What's your filing system like?

[Hoosier Momma]

Okay, I am usually Miss Clean and Organized, but with moving 2x in 17 months, a new baby, and all that stress, our files are in a big state of disarray.

Now that we're doing the Total Money Makeover and doing our yard sale (therefore getting rid of things and reorganizing), I want our files to look better so that when dh asks where a particular document is, I don't have to tell him to give me a while to look for it!

I bought a bunch of file folders (you know, the ones with the tabs) and some hanging files for our desk weeks ago (maybe months ago, I don't know) and they still sit with my other stationery products.

So my goal for the remainder of this month is to get things back on track. To be so anal that even our instruction manuals are organized.

Anyone else have this problem? I HATE being disorganized--I make lists for everything, but this is one area I just have been putting off forever.

[santoria]

home
I have a desk box with folders that everything gets put into then at the end of the month I file it all into the filing cabinet.

dh work
file box as well that gets filled and then monthly I file it in the big cabinet

same with my business.

[LexTysMommy]

I do alot of my bills online. But I have one file that says bills, and that is for the stubs of bills once I pay it. If I owe a bill it sits right next to my computer on clip until I do. Daily reminder.

Other paperwork that comes in house I stand over garbage and throw the majority of it away and put rest in pile on top of filing cabinet.

Once a month I will file the papers in correct file. (more if you have more papers I do not)

Kids schoolwork I make sure to dispose of whent hey are not here. I have a bin for their special art work and papers. Those get sealed and put in attic when full.

Once a year I go through manuals, and toss the ones I no longer have. I also put files I no longer file things in on bottom drawer and keep top drawer fresh.

In magazines I wil rip out page that I want to keep and get rid of rest. Then I will stick in its file that says magazine clippings.

Coupons are in one envelope in purse. And papers I will need to do something to are put on top of computer until I complete it.

Hope to help a bit, once you are organized its easy to stay that way! IMO

[Rosebush3]

Filing system... does my desktop count? Sometimes they slide down behind.. kinda filed away, right?

[IntlMom]

pretty much everything gets put in the "round file". Seriously, I keep very little paper. You do not NEED your house payment stubs, you can get them online, same with bank statements, credit card statements, EOBs, etc.....
Hubby thinks everything needs to be saved, ummmm, riiiiight. I used to be a "good wife" and save paid electric bills,,,,,um, yea, I don't do that anymore!

However, we do have a filling cabinet with some files. Insurance, retirement statements, pay stubs, etc...

[geckoace]

we are going away from paper (dh is taking baby steps towards this)

the bold is a hanging folder the regular is reg tabbed folders
each tabbed folder is labeled
for example "Insurance-Medical- BlueChoice"

auto
one for each car with vin written on it where we keep service records

bank
one for each account with statements for ones we still receive (no mor than 1 year )
we mostly bank online and receive e-statements

credit
notification of PIF
for ones still being paid one statement in case something happens to me and DH needs to get things in order

Education
Financial aid stuff (we are both in school)
Our catalogs (you need the one that was in place when you began )
Also my sons daycare/preschool bills are here because is tax deductible

House
A folder for each type Repair stuff (plumbing, elec, etc...)

Insurance
subfolder for each policy

Tax
a folder for each years docs we e file so i keep the 1040s on cds in our firesafe

somethings are going to be moving to binders like home maintenance stuff and credit will be slimmed as i work on a list to keep with info for open accts

and i keep a 12 tabbed accordion folder with our monthly sort of bills i keep them for a year so each month when this year goes in last year comes out

[Marie78]

I file my information in one file drawer. I use hanging file folders for the categories and within the categories I separate the paperwork into the different years, each year in its own manilla file folder.
Example: Banking (one of my hanging folders) (4) manilla file folders in the hanging folder: 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. I save my bank statements for reference. I first opened a bank account in 1996, but those are old statements that I keep towards the back of my file drawer, under a hanging folder titled "Old Statements". I switched banks 3 times and my most recent bank is the one titled "Banking."

My hanging folder categories are (Alphabetical):
Banking-bank statements in manilla folders separated by year
Car Information-any maintenance receipts, warranties, etc.. related to my car
Car Insurance-statements kept in manilla folders divided into years
Charities-Receipts and thank you from the charities I financially contribute to
Coupons-All coupon inserts that haven't expired
Credit Cards- (2 cards) each have their own manilla folders and separated by years
Health Information- manilla files for Primary Care, Specialty Drs., Dentist
Health Insurance- manilla folders each containing the different health insurance coverage I have had. Also by year for those insurances I had for more than one year.
Loan Information-I had a car loan and a student loan until last year when I paid both of them off completely. I store that information in this folder.
Pay Stubs- I have a folder for each year's saved pay stubs. I only keep my current job in this folder. Other pay stubs from previous jobs I store under "Old Statements"
Taxes-separated by year in manilla folders
Vet Information-any receipts and paperwork on what the cats have had done at the vet's office

In the back I keep a hanging folder for Misc. Information that just doesn't apply to any other category and there's not enough info. to give the paper it's own category.

I also have "old statements" where any older statements I no longer use regularly are stored, including old bank statements and pay stubs.

I know some people don't save paper and some of what I save probably doesn't need to still be saved. It all fits in one file drawer though, so I will keep what I have until it doesn't work for me anymore. My fiance stores information on our Apartment, Utilities, Cable, and his own filing in one of his file drawers.

[YankeeMom]

Wait...I'm supposed to have a system?

[Lady_V]

I have a filing cabinet... but it's full of yarn

I have to admit, I am bad when it comes to organization. The current bills are on a clip on the fridge, when I pay it, I toss it. I don't keep them... on the other hand every scrap piece of junky paper has found it's way to my desk (which I can't even use anymore because it's so full!)

I am trying to get rid of the desk. I also want to make a control-journal type of thing. I am trying to get back in to FLYing...

[cab54]

LOL! Yankeemom you stole my line!

I hopped on here to say "I have a system?"

[AmyBoz]

I have a wooden filing cabinet. In the top drawer are all of the utility bills, folders for kids medical information and report cards and instruction manuals, etc.

The bottom drawer is where I put mortgage, tax, insurance and bank statment information.

The uniform thing throughout is that all folder tabs are lined up on the left...not the tab system that spaces them out. It's much easier on the eye and easier to find things with.

[crazyBMB]

Filing System?? Isn't that called a box?? Whats that??? (he-he-he!)

[Hoosier Momma]

Well, dh and I got started on Monday night. We got through the main filing drawer next to the computer, more or less. It's amazing how much better it's looking already!

We have a rolltop desk that has drawers we can put files in. This is where the non-bill/lesser used papers are going to be kept.

I'm still working through stuff, but already it's much easier to find what we're looking for.

Next, I'm going to tackle those pesky instruction manuals. I am certain we have plenty of manuals for things we no longer own!