Project Simplify: Week 4 {Household Files}

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Oh my word, we've already reached week 4 of Project Simplify with Simple Mom. This month has flown by but I feel a lot more organized. For the last week of Project Simplify we were supposed to choose our own problem area to tackle. My problem area is paperwork. The paperwork in this house seems to breed like bunnies overnight. I gave you a sneak peak of Step 1 of my Cutting the Paper Clutter plan a couple of weeks ago. Today I'm going to show you the final product! This was the ultimate Before/After transformation for my paper clutter!

Source: marthastewart.com via Delilah on Pinterest

This was my inspiration for the whole project! We have an ottoman in our family room that was bought with the intention of using it as a file cabinet. Unfortunately it quickly became a dumping ground for all the files and random, unorganized papers in the house.

None of the files in the pink crate were organized, they were all just stuffed full of random papers. The stack next to the crate was stacked all the way to top of the ottoman with loose papers. Are you twitching and foaming at the mouth yet? It's okay, I won't hold it against you.  I started by taking every single thing out of the ottoman.

I sorted and separated and shredded for what seemed like days but in reality this part took me about 3 hours. I will say that it's a project best done without the pitter patter of tiny toddler feet around. Ask me how I know this. Go ahead, I dare you.

I bought a frame for the hanging files at Office Depot and set it up inside the ottoman. It was fully adjustable and really easy to fit.

I lined up all the hanging file labels on the left side because I'm completely anal-retentive like that. I can't stand the staggered file label look, it drives me batty. I made each hanging file a broad subject such as Utilities, Household, Vehicles, etc. I'll go into a lot more detail down below so keep reading.

I sorted every single piece of loose, random paper into appropriate subsections. I used plain folders to separate each subsection within the hanging files.

I have to admit that it did my little OCD heart good to sort the massive stack of paper into multiple subsections. Sigh. I know, I'm sick. I can't help it. I love starting with a huge mess and ending up with a totally organized, functional space. It's a high.

Now for the details. This is for those of you who are struggling to know what to file and where to file it. My goal was to have enough subsections that I could easily find what I needed. My labels and subsections may not work for you, tweak them until you get what you need.

Label 1: Utilities
Subsections: Water Bills, Power Bills, Gas Bills, Cellphone/TV

Label 2: Household
Subsections: Maintenance, Lawn Service, Irrigation Service, Pest Control Service, Security System

Label 3: Vehicles
Subsections: My Minivan, Mr.McHunky's car, Taxes & Registrations

Label 4: Maia School
Subsections: Kindergarten, 1st Grade

Label 5: Ty School
Subsections: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd grade, etc

Label 6: Taxes 2012
Subsections: Income, Deductions/Credits, Medical

Label 7: Medical 2012
Subsections: Mr.McHunky, Delilah, Ty, Maia, Mase, Zoey

The next several labels are for Medical 2006-2011 with a subsection for each family member. I also have a label for Past Medical that holds all the important medical papers from prior to 2006 that I might need to access.

Label 15: Pets
Subsection: Bailey

Label 16: Insurance
Subsections: Car, House, Life, Medical

Label 17: Vital Records
Subsections: Social Security Cards & Birth Certificates, Personal Records, Deeds & Titles, My Adoption Records
{Note: We only keep copies of the SS Cards, Birth Certificates, Deeds & Titles, Wills & Health Care proxies in our files. The originals are locked in a safety deposit box}

Label 18: Adoption Records
Subsections: Ty, Cam, Adoption Assistance

The next 7 files are taxes for the past 7 years. They each have subsections for Income, Deductions/Credit, Medical & the actual tax forms we file

Label 26: Loans
Subsections: Mortgage, Equity Line, Car, Personal, Mr.McHunky school, Delilah school

Label 27: Financial
Subsections: Pay Stubs, 401K, 529's, IRA's, CD's, Stocks

Label 28: Banking
Subsections: Checking, Savings, Credit Cards

Are your eyes crossed yet? See why it took me so long to organize every single piece of paper? That's a lot of paperwork to keep track of and even more that I shredded because it just wasn't needed.

I briefly told you about my Tickler Files in Week 2. I put a folder for each month in the back of my hanging filing system and added one plain folder.

Anytime something comes in to the house that needs to be kept and used, I jot down a note on the dry erase magnetic board on the fridge. Then that paper gets filed in the appropriate month. For example, the wedding invitation to my best friends wedding in June is filed in the June folder. The list of shots that Mase needs at his next check up is filed in April (when his appointment is). The forms I need to take to sign Maia up for gymnastics are filed in the month of May. Make sense? So I have a visual reminder on my dry erase board and I know exactly where the papers I need have been filed.

It feels so good to be organized and to be able to open the mail and immediately file a piece of paper in the right place. Ahhhhh.....

Linked up with Tsh at Simple Mom for Project Simplify.

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