How to Organize Your Files at Home

Keep papers filed away to make tax time easier.

Personal and financial papers can bury your desk in clutter, but need to be close at hand in case they're needed for tax or other purposes. While some papers you can get rid of on an annual basis, others you need to hang onto for at least six years, such as anything related to you taxes, while others you can discard annually. Keep your papers more organized by establishing a filing system.

Things You'll Need

• Trash can
• Shredder
• Filing cabinet
• Filing system
• Folders
• Hanging files

Instructions

1. Sort through your current papers. Keep what you need and get rid of the rest. Of what you need to keep, separate envelopes and other filler papers. Shred anything you plan to discard printed with any account numbers or a Social Security number.

2. Recycle papers when you can. Try not to hang on to magazines and catalogs. These can really pile up.

3. Buy a filing cabinet if you don't already have one. Or take this time to clean out your existing filing cabinet.

4. Locate your filing cabinet in an easily accessible place. Install hanging folders and manila folders with labels.

5. Organize folders with a color coding system or labels according to category -- credit cards, utilities, warranties, medical, and the like. Determine how many main categories you have and label a hanging folder tab for each. Hang your hanging folders in alphabetical order.Keep your system simple to help you keep it maintained.

6. Your sub-categories should be manila file folders inside the appropriate hanging folder. For example, a main category would be "Insurance." Subcategories might be labeled "Automobile Insurance," "Homeowner's Insurance" and "Life Insurance."

7. File the papers in the folders and place in the appropriate categories.

8. File at least once a week, once your folders are in place. Don't allow the papers to pile up. If you put everything in it's place once a week, you won't have a large pile of papers to go through at tax time or year end.

9. Get some help if you can. Either a family member or hire a helper. If all else fails and you have the funds, or your task at hand is very large consider hiring organizing consultant.

10. Prevent the piles of mail coming into your home. Stop junk mail you don't want. Sign up for electronic forms of your billing statements for utilities, credit cards and other bills. You can always print out hard copies of your statements.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't delay the sooner you start the sooner you will be done.

• Plan your filing system before you start.

• Keep it simple and easy to maintain.

• Get some help with the larger projects.

• Shred any credit card applications you receive in the mail.

References

• Good Housekeeping: How Long to Keep Important Papers
• Good Housekeeping: Organize Important Papers and Documents