How to Organize Papers in a File Cabinet

Papers need to be organized properly in a file cabinet.

Paper accumulation is inevitable. Bills, print ads and letters arrive daily and demand action, forcing us to decide what to keep or get rid of, what to deal with immediately and what can wait. Many people tuck their ever-growing pile of paper into drawers or stack them on desks, intending to deal with the mess soon. But they never do. Because paper builds up quickly and can result in missing bill payments or failing to meet important deadlines, keeping papers under control in a file cabinet is essential.

Things You'll Need

• Staging area
• Hanging file folders
• Manila folders
• Binder tabs
• Markers or pens to label tabs

Instructions

1. Clear a large space, such as a desktop, bed or floor, to spread out all accumulated paper. Doing so makes it easier to determine what to file (monthly utility or bank statements) and what to toss immediately (receipts for groceries or fast food). According to "Eliminate Chaos" by Laura Leist, a large staging area helps you "see the different categories of items you're holding on to." Categories can include utility and credit card statements, car registrations and insurance and work-related papers. Shred any paper that contains personal information, such as driver's license, Social Security or account numbers.

2. Papers can be arranged by month. All bills and documents that need attention in January, for example, will be filed behind January. Hanging file folders usually come with tabs that allow users to clearly label file content before placing the files in the cabinet. Papers can also be arranged alphabetically by company name, offering specificity, flexibility and ease of retrieval since manila file folders can be placed inside hanging files to arrange paperwork internally from most to least current.

3. All papers need a place to call home, and file cabinets offer the perfect blend of versatility and stability. Typically made of metal, file cabinets are available in several sizes, such as two or four vertical drawers, depending on storage needs. The good thing about file cabinets is that once the categories are established, papers can be stored inside many ways, such as inside hanging files, various-sized manila file folders or large mailing envelopes. Accordion files made of paper or plastic offer portability for any papers that must be regularly carried from place to place.

4. To keep files manageable, plan to periodically clean them out. Barbara Hemphill, author of "Taming the Paper Tiger," writes that the ideal time to clean out files is "when you neglect filing paper you would like to file because it is physically uncomfortable or downright impossible to get your fingers into the file cabinet." Generally, plan to purge paperwork once a year, and archive into a separate, less immediate storage area any paper over a year old.

References

• "Taming the Paper Tiger"; Barbara Hemphill; 1997
• "Eliminate Chaos"; Laura Leist; 2006