Drowning in paperwork

coldcazzie

Filing cabinet? I have a 4 drawer one, top drawer has home related stuff; second drawer has items that need keeping but are not directly home related (pets, bike etc); third drawer has coloured paper/card etc for the kids plus envelopes and cards; and the fourth has the kids artwork in it.

Archer0710

Thanks.

I have way too much for concertine files so am coveting a pine filing cabinet (as it needs to match my furniture :-/ )

I used to replace everything yearly and then direct line didn't correctly cancel car insurance on my old car and I had to prove I'd sold it etc. It took months to sort.

I am a bit of a safety net kind of person with paperwork. I can declutter any other area of my life but seem to hit a brick wall with paperwork.

Does paperless billing etc make things easier or is that wishful thinking?

Valli

I got a filing cabinet from round the back of the council offices (they were having a clearout and I DID ask; I was there because it's a Public Car Park on Saturdays) one deep file drawer and a smaller drawer. Job done!

But you don't need to save everything -

Payslips need to be saved for a year (April-April) then can be shredded when you have the P60 (and you checked it!)

Only save a years worth of bank statements

I don't save any utility bills anymore as I do them online
If you want to track usage then make a spreadsheet and shred the bills!

Also a good idea to photocopy all bank cards/credit cards/driving licenses (etc) front AND back then if they go missing you have the account details/contact numbers to hand.
I also have a photocopy of the key passport pages for us all

Re paperless billing - sometimes means, in an emergency, you might not have details such as account numbers (customer/contract numbers) - have a LIST and add company contact details


have a list of all mobiles - mobile numbers AND IMEI numbers 'just in case' and the account number if you're on contract

Also (if you have kids) keep lists of when they have had vaccinations/innoculations and what they were - I've often needed these for consent forms for school trips.

Ishtar

Lever arch files and dividers. I have 4 of these for. At the end of the financial year I archive anything that I need to keep (bank statements, utility bills, etc) into envelopes and up into the loft, with a destroy date on. I keep them for 6 years then shred. Doesn't take up much space - just one smallish storage crate.

Things like out of date insurance certificates and info get shredded straight away.

I also have a concertina file as a brought forward system, means I don't misplace anything I need, like hospital appts, etc.

luxor4t

While you are sorting through the paper mountain, start simply by keeping the bills etc that arrive this month in one clearly marked big envelope, do the same for next month also. This means you know where these items are.
Then, as you can, sort the backlog into types eg bank statements, utilities, insurance etc. Then date order.
Tick receipts off as your bank statements arrive, so you can dispose of them, unless they have a guarantee attached.

Sambucus_Nigra

I have a 40 pocket presentation folder for each year - each bill type goes in one of the pockets for a whole year. So at the end of the year you will have a pocket of bank statements, one of car stuff, one of council tax stuff, etc etc.

After 3 years, take everything out and shred it.

You could have one separate for things like receipts [just in case of insurance claims etc].

I have 4 and got them from poundland and if you look after them well they last years.

This is a link to one from staples so you know what I am talking about.

http://www.staples.co.uk/leitz-range/bebop/bepop-display-book-40-pocket?r=se

Archer0710

I do wish my Mum had been better with paperwork as a kid. She taught me to cook, clean and iron but it useless with paperwork!!

I think basics need teaching at an early age I am in my 30's and still avoid finances etc. I have sat here and realised you are right I keep too much.

I don't need the MOT's for my car other than the current one and maybe if I checked my bank statements more regularly (another Ostrich issue) I wouldn't need to keep insurance stuff etc.

What about closed finance accounts etc? I have a folder of settled finance accounts etc. Is it worth keeping those?

blossomhill_2

luxor4t wrote: »

While you are sorting through the paper mountain, start simply by keeping the bills etc that arrive this month in one clearly marked big envelope, do the same for next month also. This means you know where these items are.
Then, as you can, sort the backlog into types eg bank statements, utilities, insurance etc. Then date order.

I agree with luxor's methods - the other methods suggested require you to be an organise dperson which is a way off yet. I suggest a container (tray, box file, envelope, whatever) for each month, then gradually file them

I also recommend thinking up titles that you use throughout your paperwork and follow through to your computer files too, such as

• Utilities and Services
• Guarantees, Receipts and Orders
• Hobbies and Interests (inc holidays)
• Finance
• Family
• Friends
• Employment
• etc

you get the idea, then be really strict putting things into these groupings when you file them, whether they're paper or electronic, documents or photos - some things will seem to fit two or more of the categories but stick with it and you will gradually know where they will go/to find them

When using date order make sure you put most recent on top, not at bottom

Good luck

blossomhill_2

Archer0710 wrote: »

I do wish my Mum had been better with paperwork as a kid. She taught me to cook, clean and iron but it useless with paperwork!!

Blame your mother?!?

ShillyShally

I use Evernote (which is free). Sort mail as it comes in and shred/recycle junk mail.

Everything else is scanned directly to Evernote and tagged (year, subject, name - e.g. 2012; Payslip; My Work). Any paperless/online bills are also sent to Evernote, same for important emails.

Any document that needs action is tagged "to do", or just filed under the tag "archive".

The originals are then shredded apart from those documents that need to be kept for a set amount of time.

I have one box file which contains the physical documents I need to keep including driving licenses etc.