Are you organized?

[njmom47]

No. My house is somewhat cluttered with papers (newspapers too). If I could get dh to put the mail in one place, that might help, but there are piles of mail on almost all the flat surfaces in my house. I don't like it.

 

[Acklander]

No. And my husband thinks we are the only family is this way. He has this delusional outlook that other people's homes are in perfect shape and we just have something wrong in our home.

Once, when I was having a house built, the builder was trying to describe something that he wanted to build into my closet and I wasn't getting it. He lived a few blocks over, so he invited me over to see his closet so I could understand what he was talking about. His house was VERY organized/neat.That night, when I talked to DH, I told him if he ever brought someone home to look in my closets without at least a week's notice I'd kill him. I'm a surface organized person - I hate clutter so everything is shoved away in drawers or closets which are in complete chaos but at quick glance you'd never know. LOL

 

[merekc]

For receipts and such I purchased a neat receipts scanner and I scan everything that I don't need to keep the original copy of. It all get filed away in my computer.
I love it!!
DH uses the travel one for work.

http://www.neatco.com/

What do you do when you want to return something? Do you print off a copy and do stores accept them?

 

[kirstenb1]

Yes, I am. I hate clutter and won't have any around (esp. paper).

The mail is sorted immediately when it comes in the house. Most of it's recycled, but some goes in the shred pile and things we need to look at (bills, other info) goes in the basket under the phone. Most of our bills are taken out of our accounts automatically, so we don't even get that many bills in the mail anymore.

As it comes out of the basket and taken care of, it either gets recycled or shredded.

School papers are read immediately, filled out, etc and returned to backpacks. If it's info I need to keep, I have a corner in a large drawer where I keep paper and other miscellaneous things I need to keep.

I agree with this, the only thing I'd add is I do have a "maybe" drawer. This is where anything I might need again goes. Usually stuff related to the kids.

I've noticed I'm more organized since purchasing a desk organizer at Target (obviously you could get it anywhere). We have a small kitchen, but I wanted a system near the main phone. So I bought this organizer at Target. It has slots for paper, pens paperclips, tape etc., but it also has space for file folders in the back. Each kid gets a folder, and all their physicals bus schedules, school info, etc for the year, goes in the folder.

 

[beaucoup]

I used to be at one time. Before computers and the information age explosion. Seriously. LOL

I found my current system isn't working any longer either.

I'm spending time doing a complete overhaul of all my methods & systems. Too many individual programs for keeping info & duplicates on different computers.

There are so many new methods of doing things today. Software, sycning, online, cloud, smartphones, paperless offices. I'm embracing an updated, simplier technology life but info in 1 place available no matter where I am & what computer I have.

Time for a revamp. Losing a lot of paper along the way. Just got a refurbished scanner with auto-feed & it reads both sides of the paper. Using Paperport software to file it. Scanning & shredding. Streamlining life.
Easier for who ever has to take over if something happens to me.

I use Google Calendar & have assigned different calendars to each person or aspect of life.
I use GQueues.com (with google calendar) for task lists.
I use Evernote for everything else I want to remember. (This one was probably my biggest help! Love how searchable it is.)
Any documents or excel spreadsheets in computer are connected to Google Docs with Google Cloud Connect.
Bills paid online.
Windows Live Photo Gallery for all our photos. Tagged & people tagged. I can find them now!

So basically, I can see everything I need from anywhere. iPhone, laptop, desktop, any computer anywhere.

There is Cozi.com for familes.

Work in progress, but its getting there. I'm currently in the purging this house stage. This project of getting in order & purging will take all year I think.

 

[beaucoup]

I just bought a system called Freedom filer. I haven't gotten it all together yet but it sounds great. It's color coded which helps to rotate files yearly.
A girl on another forum recommended it to me.

http://www.freedomfiler.com/

I'm going to be using those ideas! Thanks for posting the link to that.

 

[beaucoup]

I have an expandable folder with a pocket for each month. The mail goes into a basket during the week and on the weekend I sort through it. Once paid, bills and other paperwork goes into the folder for the month. At the beginning of each month, I pull out the paperwork from the previous year and 99% of it can be shredded which I do immediately.

I used to keep a file for each bill, etc but found that I never got rid of the old stuff plus it took up a whole file drawer. This way forces me to take care of it each month and the only thing I have is a pocket folder that fits in a cupboard.

That is exactly my problem I'm getting rid of. Way too many folders & they are full because I never make the time to go through them.

I can't believe I didn't think of a monthly folder before. I used to have a system as a job that was set up on a similar method. One bankers box for each month. 12 boxes for the year. And I just rotated them - emptied, shredded & refilled.

Duh! Why didn't I think of that at home! Going to incorporate that into my scanning filing computer files too so I can purge there too later. The files are all searchable my names, keywords & dates so no trouble finding items.

 

[NMAmy]

That is exactly my problem I'm getting rid of. Way too many folders & they are full because I never make the time to go through them.

I can't believe I didn't think of a monthly folder before. I used to have a system as a job that was set up on a similar method. One bankers box for each month. 12 boxes for the year. And I just rotated them - emptied, shredded & refilled.

Duh! Why didn't I think of that at home! Going to incorporate that into my scanning filing computer files too so I can purge there too later. The files are all searchable my names, keywords & dates so no trouble finding items.

Great! I hope it works out for you. I've been doing it that way for 2 years now and it's so much easier on me.

 

[HeatherFeather]

I walk thru the garage and by the paper recycle bin in my garage when I pick up the mail. Anything I don't want/need goes directly in there. Bills are set next to the computer and paid the next time I am sitting at the computer. Once paid, they are shredded. I don't get paper statements from the bank...if I need to print one I can pull it up online. School papers are sorted and either recycled or signed and sent back.

I grew up in a very cluttered messy house and now I can NOT stand clutter.

Good luck getting organized!

 

[charming23]

I am somewhat organized. I am getting better about filing papers away and knowing where they are when I need them.

I use a small 12 pocket expandable file folder and keep three months worth of paper work in that. The rest then goes in the filing cabinent in my dad's old office, which I guess is mine now, so it can be easily accessed. I then shred it after two years.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I have the greatest organizing system on the planet. The Wife.

Yeah, I have stuff in my office (house and business) but I know what everything is. I can not shred fast enough, so there is a pile. I am organized, I get overwhelmed when stuff "builds"

 

[npmommie]

how long do you keep bank statements?
I still get paper ones, it only has a copy of any checks written, not actual checks anymore.
I don't even look at the paper stmts because I reconcile online.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I thought I was until I went shopping the other day. What I had left behind in the house where 3 trays of seedlings all nicely labeled. What I came back to was a smug puss and three trays of seedlings with no labels, they where all round the sitting room floor and the hall floor. So its mistery plant time until they get bigger.

 

[SueInBoston]

I used to be at one time. Before computers and the information age explosion. Seriously. LOL

I found my current system isn't working any longer either.

I'm spending time doing a complete overhaul of all my methods & systems. Too many individual programs for keeping info & duplicates on different computers.

There are so many new methods of doing things today. Software, sycning, online, cloud, smartphones, paperless offices. I'm embracing an updated, simplier technology life but info in 1 place available no matter where I am & what computer I have.

Time for a revamp. Losing a lot of paper along the way. Just got a refurbished scanner with auto-feed & it reads both sides of the paper. Using Paperport software to file it. Scanning & shredding. Streamlining life.
Easier for who ever has to take over if something happens to me.

I use Google Calendar & have assigned different calendars to each person or aspect of life.
I use GQueues.com (with google calendar) for task lists.
I use Evernote for everything else I want to remember. (This one was probably my biggest help! Love how searchable it is.)
Any documents or excel spreadsheets in computer are connected to Google Docs with Google Cloud Connect.
Bills paid online.
Windows Live Photo Gallery for all our photos. Tagged & people tagged. I can find them now!

So basically, I can see everything I need from anywhere. iPhone, laptop, desktop, any computer anywhere.

There is Cozi.com for familes.

Work in progress, but its getting there. I'm currently in the purging this house stage. This project of getting in order & purging will take all year I think.

Good tips, thank you!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

What do you do when you want to return something? Do you print off a copy and do stores accept them?

I keep receipts long enough to decide if stuff needs to be returned, no more then 30 days. The few times I've needed to return stuff with the scanned copy it hasn't been a problem.
I mostly use the neat receipts to track our spending and for taxes.

I'm going to be using those ideas! Thanks for posting the link to that.

You're welcome!! Let me know how it works out for you!
Building the file system is this weeks project after I get field day t-shirts out of my house. They are everywhere!!!

 

[Ephany]

I just bought a system called Freedom filer. I haven't gotten it all together yet but it sounds great. It's color coded which helps to rotate files yearly.
A girl on another forum recommended it to me.

http://www.freedomfiler.com/


For receipts and such I purchased a neat receipts scanner and I scan everything that I don't need to keep the original copy of. It all get filed away in my computer.
I love it!!
DH uses the travel one for work.

http://www.neatco.com/

For catching mail (I sort on the weekends) I have an 8.5 x 11 box that I put everything in. The shredder is near by as is a bag for recycling.

That Freedomfiler looks very interesting, thanks! DH and I both agree we need a better system but he wants something in drawers out of sight while I'd prefer a system on a cart so it'd be more portable. Silly question though, what's the difference between 1/5 cut and 1/3 cut hanging file folders?

I know he'd love that scanner, it'd be a new gadget. We have a mail sorter with 31 dated slots and two small drawers for stamps and misc. That's really helped us remember (and see) when bills are due in an organized way. We also keep a box that's where all the shred goes until we have time/inclination to shred it and I toss all junk mail as soon as I get in the house.

No. And my husband thinks we are the only family is this way. He has this delusional outlook that other people's homes are in perfect shape and we just have something wrong in our home.

Every time I visit someone's house and it is in disarray, I almost want to bring my husband over through a tour while I tell the homeowner that I am grateful to find they are NORMAL!

I have a friend who at first I thought always had a showcase house, until one day I stopped by unexpectedly. Turns out her house is only perfect when she's expecting someone. We laughed about it and now she doesn't worry about it being spotless if I come over and I don't feel inadequate because my house isn't as clutter free as hers appeared to be; less stress for both of us.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

That Freedomfiler looks very interesting, thanks! DH and I both agree we need a better system but he wants something in drawers out of sight while I'd prefer a system on a cart so it'd be more portable. Silly question though, what's the difference between 1/5 cut and 1/3 cut hanging file folders?

I know he'd love that scanner, it'd be a new gadget. We have a mail sorter with 31 dated slots and two small drawers for stamps and misc. That's really helped us remember (and see) when bills are due in an organized way. We also keep a box that's where all the shred goes until we have time/inclination to shred it and I toss all junk mail as soon as I get in the house.

1/3 cut. There are three tab positions, each is approximately 1/3 of the total length of the folder. Essentially, tabs are cut to be in the left, center, or right positions.
1/5 cut. Similar to the 1/3 cut, except there are five tab positions, each being 1/5 of the total length of the folder.

I got the 1/5 cut.

 

[SaraJayne]

how long do you keep bank statements?
I still get paper ones, it only has a copy of any checks written, not actual checks anymore.
I don't even look at the paper stmts because I reconcile online.

When the checkbook is balanced monthly, that months statement is shredded.

 

[beaucoup]

I'm having a hard time letting go of receiving paper statements & bills in the mail. Reason is that if something happens to me, I want whoever needs to take over temporarily or permanently to receive the mail so they don't miss anything. I'm too afraid that if its all just in email, they might not be looking at email in the early or busy stages & too easy for something to get overlooked or not paid. At least I know someone will walk to the mailbox & pick up the mail. KWIM?

For myself, I do also receive it in email form. I pay online manually. They can pay however they care too. lol

My executor (well, co-executor after my DH) doesn't touch computers. Doesn't know how to use one. So the thought of completely paperless office for some things probably can't be done. I'll go paperless where I can.