Store folders properly

Hello,

how do you solve the issue with all the folders at home? We are a family of 7 and a lot of paperwork accumulates. I find this messy clutter terrible! I would like to have everything in one place and clearly arranged. Do you have any idea for us?

Hello,

I am very thorough by profession. First of all, you should consider that it is advisable to keep certain documents for a few years (e.g. tax documents).

There are deadlines for that.

Otherwise, I keep documents (important mail, receipts, etc.) in folders as temporary storage for max. 6 weeks and then file them thematically in binders. For example, insurance, taxes, wages, warranty, house & incidental costs, etc.

We have an Ikea shelf and nice red binders in a row there. Older binders are stored temporarily in the basement until final disposal.

It makes my neck hairs stand up when I see mail flying around everywhere at friends’ and family’s places.

My wife solves it by creating a large pile. I, in turn, dissolve this pile at regular intervals when it annoys me too much and dispose of, file away or place the documents concerning her next to her (this is usually already the beginning of the next pile :mad.

Folders are created by topic. (Car, taxes, bank (several), health, etc.). These are then in the office. The household folder, due to its relevance, is in the living room. Receipts from shopping are kept in annual hanging files if a warranty claim exists and disposed of when there is plenty of time. When we then move into our own home, many OLD folders will certainly be disposed of permanently, which currently still lead their lives in unpacked moving boxes.

In the future, I will set up an inbox basket in the new house, with which I hopefully can intercept various things.

There is an inbox tray. All mail goes in there -> on the weekend a decision is made whether to deal with it immediately, file it, or "wait". There is an "archive room" under the roof. There are shelves with folders in 3 colors. We are both self-employed, meaning each has a color for business and a private color. All items to be filed go into the archive in plastic trays of the same color. When the tray is full, sorting is done. What belongs in the folders goes in there, and what is outdated goes into the shredder next to it. I love our house for that reason alone. Everything has its order. Sylvia smiles.

We have a basket in the cupboard. Everything that is not really important or done yet goes in there first.

Every few weeks, it is then sorted into folders. What needs to be kept for a long time / is very important is also scanned and then filed, as well as uploaded to the cloud (where the folder structure is the same as in the cupboard).

What is kept for a long time / very important is also scanned ...

Oh yes - this is also planned for the new house in the future. All invoices with warranty claims as well as the important documents will be scanned with the date.