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Creating a Simple Filing System for Personal and Business

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March 23, 2017 by Kendra 6 Comments

Paper… Piles and piles of paper. Pretty sure the trees are crying! Anyone else feel like their desk/office area just overflows with paper? Today I’m sharing my system for creating a simple filing system. And I do this every year!

Each year, after our taxes have been safely squared away with the IRS and everything settled, I clear out my main filing drawer. Typically the first of March is when this gets done. This year too many things were going on so I just managed to accomplish it.

Creating a simple filing system is easier than you may think. Here's how to easily organize your home office

When going through files with their piles of papers I’m often so tempted just to toss it all out. However, common sense prevails and I keep the necessary years for each category of information.

Creating a Simple Filing System

Use a fireproof safe for creating a simple filing system. This is where you want to keep your "forever" documents.

A Filing Safe

 

You can buy fireproof safes that use hanging files. I have found this to be the very best way to hang onto those papers and documents that we have to keep such as:

  • Birth/Death certificates
  • Social Security Cards
  • Any other form of identification such as passports
  • Marriage license
  • Wills
  • Life Insurance plans
  • Vehicle titles or loan information
  • House/land deeds or mortgages

Creating a simple filing system is easier than you may think. Here's how to easily organize your home office

A-Z Filing

 

I have a set of files that have receipts and accompanying paperwork such as owner’s manuals/warranties for items we have purchased like home appliances, car seats, lawn mower etc.

This is a simple setup because I file alphabetically. Every few years I’ll skim through the files and toss the paperwork for items we may have sold or tossed. Occasionally I’ll need one of the warranties or receipt for some reason or another and I’m thankful that it was easy to locate.

Creating a simple filing system is easier than you may think. Here's how to easily organize your home office

                                    This is what our “main” files look like each year before clearing them out!

Bills Bank Statements and More

 

Then I have the main files. The ones that fills up fast with pay-stubs, CC/bank statements, bills, Blog and Norwex related business stuff etc.

I have few papers for the blog since most is done online, but some advertisers prefer to send checks and I do print a few of the important documents.

Norwex has a lot more papers. So I use two different files for it, income related papers, and expense related files.
*This is “business” income and the records are kept 7 years.

Then comes the “fun” stuff…

The receipt file in the front is emptied monthly as I compare receipts to the credit card and bank statements when they come. I then staple the receipts within the statement it belongs to and file it in the appropriate CC or Bank Statement file.
*I pull these out yearly and keep in a box for 3 years.

Bills like internet, phone, utilities, house mortgage and any loans we have, each get their own files. This makes it simple for me to compare what’s happening on the pricing end of things. Internet especially is notorious for going up unexpectedly.
*I pull these out yearly and keep for 3 years.

Other folders would include Jason’s pay stubs and work related information, the monthly statement for our different ins. plans (the actual policies are in the safe), a file for medical related expenses and a file for receipts from charitable gifts.
*These are also cleared yearly and kept for 3 years, with the exception of medical which are kept 7 years.

Creating a simple filing system is easy once you have a plan!Click To Tweet

The tax info folder is also cleared out yearly keeping only the previous years tax information in it. IRS states you need only keep 3 years of tax info, but since they can go back 6 years if they suspect you under-reported your income by more than 25% we decided to keep 7 years to be on the safe side.

Each of our vehicles have a maintenance file and those files are only cleared out when the vehicle is sold. As well, we have a file on a child we sponsor through world vision and that file is not cleared out. It’s kind of fun to look back through those files and read the letters etc.

I do know that we keep papers longer than required for many categories, especially as you can easily go back a couple years to print out credit card and bank statements. However, this is just what works well for us.

The files we pull out each year fit nicely into a banker’s box and that’s what we use.

Busting the paper clutter is easy when you have a system in place.

Finally, what about ALL that MAIL? 

First things first. DON’T let junk mail into the house. When I get the mail, I typically detour by the trash can and leave about 75% of it there. The rest is easily sorted and filed on the desk until I’m able to do book work.

The main key to creating a simple filing system is make it your own. Not everyone reconciles their cc and bank statements against their receipts. If you don’t do this, make files for each month and put the receipts and statements in their correct months.

A lot of work up front makes things very easy ongoing. So take a little time. Look at the papers you have on hand, and file them in a way that makes sense to you.

When you have a system, it’s easy to stay on top of the paper clutter and important papers don’t get lost, while the bills get paid on time because they are right there.

What do you think about creating a simple filing system? Do you have something that works well for you?

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Filed Under: Home and Garden Tagged With: budgeting, homemaking, organizing, saving money

Respectful opinions are always welcome

  1. Kristina Rees says

    March 28, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    I’m always looking for a good filing system. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Donella says

    April 6, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Thanks for the paper organization tips. I always say I’ll get the paperwork in order, but I end up just stuffing everything into the same file folder until it’s full. I need to get on this!

    Reply
    • Kendra says

      April 7, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Once you figure out a system that works for you, it’s amazing how easy it is!

      Reply
  3. Victoria Boyd says

    October 8, 2019 at 9:49 am

    I always put the tab on the top in the very first position, on every single file. That way, they are still alphabetical, but tabs never have to be moved.

    Reply
  4. Kimberly says

    January 28, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    The tab labels are incorrectly positioned for additional files that may need to be added. Tabs labels should be in a straight row per color. Start with color#1 tabs on left, color#2 tabs center position, color#3 tabs to the right position. Start the tab position sequence over for additional colors.

    Reply
    • Kendra says

      January 29, 2020 at 8:17 am

      I’m sure my tabs aren’t correct for a “typical” filing system. This is just what works for me and I don’t even have the same set up from subject to subject either I know 🙂

      Reply

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about-small Hello, my name is Kendra. I am married to an amazing young man named Jason, and together we have 3 boys! Here at A Proverbs 31 Wife, you will find posts on homemaking, natural living, marriage, and motherhood. My goal is to uplift and inspire Christian wives and Mothers. {Read More}

 

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