Keep Smaller Papers Up Front on ClipboardI live by my little clipboard. But today, I had two pieces of paper that I didn't want hidden behind the main tablet. So I offset one so it shows in the back.
Protect Important Instruction ManualsSoon after we were married, my husband surprised me with a sewing machine in a small cabinet. That was 58 years ago. I have taken good care of it and have never had any problems. To oil it, I have to pull out the instruction manual.
Receipt StorageI store all my receipts for the month in this long magnetic box that I bought from Michaels for $3.49, originally $6.99 (with a 50% coupon).
Preparing for Tax TimeDon't wait until January to gather your receipts and forms to file your taxes; do it throughout the year and save yourself time and the grief. Using a two pocket folder, with a medium tipped marker, write the word "Taxes" and whatever year on the folder. If the folder will be in a filling cabinet, be sure to write it where you'll see it at a glance.
Sliding File BoxYou can turn a cardboard file box into a real efficient filing system, with drop in files that slide with ease. First assemble a cardboard file storage box. The one pictured here has manila folders laid in it highly inefficiently. We're going to fix that!
Keep Instruction Manuals and Receipts HandyI staple my receipts to the inner cover of my instruction manuals. They come in handy when I need to review the product's warranty policy. Today there was a split in my vacuum cleaner cord and a spark came out of it. Since it was 3 years old, I assumed the warranty was over and I would have to buy a new one. I read the manual and was pleasantly surprised to find out I had a 5 year warranty. I called the customer service department and will be getting a replacement within 3-5 business days. Even with a coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond, a new unit would have cost $160 plus tax, so I just saved myself a considerable amount of money.
Keep your Warranty Documents in a FolderMany products we buy nowadays have some sort of warranty. I store all of my warranty documents along with the receipts in a clear folder in a spot I will remember. By putting these documents and receipts safe in a folder, the ink will not fade and they are all organized in one spot.
Organizing WarrantiesTake your product warranty, directions and store receipt and slide them into a clear sleeve. Place in a three ring binder. Put a label on the outside of the binder; Kitchen appliance, electronics, Lawn care, computer, etc. You can place these binders in the room that goes with the label or in a book case.
Organizing Home Instruction ManualsAlmost every item we purchase comes with an instruction manual or guide. And all of mine get thrown into my junk drawer until I need to refer to them. I finally found an easy way to declutter and organize those manuals that I think is going to work well. Follow these steps to make a binder like mine.
Reuse Remote Stand for Business CardsWhen your remotes are too big for your remote holder, make it into a desk top business card holder.
Keeping Track of Business CardsI have a dreadful time keeping up with business cards and/or remembering where I got them after a short time goes by. I took a letter size envelope and put the cards inside and made a cut in the flap.
Create a Financial NotebookGrab yourself a pretty and cute 3-ring binder, add some dividers, and start tracking your finances.
Staple Papers on the Reverse SideTurn the pages over (top to bottom) and then staple at the Top-Right corner. Now when you are going through stacks of multipage packets, you will not cut your fingertips on the curved edges of the staple.
Getting Rid of Junk MailWhenever I receive an "invite" in the mail for a credit card that I do not want, I tear it up into several pieces. Then, I take the pieces and put some in each waste basket around the house so just in case a thief wants to paste the information back together, all the pieces are not there.
Tips for Estate PlanningI'm not getting any younger and wanted to make my passing as easy as I could paperwork wise. I have gathered and organized everything I could into a special colored folder.
Keeping Records of Paid BillsI start my checkbook register at the middle of the register. I have found that I can usually write a month's worth of checks on one page of the register using the front (and back if necessary).
Store Manuals and ReceiptsI have stored receipts and manuals in a file cabinet drawer for many years. Binders are a good idea if you don't have a file drawer, but can find shelf space for them. A binder with pocket pages or page protectors can accommodate most manuals.
Staple Together Non-Needed Sections of ManualsIn most home products, you will usually get a manual. Many may have one or several language sections. I only need to read one language. To make reading more manageable, I staple together the pages I will not need.
Keep File with Maintenance RecordsWe all have to do it periodically. Buy a home, do maintenance on that home and/or yard, buy a car, do maintenance on that too. But how many of us can say exactly when it was done, how much it cost, who did it, and all the other details of each?
Use Business Name from StatementWhen we get the first statement from any business, he clips off the return address portion of the envelope or statement. He then cuts out the name of the business and slips it into the little plastic sleeve on the green hanging file folders.
Keep Track of Warranties in Recycled EnvelopesWhen I receive catalogs etc in the post, I save all the envelopes. The ones I can't recycle, I lay aside in my "guarantee folder"
Keeping Track Of Insurance FormsAfter a few grueling hours filling out health insurance forms, my eyes crossed and I knew it was time to quit for the day. However, although I hadn't moved from my seat, I had misplaced a few pages of the forms! The next day, I had this idea.
Make Photocopies of Important ReceiptsStore register receipts fade after a while. When purchasing large priced items I always photocopy the receipt and attach it to the warranty and/or owners manual in case the receipt is required at a later date to prove purchase.
Use Free Calendars to Organize Tax InformationAn easy way to keep tax information together is to use one of the free calendars that stores give away. I white out Sunday on the Sunday column and combine Saturday/Sunday under one column at the end. This leaves a blank column at the first of the week for notes.
Use Photo Album to Organize ReceiptsI use a photo album to keep my receipts organized. I use the kind of album where I can add more sheets to it as needed. And each sheet has 3 slots in it.
Use Photo Albums to Organize PapersI use photo albums for most papers. I have all different sizes; one for bills, school, work, recipes, pages from magazines, and important documents like birth certificates.
Saving School PapersI have 3 kids in school. It gets to be too much trying to save school work for them. What we do is this: Every August we decorate our own "school boxes".
Other Uses for a CD RackI keep a CD rack by my computer to hold papers for my printer, files and invoices to be paid. It is easy to get the papers I need in a flash.
Using Vintage Doll House as Paper OrganizerFor the vintage little girl in all of us, use your old, err I mean, vintage open backed multi-storied doll house as a paper organizer on your desk. Looks cute and each "room" can be labeled or decorated accordingly.
Organizing Tax PapersI organize my tax papers in a binder using clear page protector covers and with labelled dividers to keep the categories separate and organized. Each time something for tax comes in it is placed in the binder in the correct division.
Organize Paperwork In Shoe BoxesI save shoe boxes so that when I have something to store papers, such as hand written recipes, letters, etc. I use them for small items that I don't use on a daily basis, but don't want to get rid of.
Index Cards For Thrifty TipsIndex Cards For Thrifty Tips. I subscribe to various sites and all these sites have so many great ideas. I like to keep them all on hand, so I was printing them all out and keeping them in my file cabinet. Now, my file cabinet is getting full and my printer is out of ink.
Organizing ManuscriptsI am a writer of poetry and short stories and I love to share my work with others. I had my manuscripts in boxes, some in file folders, and others just loose. I knew I needed to get them in order.
Task BoxesI try to save about 6 heavy-duty self closing boxes each year that measure around 10-1/2 x 11 x 2-1/2 inches or even slightly larger. I use these to store "works in progress" such as preparing for a large church project, tax preparation, special yearly projects which I am chairwoman of, etc.
Keep Your Accounts and Insurance Policies OrganizedWrite down on paper all the information needed if you pass away unexpectedly or expectedly, and leave with a very reliable person. I have one copy with my file in my attorney's office for quick retrieval.
Thermal Paper Receipts and FaxesIf you need to keep a receipt for warrantees, etc. Check to see if it is printed on thermal paper. If they are, photocopy them for your records.
Organizing Medical Records at HomeFor every physician you see and for every place where you have a medical test performed (ex. if you have an ultrasound in a hospital), create a file folder with the following information:
Make a Medical JournalGet a regular journal or spiral notebook, and make a medical journal out of it. Write down any of the past sicknesses in the family and bring it with you when going to the doctor's.
A Mail Box for Each Person in the HouseI purchased 8 stackable plastic mailbox slots and labeled each one with a family members name. All schoolwork, mail, etc, that is for other people goes in their slot.
Store Papers In a NotebookUse a notebook with plastic insert sheets for storing...
