Any organizational system that's too complicated or detailed is doomed to fail. Same holds true for a filing system. It needs to be easy enough to stick with and just detailed enough to be useful.
That's why I like the simple filing system I'm using again, now that I have my cute new expandable file. It's how I manage the paid bills, financial statements, and important papers I need to keep track of. For the most part, all I have to do is plop everything into the file each month.
But since the countless papers that enter our home don't go straight from the mailbox to the file box, I need a way to sort and store everything for the short-term. I'm determined to keep the stack of mail off the kitchen counter, so my usual system of letting everything pile up until it starts to drive me crazy won't work anymore.
As an alternative to the pile-until-crazy-system, we decided to label (and hopefully use!) the hanging wall file that's in our hall:
This is where I put bills or important papers that need dealt with when I go through the mail everyday. Now my husband knows exactly where to look when he's ready to take care of the finances.
This box holds the paid billing statements and other important items that need filed away. My husband pays them; I file them. Now we both have a place to put them.
I have papers and information that just won't fit into a category or file. This is where I know to look for those random things. I'll continually go through this box to see what I no longer need. I also use this space to hold a large manila envelope for restaurant or service coupons and a couple smaller envelopes for receipts.
This holds the high school handbook, small homeschool catalogues, notes, and any other school-related papers I may want to keep.
To keep this wall file from becoming bloated, I am adding "empty files" to my weekly to do list. One day each week I'll quickly sort, trash, or act on what I've been dropping in. With some luck (and a little work), our mail and papers will stay under control.
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