offer more benefits than another, but ultimately the one used must be manageable long after the organizer has gone. Some things that I find helpful are:
– Use hanging files.
– Only use file folders if there is a sub-category in a hanging file, this will cut down on the bulk considerably.
– Name your file with confidence knowing you will be able to find it again in a year.
– Use names on files by type rather than company. Such as phone rather than Shaw or Telus.
– Keep names of files generic. Use ‘Even Tax Year’ and ‘Odd Tax Year’ rather than the year itself. Archive older files.
– Prefix like categories: Rather than have the gas bill under ‘G’ and the phone bill under ‘P’, group them together by naming them ‘Utility-Gas’ and ‘Utility-phone’. Group family health records together by naming them ‘Health-then the family members name’
– Keep an active desk top file with no more than 6-10 categories. This is the place you will visit daily and/or weekly. Files might include categories such as: bills to pay, needs attention, to do, asap. Keep one file for each child for school and activity related things.
Like a home there should be flow in your filing system. Every six months or at least once a year, go through each file and purge the no longer needed papers. Create space for more current documents and avoid creating a system too jammed with paper to use.
Set Room Boundaries
Be clear about the function for each room in your home. Only keep things in that space for that particular purpose. Your things will be easier to locate.