Paperwork.... Let's take it from Mountain to molehill .
I say molehill but I really mean mouse hill. Let's get that paper mountain down to one folder .Ok panic ! That bloke is coming in five minutes time , you know the one , the one who drops in without any notice to look at every utility bill, reciept, letter, or bank statement you've got neatly filed in chronological order . He visits so often that you have to make sure you keep every little scrap of paper which has ever been popped through your door which has your name on it .
I'm fourty eight years old and he has never ever been in my house to check my stuff and I'm assuming he never will . I've actually only ever needed bank statements backdated by six months for my mortgage and utlility bills backdated for a passport or car purchase all of which can be printed in seconds from your computer. I shredded everything else dating further back than six months except a few essential papers. If you are self employed you may need to work out what you need to keep . Court documents would also be kept. So what did I deem worthy of a place in my file?
Reciepts , I kept only reciepts for purchases such as bikes , watches or anything insured .
Manuals I got rid of everything except stuff like the boiler / heating to pass on to the next owner. I did have a major panic when my newish cooker broke down and I'd tossed the manual but a quick google soon brought up the online version enabling me to fix it within seconds.
What else I do keep ? Birth certificates, passports , medical documents, vets documents, bank books , I.D . Mortgage documents and insurance policies. This is all kept in one folder.
I have another A-Z file which I keep reference material in , ie leaflets for places to visit , business cards , things I may need one day , however this is fairly empty as most of this information is online .
I also have a "tickler" file which I use and check daily for school stuff, party invitations , weddings, bills to pay , birthdays etc , so nothing important is missed.
My filing system is so easy and simplified it allows me to deal with stuff immediately , by either shredding , or filing after opening . (Unless it's the school holidays when you'll find a pile so high you could skydive off it)!
I have a recycling bin in my porch which the junk mail goes straight into rather than it entering the house.
This system works for me , it was difficult letting go of years worth of organised paper hoarding (all of which had moved house with me about ten times) , but after realising I had a cabinate full of paper which was never ever going to be read (unless I died) ,it felt great to shred it all. But it did take me approximately four days to get through it all .
I'm organised now because there is nothing to organise! If you asked me for something, I could find it within seconds . I hope I've not missed anything in this inventory . You will , if you choose to simplify your paperwork, find your own comfort zone regarding what you want to keep or need to keep for the inland revenue, there is no right or wrong with simplifying it's all about finding your click point .
Labels: a-z, bank, decluttering, documents, filing, Konmari, living with less, marie kondo, organise, paper, reciepts, shred, the life- changing magic of tidying up
posted by The Fifamaster @ 11:59 pm
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