# Paperwork, how do you keep it all together?



## doozie (May 21, 2005)

I used to be very organized, lately I have too much paperwork, paper clutter, etc…

I just cleaned out an “ organizer” that is a magnetized file I keep on the side of the fridge.
Pretty much full of car insurance paperwork and extra proof of insurance cards, store receipts, stamps, business cards, etc. 
The organizer is in the trash, and only current Home and auto insurance paperwork has been saved. DH says I don’t even need to save what I saved, LOL. I’m starting to agree with him on this type of paperwork.

What do you save and where do you put it? File folder for everyday paperwork?
Do you update monthly? 
I am hesitant to go to online only for the monthly banking and credit card statements. Am I old fashioned?
On one hand poof, it would be the end of paperwork, and I know I can print out anything I may need…I just can’t make that step yet for some reason.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

I have a file cabinet. It does need organizing but that's where stuff goes.


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## BadOregon (12 mo ago)

Ditto on the file cabinet. I have a very large 6 drawer one that keeps all our paperwork out of sight, but available. Being self employed, we have to keep every scrap of paper. It adds up and makes a lot of clutter if you don't have a dedicated space for it. Being upright means the file cabinet doesn't take up a lot of space in your house as well.


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## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

doozie said:


> I used to be very organized, lately I have too much paperwork, paper clutter, etc…
> 
> I just cleaned out an “ organizer” that is a magnetized file I keep on the side of the fridge.
> Pretty much full of car insurance paperwork and extra proof of insurance cards, store receipts, stamps, business cards, etc.
> ...


I have a stack of paid bills and another of pending. A few times per year I go though the paid bills and separate the stuff needed for tax time and into a few subcategories. An ongoing issue is stuff that I may need a purchase receipt later. That's always a PITB. esp if the receipt may be in various sorted stacks.

As far as online banking that's all we can do as BoA closed all the smaller town branch offices years ago. But between on line and the phone app there is no reason to go to a branch office anymore. But I am heavy on the security side and unless forced, never install apps on the cell phone.

Like you I used to be much more organized. Not so much anymore.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

Non farm stuff gets tossed most of the time, unless it’s something we need to take back or exchange.

But we have a filing cabinet with folders in it labeled by category.

IE.
Insurance
Seed
Fertilizer
Veterinary
Feed
Parts
Tools
Fencing
Land rent

And so on. keeps things straight. Stuff only goes in files once paid. Before that, it joins the amazing disaster on top of the desk, which gets sorted and filed every couple weeks. And then after income tax is done, the files get transferred to seven year storage area in a secure part of the house.


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## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

farmerDale said:


> Non farm stuff gets tossed most of the time, unless it’s something we need to take back or exchange.


One thing I find interesting to keep are the insurance billings for the vehicles and the home and land liability stuff. Its always interesting to see how the insurance rates vary which is mostly up, of course, especially these days. Auto and home/land Insurance is a big % of the budget and that is before health ins. Even with no claim history it just keeps going through the roof. And its one of those things that ya can do very little to control.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I have a file cabinet 

I had a teacher tech school , business English I think they called the class 
she said go out and buy a hanging file box and we brought them in and labeled folders things like apartment , phone , electric , auto , bank , Important documents for your SS card /birth certificate / marriage license / passport any form of ID , one for insurance , certificates/diplomas/ training 
warranties , important receipts.

this was way before any cell phone apps 

when my kids were about 12-14 I got them accordion folders for their documents when they got out of High school I got them a file box 

my wife and I have a few file cabinets 

taxes all go in one drawer in manila envelopes labeled and sealed when we put this years in we toss the one that is 9 year old in the fire you need to keep 7 so keeping 8 and tossing 9 is safe
anything gathered for taxes goes in the taxes folder 

also not a bad idea to make a coupons and gift cards folder 

learning from Angie on here years ago the important records are in folders in a 2 gallon zip lock bag in a small fire safe , Angie's aunt and uncle's house got hit by a tornado and they had the most important records in a small fire safe but the rain got them soaked , a neighbor did find their safe and it took a long time to carefully separate an dry their papers 


I worked a fire clean up years ago for a friends place , things in folders or heavy envelops had less singed edges in fire resistant file cabinets 

took days to sort and copy all the papers and then put the originals in boxes again, I worked for his construction business at the time

a small at home photo copier scanner laser printer is a great tool a copy of your original is a lot better than no paper at all it means it has all the needed info to get new originals. I have even had co-workers get back into the US on a faxed copy of their passport when their passport was lost in another country they called and our administrative assistant had a copy of everyone passport on file to fax ahead for security and such or if they needed to get home.

when I get my registration and insurance cards I photo copy them together registration here is 1/3 page so plenty of room to make them all one page then I put 3 copied in each vehicle that way if your gun is in the console you can get the copy from the map pocket or the glove box and not risk digging around where you don't want to.

also handy in an accident just rip off the insurance info and done. give the cop a copy they appreciate that.


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## snowlady (Aug 1, 2011)

I keep unpaid bills in a basket on my desk. They get paid twice a month on pay day. I have a small rolling file I pull over to the desk in bookwork days. The folders are for each insurance policy, each income tax category, each bank account, and one for bills. I keep a running excel sheet for the tax categories. I enter all of the paid bills once a month so at tax time hit total and done. 
I keep seven small totes in the attic. One for each of the past 7 years tax returns and all that goes with it. In January I shred the oldest years papers and file the current years. 
The important stuff is in a small fire safe. The really important stuff is in a safe deposit box.


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