As the year ends, it's soon time to organize your files and prepare them for tax return!
Are you ready?
Nothing like being able to quickly retrieve any document or paper you need!
If you have piles and piles of paper on your kitchen countertops, your desk or even your bedside table, it is worth it investing on the help of a professional organizer. Digging through them to find that receipt or invitation you are looking for can be dreadful! If you have no system at all, an organizer will change your life! If you do have filing system but papers are still piling up, it means, something isn't right with your system. In this case, a professional organizer will be able to detect what the issue is and fix it! Now, if the only reason for the installed chaos is lack of time and/or energy - stop procrastinating! The time and energy you will spend organizing will save you time and energy when you need something! Just do it! And if you get audited, you will be so thankful!
Are you ready?
Nothing like being able to quickly retrieve any document or paper you need!
If you have piles and piles of paper on your kitchen countertops, your desk or even your bedside table, it is worth it investing on the help of a professional organizer. Digging through them to find that receipt or invitation you are looking for can be dreadful! If you have no system at all, an organizer will change your life! If you do have filing system but papers are still piling up, it means, something isn't right with your system. In this case, a professional organizer will be able to detect what the issue is and fix it! Now, if the only reason for the installed chaos is lack of time and/or energy - stop procrastinating! The time and energy you will spend organizing will save you time and energy when you need something! Just do it! And if you get audited, you will be so thankful!
The biggest question seems to always be:
For how long do I keep my papers?
Julie Morgenstern, author of "Organizing from the Inside Out" says:
"One of the things that causes chaos is that people don't know what they need, so they save everything!"
"One of the things that causes chaos is that people don't know what they need, so they save everything!"
Catalogs and magazines should be discarded when the next issue arrives! If you didn't have time to read that one when it arrived, you most probably won't have time to go through old ones! Keep only the current!
Purchase receipts do not need to be kept if they are not used for taxes. If you use a budget control application, discard them after the imput in your system. Documents and receipts used for tax purposes should be kept for 6 years after filing plus current year, which means 7! So, when you file in 2015, you should have that year's filing (2014) plus the last 6 years - 2008 to 2013. The best way to accomplish this easily is to have each year's Tax Return documents in a separate box tagged with the year for easy identification. When you throw away 2007, remove the tag and place a new one with "2014" on it! I like stackable plastic filing boxes to avoid humidity, but paper will also do the job. So, discard of 2007 and older. When I say discard of documents like this, I mean shred it! A small paper shredder will do the job in most households!
Others, like your Medical Records, wills, trusts and estate plans should be kept permanently. Professional Organizer Dawn Noble, recommenders keeping the following documents on a safe: adoption papers, automobile title, birth certificates, citizenship papers, copyrights or patents, death certificates, divorce decrees, life insurance policies, marriage certificates, military discharge papers, passports, property deeds, powers of attorney and will, trusts and state plans.
"People go file crazy, having separate folders for their cable bills, electricity bills, etc. It's not necessary!", says Barry Izsak, former president of the NAPO
(National Association of Professional Organizers)
Don't keep it, if you are not going to need it!!! That means, unless you will use a grocery store receipt when you file your taxes, they should not even go to your purse! The same is true for utility bills. If they aren't used for tax deduction, only keep them until they are paid.
One trick to keep your papers under control is to put them away at the same rate they come in. For example, school papers and mail that come in everyday, should be sorted daily. Alternatively, you can set a day of the week to tackle them down, but expect to spend a little more time, if you let them accumulate.
Sara Pedersen, from Time to Organize, says:
"A quick note about the 'paperless' office - it doesn't exist, and probably never will.
There are some documents that need to be kept in hard-copy format."
"A quick note about the 'paperless' office - it doesn't exist, and probably never will.
There are some documents that need to be kept in hard-copy format."
That being said, we can surely decrease the amount of paper! Nowadays, most products manuals can be found online but first, check if it is available on the manufacture's website, then throw it away and only save warranty and receipt if applicable. Résumés are easily stored electronically. Then you can updated and print from any of your devices. Just remember, if you discard of any paper document to keep them only electronically, backup your files to an external hard drive or keep them at an application like Dropbox.
A good tip is to keep your files where you deal with the papers. If you deal with your papers in the kitchen, but place your files in the office, odds are they will pile up at your kitchen counter. I suggest you place a file box on a bottom kitchen cabinet or in your pantry and see if it helps you! If that is not possible, place a paper box or magazine holder, or even, set a kitchen drawer where those papers can land for a week, until you can go through them.
Use color coded filing folder to help you separate categories. I like the brand Smead, they are the most durable. Insert plain color manila folders in straight line, which are easier on the eye and the brain! Keep file names simple and write them in black ink on white background.
A good tip is to keep your files where you deal with the papers. If you deal with your papers in the kitchen, but place your files in the office, odds are they will pile up at your kitchen counter. I suggest you place a file box on a bottom kitchen cabinet or in your pantry and see if it helps you! If that is not possible, place a paper box or magazine holder, or even, set a kitchen drawer where those papers can land for a week, until you can go through them.
Use color coded filing folder to help you separate categories. I like the brand Smead, they are the most durable. Insert plain color manila folders in straight line, which are easier on the eye and the brain! Keep file names simple and write them in black ink on white background.
Now, following is a list I only give to my clients, but you're lucky it's the season of giving!
- To save you some precious time, call 212.768.7277 or register here (click on "email opt out service" at the bottom) to remove your name from mailing lists and reduce unwanted junk email!
- To stop all catalog deliveries in one spot, go to www.catalogchoice.org.
- To stop the flow of credit card offers, you will have to provide you Social Security Number here.
- To stop unsolicited marketing calls, add phone numbers to the "Do Not Call Registry". Visit www.donotcall.gov or call 888.382.1222.
- To stop the delivery of the big and heavy yellow pages books visit www.YellowPagesOptOut.com or call 1.866.329.7118.
Start the year on the right track! Get organized!
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