Shoeboxes - A Green Way to Store More than Shoes

Recently, I was in a new client's home to help her organize her everyday and archival paper. We finished with her daily paper management, and I asked her where she stored her receipts (we had a small stack gathered). She began to blush, looked a little embarrassed, and said, "you won't like this, but I use a shoebox in my closet". I asked her if the system "worked"? I usually can tell if an existing filing system works if the client:

• doesn't lose or misplace papers often
• can find them easily when needed

She stated how she uses the boxes, where she stores them, and after hearing her process, I gave this system my whole-hearted Professional Organizer approval. This was a GREAT system! She had a ROUTINE, she knew WHERE they were at all times, and USED the process every year at tax time to her advantage. Perfect!

If you use a shoe box, a baggie, a plastic container, or drawer - make sure you use it regularly (routinely), label it so that anyone else that might need it (besides you) can find it quickly, and make sure it doesn't have a dead end - in other words, make sure it has a purpose (i.e. end-of-year accounting).




If you prefer a pretty, polished system, grab a Receipt.Catcher from Buttoned Up - available at Discover Organizing Store.

Filing Fun!!

…wait, isn’t that an oxymoron...

As a youngster, I enjoyed tearing out magazine articles of things that interested me. I knew even then that I didn’t need to keep the whole magazine if I only wanted to reference one or two pages every now and then! I actually kept the relevant topics together in my Pee-Chee and Trapper Keeper folders,* which were subsequently kept organized in binders. Thus, my own unique filing system was created at the ripe old age of 12. What I didn't know is that I inherited this trait from my maternal grandfather; a very organized and meticulous Dutchman. He would continuously trim the wedge of cheese until it was straight, but...that's a whole 'nother story...

What I also didn’t realize was how many magazine articles I had accumulated until one day my younger brother, in a fit of sibling rivalry, stormed into my bedroom, pulled out my folders and threw ALL the sheets of papers up into the air until they came down and settled all over the floor as well as covered the bed! I was so upset and remember shedding a sizable amount of tears over the tragedy. While working on the daunting task of sorting them back into their appropriate topics, I realized that there were articles about topics that were no longer of interest to me which I subsequently recycled. It took me the greater part of the day to go through the rest of them, but in the end I had them all back together again and it felt really good.

Added to that joy was my introduction to hanging file folders as well as manila file folders, both resplendent and with infinite opportunities, during high school while I worked for a Paralegal who was a family friend and a very organized woman. She taught me a few “tricks of the trade” when it came to using these magical items.

• There are little creases at the bottom of the manila file folders that when folded create a square shaped bottom to the file. This allows it to hold more paper without those stupid edges peeking over the file that can lead to paper cuts…ouch…



• The hanging file folders have the same creases for the same reason. You can actually fit more manila files into the hanging file if the bottoms are squared out.

These are the little things that no one tells you about your file folders’ secret powers, but now you know and “knowing is half the battle”.* The other half of the battle is USING the file folders and manila folders to help you live the life you want when it comes to tackling paper. I continually refined and retooled my unique system for many years, tried new variations and finally found the one that really resonated with me and worked for my lifestyle. It's called the Homefile Financial Planning Organizing Kit, which I will simply refer to as the Homefile for my fingers' sake. I love it for the following several reasons:

• first and foremost: you can stop trying to reinvent the wheel! This is the Michelin of filing systems



• the 22 category tabs are already created for you and lined up in alphabetical order; no more trying to make your tabs look neat and line them up perfectly only to find that you have to shift them all if you add a new category.



• the tab is actually an entire single sheet that tells you what items to put in the file, how long the items should stay in the file and, most importantly, what doesn't go in the file; no longer do you have to try and remember "What did I file that paper under?" or "How long do I have to keep this?"



• you simply add labeled manila folders behind the tab if you have multiple cars, multiple properties, multiple pets, kids, bank accounts, etc.



• there is an index file for easy reference when looking for a particular piece of information to reduce "tickling" all the files with your fingertips



• if you don't have a lot of papers in your life, the Homefile would only take up one of your file cabinet drawers leaving the second available for archival information



• there's a wonderful workbook that goes along with it to record vital information about your car, bank account numbers, etc. and keep it at the ready



• it's quick and painless to migrate your old filing system into the Homefile



• it's even easier to create one from scratch!

To get started on the road to Filing Fun, you need the Homefile Financial Planning Organizing Kit, 22 hanging file folders (32 if you want to archive information), a stack of manila file folders, a labeler (or writing utensil), and a small chunk of time set aside to compete the job start to finish. You can use a small mobile file crate, a plastic storage crate, the tall Sterilite bin, or any other item that will hold hanging file folders.

You don't necessarily need an entire lateral filing cabinet, a tall 4 drawer unit or perhaps even a 2 drawer one. It all depends on how much paper you decide to keep, how much energy you want to expend on tending to your small forest, and what your end goal or vision for your life is when it comes to handling paper.

Oddly enough I remember my first filing cabinet. It was royal blue and the top drawer was a little bent but it was mine! It was a lovely feeling knowing that the important papers in my life were in one place and that I could find the piece I needed in an instant. I felt like, if I had no control over anything else that was going on in my life, at least I had control over my papers.

You too can feel good about your papers NOW, whatever your age and regardless of whatever else is going on in your life. Pick up your Homefile Financial Planning Organizing Kit on the Discover Organizing website or stop into our Retail Store and Productivity Center in Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, PA to purchase one for $25 (we also carry the blue storage crate and tall Sterilite bin pictured). You will not find easier to use or more efficient products out there for your filing needs!

Happy and Fun Filing,

*BONUS COOL POINTS if you know what Pee-Chees and Trapper Keepers are and if you know where that slogan is from.**

Tax Prep made easy!

If you’re already finished filing your 2007 taxes, great job!! If not, that’s okay. You still have time! Below are some ways to help tax time go even smoother this year or the next. These tips work well for pilers (vertical storage) or filers (horizontal storage).

Depending on your life, you can amass quite a paper trail of your experiences for the past year, or maybe you just grab your W2s and head down to H&R Block and tah-dah, you’re finished. Either way, the best preparation for yourself or your “tax person” is to keep excellent records and maintain it all in one place. Are you self-employed, own a home, have dependant children or lots of medical bills? If so, you may need to keep a lot of tax related paperwork and information about each of these items.

If you are a “filer” like me and don’t need to keep a lot of paperwork to support an income tax filing in case of an audit, then you are lucky indeed! Just do what I do; create one special place for all your information that relate to your taxes for the current tax year. I keep a simple manila file folder labeled "TAX YEAR ____” in my desktop filing system into which goes my most recent pay stub until I get the end of year one (I shred each previous week’s stub AFTER I’ve checked both to make sure everything looks good), donation receipts, work related expense receipts and medical expense receipts.

When January rolls around, I put my W2s in the "TAX YEAR ____ file" along with the paperwork I receive from my various Financial institutions, Charitable Organizations and my student loan lender. As you know, I LOVE LISTS! I created a little sheet that I laminated and then paper clipped to my “tax file”. I can check off the items with an erasable marker as I receive them. My list says “W2: Discover Organizing Inc.”, “ING 1099”, “Fidelity Documentation” and “Loan Interest Statement”, etc. After I’ve received everything, I take out my file, staple the donation/expense receipts together for each category, tally up the dollar amount and record it on a post-it for easy viewing. I can then sit down at the computer and get all my tax filings done in one sitting without having to shuffle a forest of paper!

Next year’s taxes will be a little more involved for me. My fiance has accumulated quite a bit of medical paperwork! Since I do both of our taxes, I realized my system for handling our taxes will have to change. I decided to use the Pendaflex Pilesmart to keep all of his medical paperwork together.

The Pendaflex Pilesmart is a great tool for keeping all manner and sizes of papers together in a “binder” with 6 built-in tabs and which doesn’t require any hole-punching (I deplore hole-punching). I have labeled each section to hold something unique:

• “Prescription Medicines” - holds all the receipts for his Pharmaceutical purchases/medications


• “Medical Bills” - holds all of the bills or copies of them if I have to send back the original. I write the check number and date on the bill in case of billing concerns.
  
• “Claim Activity” – Aetna alerts me to each time there has been activity on my fiancee’s account. I go on the website and print out each specific event. I then check with him make sure that everything is correct on the printout.


• “Information” – I keep a list of the different Doctors’ information and phone numbers, the different supplies and medications (with dosages) that my fiance needs for easy reference.


• “B Medical” – I keep his other records/receipts of medical expenses, i.e. Eye Doctor, Physical Therapy, etc.


• “W Medical” – My little section of the file that holds all 3 pieces of paper that pertain to me!

If you have several categories of deductions/exemptions that you need to keep separate, the Pendaflex Pilesmart will definitely come in handy. The 6 sections can be separated further by using manila file folders to create subcategories. For example, if you have multiple rental properties you can label one section Rental Properties and then have folders for Property #1 and Property #2.

If you own your own business, you can keep a separate Pendaflex Pilesmart binder so that the business related information doesn’t get mixed in with your personal papers. Bring your accountant your binder and tell them that next year you'll be on vacation in April spending the refund you received after filing in February! They will be impressed with your organizing pizazz and thank you for making their job easier. Heck, they might ask where you got that snazzy binder!

Whatever your personal situation may be, I would highly recommend that you come down to the Discover Organizing Store and pick up a Pendaflex Pilesmart to help with your tax preparation (they are not available at Office Depot, Staples, etc. so don’t waste the gas making a trip). Once you own one, you’ll wonder how you got along without it!

Here’s to making your tax prep easier with a Pendaflex Pilesmart,

Those little pieces of paper AKA receipts

Ahhh receipts, those little pieces of paper you collect in your wallet or purse throughout the day that tell the tale of when and where you spent your hard-earned money.

I worked in retail for many years and was always fascinated by people’s wallets, billfolds, purses and bags. Some wallets were very neat and orderly, the big bills separated from the smaller bills, receipts kept neatly together, and every credit card in its designated slot. Others were crammed full of receipts, bills folded every which way, and credit cards somewhere amongst it all. “My card is in here somewhere,” was a phrase I heard a lot! Sometimes a person’s wallet would be so filled with receipts, notes on napkins and business cards that it wouldn’t close.

Don’t get me wrong! I kept every receipt, credit card statement and utility bill I ever had, every year, for almost 5 years! I had just graduated from college and finally earned enough money to have to file a tax return. I vaguely remembered something about keeping receipts and documentation, but no one really explained the entire taxpaying process to me, or told me that I didn’t need to keep my receipt from my latest trip to the local Hamburger joint. On top of all that, I lugged that box of paper from one place to another. I remember the sheer joy of shredding it all once I learned that I didn’t need it anymore. It was literally a load off of my shoulders!

Do you know what kind of receipts that you need to save? How long do you have to keep your bank statements, credit card statements and utility bills? Not sure? Swing by the Discover Organizing Store in Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, PA and sign up for a the “Quick Pay and Put It Away” class taught by our Financial Organizer Heidi Calhoun. It’s a great class that walks you through processing your receipts and your mail, helping you pay your bills on time and strategies for storing only the important papers. Call (412) 344-3450 to reserve your space today!

If you’ve completed your 2007 taxes and have filed away the small forest of paper you amassed*, get ready for next year by checking back here every month for tips to make next year’s tax prep a breeze!

Happy, and helpful, receipt collecting,

*Great job on getting it done it early!!