Paperwork is insidious. From the daily mail to school communications to artwork to instructions and invitations, it pours into the house, and paperwork mess can quickly take over every surface. To make organizing papers easier, I try to act quickly when it comes to paper. Most is shredded and recycled pretty much the same day we receive it. The few pieces that require action, I complete or set aside for later.
Defeating paperwork mess can quickly become an overwhelming task.
To keep my life in order, I keep an Action Folder on our kitchen counter and tackle that as often as needed. Unfortunately, not all paperwork can be dealt with immediately, which is why I created our Family Document Binder and our Life Binder. I find these two storage solutions keep my house in order and my papers where they belong. Let me share my binder system.
I dislike file cabinets. I think they are big and ugly. Also, out of sight, out of mind. Instead, I use binders to organize my paper documents. And, the binders I use are larger 2-3 inch binders. I also use sheet protectors and divider folders to further organize.
It’s a system, and it works, so let’s talk about what is kept inside our family’s binder to minimize paperwork mess:
Family Documents Binder
Our Family Document Binder is the home for all the important documents. I consider it a quick “grab and go” option in the case of an apocalypse. The paperwork in the binder doesn’t change often and requires infrequent updating. I remind myself to update/review the family binder on my Annual Checklist.
Examples of items kept in here:
- Each family member’s birth certificate, social security card, and passport
- Marriage license
- House deed
- Mortgage statement
- Car titles
- Insurance policies for the car and house
- Taxes- previous year only
- Copies of advance directives, wills, or life insurance
- Investment accounts
- Retirement statements
- Other legal items
Avoid adding too many statement copies to the binder. They will take up too much space. I usually have one statement for each account, and it’s mostly to acknowledge that the account exists. Most statements I receive electronically and forget quickly.
Life Binder
Our Life Binder is an intermediate storage space. The documents in this binder change a little more often than the Family Document Binder. They are things I want to hold onto, but that don’t require an action. I don’t have a lot in this binder because most paper documents are shredded/trashed once the action is complete. But it’s helpful to have a designated spot when necessary.
The categories in my Life Binder are:
- Medical/Dental
- House
- Car
- Pets
- Kids
Items kept in here:
- Medical statements or receipts
- Budget
- Dream house project list
- Dogs’ care instructions for our dog sitter
- Dog vaccination list for doggie daycare
- School documents
- Daycare contract
- Resource lists
I keep this binder smaller (1-2 inches) to avoid adding too much paperwork. It forces me to be thoughtful about what I really need to keep. I don’t want to create a paperwork abyss.
Electronic communication has definitely reduced the paperwork mess. How do you tame paper clutter?
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