Organize That Paperwork!

Hello All! 

After letting you have a sneak peak into my weekly and monthly cleaning schedules I think it's time we tackle the stuff most people struggle with next- that unsightly paperwork!

Whether you have an office space actually at a place of business, or a home office- at some point you have struggled with this problem. I know that my husband sure does!

I have ways to help you get that mess to look a little more contained.

Step 1: Bulletin Boards!

*If you don't have a lot of money to invest in a large bulletin board then go to your local crafts store (I have a Michael's and a Hobby Lobby near me) and purchase 8x10 cork board pieces and 8x10 picture frames. As many as you want or can afford.

*Place the board inside the picture frame without the glass and hang it near your desk area. Pin those post it notes or business cards to the board to prevent your desk or computer monitor from looking like a junk pile. This will help you keep track of the "need to haves" and make it much easier for you to find it quickly. ((This also works if you hang it up next to a calender that the family uses to remember appointments or practices.))

Step 2: Shelves!

*If your desk has the traditional 3-4 drawers but no shelf space this can cause problems because you are trying to keep all of your books or folders on top of the desk for easy access. Invest in a small shelving unit.

*Once you have the shelves where you need them be sure to keep that organized. There are many ways to do that but for me it's easier to do the top shelf as the items that I need the most, each shelf down is something a little less important until you reach the bottom shelf. 

*Keep small baskets on the shelves to help you keep smaller things together such as envelopes or CD's.

Step 3: File Container!

*My desk does not have the drawers on it, I have shelves on one side and a small tiny drawer on the other. I went to Walmart and spent less than $10 on a thick plastic folder container with a handle. This holds up to 40 files depending on how much is in them it does not hold that much. 

*Label your folders as clearly as possible so that if someone else needed to find something for you it can easily be done without having to search the other folders.

*Examples of clear labeling: "Bank Statements 2012" "Electric Utility Bills 2012" "Birth Certificates/SS#" "Tax Forms" "Insurance Policy Info." etc.

*Keep your tax forms all together in order of the year they were filed.

*Keep all birth certificates and social security cards together in a separate folder.

*Insurance forms are a must, whether it be homeowners, flood protection, or car insurance- keep these records in their own folder- clearly labeled!

*It's typically a good idea to save a years worth of utility bills with the receipt (or receipt number) attached to it as well. Keep these separate in another file but in order of when you received them.

*In a state of emergency you will know that you can grab the important files such as insurance papers and birth certificates.

Step 4: Small Item Basket!

*If your desk has a small middle drawer you can probably skip this tip because yours is built in (usually).

*Dollar stores all around the country have small baskets that will slide right inside any small drawer. I prefer to keep little items like thumb tacks, rubber bands, or pens in these. These are all things my children should not mess with and I keep it out of their reach because of that reason. If these are closed up in a small drawer out of their sight you should be fine as well.

*You can choose to have a cup for pens but in a small basket place your highlighters and markers. This keeps them separate from your pens and less likely for your child to try to get their hands on them. Another out of sight out of mind type of thing.

I sincerely hope these 4 steps help get you on the right track to organizing your office area. Best of luck! 

Stick around this week for more organizing tips from Miss Priss!

-SC