OrganizingNeeds hints and tips on organizing your house? Are you a clutterbug or do you pile things instead of filing things? Help out where you have succeeded or ask for help from this great group of friends!
I am a pack rat when it comes to paperwork and bills. I need to get this mess organized and under control. Any tips on bills, bill paying and paperwork?
__________________
"Do the best that you can where you are, and be kind." by Scott Nearing
My DH has a plastic accordian type folder that he puts his bills and payment vouchers in. That way he can either put them in alphabetical order or put them in a slot of each bill. He can put stamps and envelopes in one slot too. He can also take this folder with him to Cruces or any other place to pay bills anywhere without losing them. It is a good way to keep them together. You can find these at any school supply or Walmart.
I need a desk central. I pulled an old student desk off the curb a few years ago and got a large board for the top. On it sits the address card file boxes. I know that I could do it on the computer but until I have backed up cds going I keep a hardcopy this way.
A wicker box holds upright manilla folders of most current stuff like a folder to put receipts for medical bills for reimbursement filing, one for the dogs vet stuff, college tuition stuff, bills to pay etc.
To my left is a huge pile of reference folders that I use often enough that getting them in and out of the file cabinet is a pain.
Behind me are two file cabinets for the long term storage of official stuff.
And hanging from my wall mounted lamp are all kinds of fun things like: a huge embordiery hoop, a ball cap, lacrosse goggles, waterproof match container, cell phone holder, caribiner for when I work and need to carry my keys with me, travel drives.
I work on top of a desk calender which is scheduling central. If it isn't on there, it doesn't happen (appointments). It is for the whole family. It also makes me keep my work area clear so I can get to the calendar.
In the kneehole are all kinds of filing stuff and there is my downfall, filing. I am great at it, WHEN I do it. You know that State Farm commercial? The one where everything was in paper bags? Well, the last five years... (working those jobs put a stall in filing) ...and I don't use paper bags but shoeboxes. Everything is sort of layered, like Troy. That is the rest of the January paperwork project! We have two tall filing cabinets in another room that hold this stuff, once I get it in there. Things like warranties, back tax submissions, travel information, camping information, etc.
I always am amazed at my more efficient friends whose home office really does fit in that little kitchen nook that was so popular a few years ago.
The only thing on the computer are all the inventories. I inventory almost everything in the house.
__________________
Ellen in PA
"God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of love, power, and a sound mind."
Last edited by ellenmelon; 01-17-2007 at 08:03 AM.
With owning a business besides working full time, I have tons of receipts, paperwork showing sales and expenses, etc. Last year I used a big freezer baggie to keep all the receipts and invoices in. That worked well for keeping it all in one place but at the end of the year sorting it all back out by category, Ugh!!!
This year I'm being super organized. I went to Staples and bought book binders and sheet protectors. I organized sections, titled Jan. Sales, January Expenses, Jan. Inventory, etc. and will be doing the same with our household expenses. I printed a header sheet for each section in big font size and bold print. Now I have one big book with everything. You could do it by Gas Receipts, Dental, Medical, and just slip the receipts in each section. If you need to, you could sub categorize by family member. Joe's Dental, Trisha's, etc. at the end of the year this will be valuable for figuring out how much you spent on dental, etc.
With the rising cost of medical, dental and prescriptions this is really going to help us this year with itemizing for taxes.
Hope this helps.
Anna
__________________ We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Location: Greenville, TX which is about 40 north of Dallas
Posts: 59
I try to pay as much as possible online or from my checking account. I make a list of EVERYTHING that needs to be paid. You can use a data base, or use a word processor. I list a partial or whole acct # and any immediate phone #'s for emergency contact.
I do columns with (1) acct name, (2) acct#, (3) date due, (4) Amt due, (5) __ to check when paid, (6) date paid (7) ref.#. from payee.
I highlight the accts according to the pay period they fall into. It is all on one sheet, I can print it out and file it at the end of the month. I get electronic billing & confirmation that I can on line and can save it or check my bank accuracy and detete it. Anything that comes in by mail, I shred for security. I store information on a cd that can be updated. Make an extra copy and put itinto a fireproof safe or in your bank's safety deposit box. If I need to leave in a hurry, I can take the disk & lap top with me. Most hotels, libraries and even McDonalds have wireless routers to connect to when you are on the road.
__________________
Not a native Texan, but I got here as soon as I could!:-)
I am doing something different this year and that is to pay the bill when it first comes in instead of waiting for the due date. I have forgotten in the past to pay a bill because of waiting closer to the due date to pay it. I than file it in the appropriate file. Than I am finished with it and don't have to worry if I paid it or not.
I have always been a bill payer that when the bill comes it it gets paid that week.
I tend to forget about them otherwise or lose them. If it's a larger type bill I put some money aside, what I can afford that week and that way the money is less for the when it arrives.
I usually pay online by credit card or direct debit. If I pay credit my credit card gets paid in full when the statement arrives and therefore no interest is due on my part.
We own & operate our own business so we receive more mail than most people.
We receive a pay check once a month from the business.
In my personal check book I label each household bill & child extracurricular activity from 1-8. I pay the bills as they arrive & place a # next to the name in my check book registry so I know how many more bills to expect. That's how I budget my personal check book.
Once the bill is paid I place it in a clear plastic storage container. If it's a business bill paid out of the business account I log it in a DOME Bookkeeping Record for future reference and file it in an accordion file for the year. At the end of the year I take the business papers out of the accordion file and place them on top of the household papers for storage.
I have a file cabinet that stores our warranty info, up to date insurance info, work invoices, medical info, etc... These items stay in the file cabinet until they expire which can be up to 10 years. If it's business related I move it to the business box & start over.
I read the mail as it arrives and deal with it immediately. If for some reason I'm not able to handle it right away, I write a note on my calender reminding me to look at the mail or I paperclip it to my calender. Within the week I will take care of it so I can focus on more important things.
All junk mail, envelopes, & letter with our name and/or address on them are shredded before I burn them. We burn our leaves and build fires to roast marshmallows. The shredded paper works wonderfully & I don't have to worry about our info being on the papers in case we have to put out the fire before they burn.
I'll post later with more ideas that are working for us.
I have a desk in the kitchen with a pretty box that has an accordian folder inside but it is divided by the date. I put the bills in there when they come in and I set aside one day usually Sunday morning and take out all the bills that need to be payed that month and I pay them. Simple as that. I am also a pack rat. I have ripped pages from magazines, supposedly to take with me when I go to the doctors or the kids have an appointment basically anytime I have to wait, but I have them as far back as 1972 and I have not read none of them nor looked at them since I put them in there, yet I keep ripping the magaazines and filing the pages in a file cabinet. So if this bill paying theing works for me. I know it will work for you. Maybe I should post to get feedback on how I can break the habit of saving papers.
Ellen in PA 
Create yourself a great day & may you be richly blessed. 
