When it comes to organizing your files, you want to make sure that you can find what you need when you need it. It sounds simple doesn’t it? If it takes more than a couple of minutes for you to find something in your files, then you may need to update your filing process.
I used to file all of my bills by type: electric, phone, car, water, etc. But when it was time to file, it took a while. I had to look at each bill, decide what category it went under, find the right file, and drop it in. It seemed too time-consuming.
This method works for a lot of people. That’s great! Your system is only good if it works for you and you use it. But it didn’t work for me. So I had to find something else.
I started filing things by the month. Everything from January? One folder. February? Next folder. It was much easier for me to find the date and just drop it in the file. I still use this method, partially.
If there’s an odd item, say a medical bill that I’m dealing with and will need to find later, I go ahead and file under medical. Same with insurance. Things that I will need to hold more than a month or two, or that won’t get filed away with my taxes. Things that I won’t remember by the month, but only by their type or the vendor.
Any tax-deductible items, though, go in an accordion file, grouped generally by how I’ll enter them into my financial software during taxes.
My system is a hodgepodge of different techniques. It works for me, most of the time. Realize that cobbling together things is okay if it makes your life easier. If it complicates matters, then experiment and try to see what else will work.
I’ll be doing that with my filing at some point, because I’m not quite happy with it. Filing by month is quicker and easier, but I’m not sure it’s helping my retrieval ability.
How about you – are you happy with your filing system? What works? What doesn’t? What would you like to change?
Tags: bills, filing, organizing, systems
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