To ask how you store your paperwork?

[Hyperhypermum]

I mean statements, insurance policies, pension bumf, school stuff, manuals, guarantees, receipts, etc, etc, etc.

I've just spent the best part of the day sorting and filing the paperwork mountain that sits in our kitchen until it resembles the leaning tower of Pisa and I can't stand it anymore! We actually have a 4 drawer filing cabinet, which I'm sure many people don't have room for, and it's jam packed! I do shred statements after about a year but it makes little difference so filing is a stressful business. Most of the stuff is rarely looked at but I guess we have to keep it "just in case". Presumably, some of it could be accessed on line but DH likes ti be able to access hard copies. What am I doing wrong? it's driving me mad and I feel so disorganised

Sat on the side in kitchen. Then it moves to the stairs. Goes upstairs. Maybe my bedroom floor before being sorted and put in a huge overflowing bag for life stuffed in a large drawer. I do this about once a year. I keep everything! Think I have my original poll tax bills from 1990, every letter I've ever got from hmrc and dwp. Every bank statement, insurance certificate, etc etc.
Not a system I'd recommend!

I do have one of those large filing boxes with hanging files. That's where my poll tax bills, Grattan catalogue statements and rather fruity photographs from my slightly murky past

Two drawer filing cabinet. I've gone paperless on everything possible. Have a sort through maybe one every couple of years and have a shred-a-thon.

Those paper manilla folders you used to get into school. Have one for every topic - health, school, receipts, bills, house etc & all folders get labelled and put into a locked cupboard in our office. I'm naturally disorganised (dyslexic and dyspraxic with add) so I need to have a system.

I have a folder like this

Much easier to keep streamlined. One pocket for each section.

I don't print off all my policies - just reference it on a plain piece of paper or link to where it's saved on the cloud.

Keeps it much slimmer and easy to grab if the house was in fire.

The majority of ours is online but everything lives in identical lever arch files with stickers on them to identify the contents. Admittedly there are around 40 files now but I have a big cube unit that holds them in batches of ten. Manuals etc are in a lidded wooden box, along with OS maps bizarrely enough.
I'm ruthless though, nothing unnecessary gets to stay as we run our own business and we'd be drowing in paperwork otherwise. We use archiving boxes for stuff that's not current but needs to stay in case of an inspection.
School admin goes on the notice board and dates on the calendar then they get binned asap. Our school has an app now though to get info to parents, it's great.

I have this idyllic idea of scanning a lot of documents and only keep the ones for which originals are needed... In the meantime I have a drawer full of folders (taxes, bank account, phone, medical things...)

Ongoing paperwork is a foot high pile on my desk, everything else is in filing cabinets. Manuals are in two storage boxes and shredding an ongoing project.

I'm shit, it's in either the famous 2nd drawer down or in Tesco carrier bags under the bed

Get a scanner, scan everything to a PC and keep it all electronically. It can be reprinted if needs be and you can shred the originals.

we have a 2 drawer filing cabinet that contains things like the car log book, marriage cert and birth certs but not much else as everything is electronic these days (car insurance and such)

I bought a large cube wooden storage thing from b and m then went to tk max and bought loads of files, boxes, card files etc. And sort it out when I can, my youngest has asd so the amount of paperwork I get for him alone is mental.

First, I go through my archives and streamline (only need to do it once). Archives are in storage boxes in the attic. I have all my bank statements, and I only have 2 removal boxes. I am probably keeping too much, but at least I have proof of address and bank statements from years ago which has been proved useful.

Every year (or 2 years to be honest), I go through my current files, shred a lot and put the remaining documents in the attic again. You only need manual and guarantees for current appliances for example. I keep most of my insurance details, but just the first page with my name and policy number. I have my first and last mobile phone bill with each provider. All the other documents are binned.

current files are in plastic folders in the guest room, in a wardrobe.

4 massive leverarch folders. Bank statements get shredded after a few years and warranties as soon as they run out.

A bag full of shit to shred in the cupboard under the kettle and a box full of crap on top of the freezer. I tried to shred it a year ago but the shredder overheated and I'd not even made a dent in it. I keep meaning to do it again but haven't got around to it yet.

For the stuff we need to keep (most of which we could probably get rid of now) we have an expanding folder thing with sections for different things in our bedroom (and it's overflowing).

I used to have a good system and an organised house until dh moved in and cluttered everything up.

that's where I store all my current documents, all in a wardrobe.

i.ebayimg.com/00/z/bwkAAMXQVERSsDX3/$_32.JPG

Lever arch files for utilities, contracts, car logs & maintenance invoices, mortgage, tax, etc.
A4 basket for current school letters, trips, etc.
Useful box for school stuff the kids want to keep and cardboard boxes (IKEA) with school reports, art work, general mementos.
A magazine box for instructions - furniture, electronics.

I regularly go through them and chuck out out of date or unneeded stuff.

Have you seen the story in the grauniad about the chap born here, to German parents, that cannot prove his parents were here legally- his mum worked at LSE and they've lost her employment records, HMRC have lost her salary/tax/NI records... She's not kept her payslips from the 80s. My worst nightmare!

not as bad, but my aunt couldn't prove to the Land Registry that she had paid off her mortgage (many many years ago) so they were unable to register changes for her property. It was a nightmare, the bank didn't have records of her mortgage because it was too long ago.

I should also scan most important documents to keep a record online somewhere, but I haven't got the time, and I don't trust things to be kept safe.

Why does German bloke need to prove his parents were here legally?

Have you seen the story in the grauniad about the chap born here, to German parents, that cannot prove his parents were here legally- his mum worked at LSE and they've lost her employment records, HMRC have lost her salary/tax/NI records... She's not kept her payslips from the 80s. My worst nightmare!

It's nearly 15 years to the day since we applied for DH's marriage visa and started on the long and boring path to him getting a British passport. He's been a British citizen for 10 years now... I think I'm just about ready to throw out the gas bills and bank statements I started keeping religiously at that time and never really stopped with...

Wason- he has to prove to passport authority, but HMRC have lost the evidence.

PhilODox
Found and read the article now thanks - seems he has a German passport but he wants a UK one - that was the bit I wasn't getting.

Well- I missed off the bit about him wanting a British passport, sorry!

Not current but needs to be kept - box files
Current or ongoing - in a plastic filing folder (alphabetically segmented)
Receipts - in a biscuit tin. Biscuits have been eaten )

It's not very organised but I roughly know where stuff is. And it's a step up from my XH's filing system (an old carrier bag in the boot of his car)