How to Develop a Home Filing System

Organizing your home papers is very important. By filing them into a system, you will be able to find what you are looking for quickly. You will have the papers you need, when you need them.

Things You'll Need

• File Folders
• Marker
• Label Maker
• File Cabinet

Instructions

1. 

   First thing: Make sure you have all the supplies you will need. Get a filing cabinet with hanging file folders. Buy some manila (or colored) file folders.

2. 

   Decide if you will hand write the titles on your folders or if you will use a label maker. If you use a label maker, buy one and ensure you have adequate labels on hand.

3. 

   Now for the tough part. Decide how you are going to be filing your paperwork. Is it by category? For example: medical, dental, insurance, employment, home ownership, bills, taxes. Or will you file by vendor/supplier/title? For example: Charter Cable, AT&T Cellular, IRS, Bank of America, Group Health, and so on. Once you have decided on a filing plan, stick to it!

4. 

   Now title the folders with the categories you pre-determined. You may also want to have one for miscellaneous items. Additionally, I like to have one for school work/art work from my child. The key is that the titles on your files need to make sense to you. Once you've created the file folders, place them in the hanging folders in alphabetical order.

5. 

   Congratulations! You are now ready to file. The last decision you must make is when filing do you place the newest items in front of the file? Or the back? Once you've decided, BE CONSISTENT! Gentlemen, start your filing!

Tips & Warnings

• Be consistent.

• If you want to get more complicated in your filing system, use colors for general categories and then title the folders with the company or paperwork name.

• Make new files right away when you need them or else you might end up losing or misplacing your papers.