Is it possible to drown in paper???

Curry_Queen

Luis wrote:

Brace yerself for the Luis organised approach:

Your not a Virgo by any chance, are you?

Ticklemouse

Curry_Queen wrote:

I have a pile system ... a huge pile of stuff on my desk next to me that needs sorting out ... which then goes into separate piles for binning and filing ... which then go into piles for bills, statements, important letters etc ... which then go into piles ....

I think you get the drift LOL! ... yeah I need a proper filing system too!!!

Here we go again C_Q You been copying me ?

Mr TM on the other hand ALWAYS sorts his mail out when he walks through the front door - even if it means he doesn't say hello properly. That winds me up as much as my mountains of paperwork wind him up

Daisy

I use a concertina system with sections for bank/electricity/water/outstanding/guarantees and manuals/work/information/...

I'm surprised you all keep bills for 12 months. When a new one arrives, I throw the old one away. I've also changed to paper free billing with BT seeing as I only pay them for line rental.

Luis

Curry_Queen wrote:

Your not a Virgo by any chance, are you?

Nah - Pyrex! :dance:

Curry_Queen

Ticklemouse wrote:

Here we go again C_Q You been copying me ?

Mr TM on the other hand ALWAYS sorts his mail out when he walks through the front door - even if it means he doesn't say hello properly. That winds me up as much as my mountains of paperwork wind him up

LOL!!! :rotfl:

I have a poster on my kitchen wall that says "Don't touch my mess ... you'll screw up my World!" ... and it's true!!!

Even amongst the chaos I know exactly where to lay my hands on most stuff, until last week that was when I decided to clear my desk and have a tidy up. Now I can't find a thing :rolleyes:

BrightonLad

Hi All,
I have a 4-drawer filing cabinet - 2 drawers which i don't actually use at the moment, but one drawer has a file for each labelled:

• one for each credit card, i include all correspondence and statements
• one for each bank account,
• car documents (mot, insurance, v5, repair invoices, etc)
• mobile phone
• payslips and P60s
• home shopping catalogue statement and offers they send through
• Healthcare (opticians etc)
• Loan agreements
• Personal work correspondence
• one for each utility
• Tax and Self Assesment

other drawer is used for all info relating to my rental properties with a file for each labelled:

• one for each mortgage
• bills and repairs one for each property
• insurance
• letting agents statemnts and info

I keep bank statements for 5 years, cc statements for 5 years or 1 year after i close an account (put everything on MS Money anyway)
I have all my mobile bills in there!
i have only kept all my utility bills since i moved out of my parents and started to receive them, but will destroy them one year after i move.
I have yet to have a clear out of drawer 2 - everything is in there from when i started the ball rolling with my first investment property 2 years ago.
All the purchase info for each is now in box files as it does not need to be referred to again that often. And with all solicitors letters, mortgage co letters etc, it all gets too much for a suspended file.

******One thing i would recommend is that you have a "Touch Once Policy". It was taught to me by an old manager at work - every bit of paper that comes into your had you only handle once, and deal with it there and then - act on it, file it, chuck it in the bin, whatever you nned to do.
This way you don't get those ever-growing mountains of paperwork.

Curry_Queen

BrightonLad wrote:

******One thing i would recommend is that you have a "Touch Once Policy". It was taught to me by an old manager at work - every bit of paper that comes into your had you only handle once, and deal with it there and then - act on it, file it, chuck it in the bin, whatever you nned to do.
This way you don't get those ever-growing mountains of paperwork.

That's an excellent piece of advice and is something I've attempted to do many times when I've had a bash at being organised, but like with anything else, you only have to let it slip a couple of times and before you know it you're back to square one again :doh:

moneywasternomore!

I had........two cardboard concertina files, one metal case with suspension files, a huuuuuuuge palstic crate with suspension files, plus a smattering of piles around the study! Finally bit the bullet and bought a proper two-drawer filing cabinet (off eBay for a tenner!) It's an eye-pleasing oak one, not an ugly metal one - vetoed by OH!

I now use top drawer for everyday stuff - cc statements, bank statements (2 yrs),, bills etc; bottom drawer for less regularly-used stuff. Like the idea of a "grab" file though....

Am now far more organised, but I still like my piles of paper!

misspriscilla

Hi Math,
I am surprised you had to produce documents dated 1986. My accountant,who was an Inland Revenue Inspector, says I can destroy bank statements, cheques, invoices etc., older than six years. And I have!

System

Is it possible to drown in paper???

Nahh but you can get snowed in under it.

*sorry i will get me coat*