Please save me from drowning in sea of paper

[ZuleikaJambiere]

I have paperwork issues and I need some good advice please. I keep on top (ish) of the clutter in the house, and am 90% in control by having 'a place for everything, and everything in its place'. But I don't have a place for paperwork - it started in an in tray on the desk in the study, but that got full before I worked out how best to file, so then I started storing it in a chest of drawers in the lounge, but they got full and still there was no system. Then I decided that if I didn't let it get out of the kitchen before I sorted it I would keep on top of it, but now I have three piles of paper in the kitchen.

So tell me, please, what system is the best system for keeping essential papers (and not just going forward, but also for tackling all those all piles that are irritating me in every room I go in)

Thank you

No help i'm afraid but am going to mark my place!

Something like this any good ?
www.viking-direct.co.uk/a/pb/Office-Depot-A-Z-Heavy-Duty-Expanding-File-Foolscap-Grey-Each/pr=Q29&id=6055830/

could have the first 2 parts for bills that need paying/things to be dealt with etc, and the rest for paid/dealt with etc.
Depending on your paperwork you could have 2 or 3 of different colours to help you get organised.

I am disorganised and chaotic in every area of my life, apart from my paperwork, which is perfectly filed. I've been waiting years for someone to ask my advice about getting paperwork under control!

I have a

Sorry.

I have a two-drawer filing cabinet in my eaves cupboard. I have a hanging file for every topic:
Car, bank, credit cards, insurance, my work, DH's work, passports, DC1's school info, DC2's uni info.

I also have two baskets in the kitchen. When Mail comes in, if gets binned, put on top of filing cabinet if it's to keep, or in basket A if it needs actioned (bill to pay etc)

Every Saturday, I go through the stuff that's come in, and into basket B, I put any cheques or forms that the DC need for the week, or birthday cards that need posted, or money that needs paid - eg window cleaner.

I am now so organised and it has revolutionised my life. (I'm exaggerating, but only slightly).

I file the pile on top of the cabinet once a month or so, and clear out the files once a year appx.

Can you switch things to online to avoid the paper coming into the house? Bank statements, utilities etc? I also deal with a lot at the front door and bin whatever post isn't needed straight away. Same with school letters (although most is now email) - put date and details into iPhone and then chuck...

Dh refuses to allow this, but I want a box file to which every bill etc (except maybe car induce our similar that you actually refer to) is thrown in the box file through the year.

How often do you actually look for all your gas bills? Would it not be easier to just have all bills in the same place? Then bin the contents of the boxes when they each 5 years old.

Got the idea from a tips thread on MN. Importantly refusal to use this system means I feel no guilt about letting dh do all the filling. It is taking over the study though.

Agent your system sounds fab think I will adopt it

Go paperless for as much as possible if you can. We have no paper bills or bank statements that I can think of.

Also, do the "Only Handle It Once (OHIO)" routine as much as you can. I.e. deal with a letter the first time you get it. Either chuck it, delegate it or do whatever's required.

I also appear to need help with not losing my posts

All my bills are online now, and school has hustled started enewsletters this term, so if I cancel paper bank statements it'll be much easier going forward.

So, now to deal with what is here already. Given that I've been banking online for years, can I chuck out all my bank statements, or does the 5 year rule still apply?

Thanks for your advice, especially Agent's system. If we were one person, with your paperwork efficiency and my control of most of the rest of it, we'd be pretty close to perfect!

Yes, I'd gladly come and sort out your paperwork if you could find the bag with the lovely black cardi that I bought only last week, and do the washing so that I had enough clean knickers for next week.

I'm ace at laundry Agent, that's where I excel, I can easily sort you out there!

Have a file for each thing you need eg school stuff, warrantees, tax etc Work your way through the paperwork and if you won't need it again, chuck it. If you may need it again put it in the correct file.

Anything upcoming, put it on your notice board and chuck when past.

I keep all really important documents like passports in one place so in theory if there is a fire or something I can just grab that one folder.

I've just reorganised our paperwork! It feels like bliss!

I did have things in the folders Millipede linked to, however I've now put most things into large arch ring binders and I have dividers in them.

It is so much easier to just look through the file and be able to see everything.

I also have a few box files for large things- life policy documents, guarantees etc.

I got everything I needed in WHSmiths. They've got special offers on at the moment on lots of officey stuff.

And I store it all in a chest of drawers. It works just as well as a filing cabinet.

I have one draw for my diary and paper work which needs attention.

All the other draws have the box and lever files in them. I've promised myself that I will do it all once a week. I actually did it twice last week as I haven't got that horrible feeling about it all being a mess.

Oh and I needed to by a punch holer thingy

Get rid of it all except for one small folder of original docs like birth certs. Buy a scansnap scanner and upload everything you really must keep to Evernote. Buy a shredder. Shred