Paper everywhere
This is actually about organizing your home office, but let’s be realistic, the real culprit is paper. Maybe you have bank statements from 2007 and instruction manuals for a camera you do not own anymore laying around your desk. Maybe your desk is a pile of papers that need some action step like a phone call or email before you feel confident throwing it away. However you got into this avalanche of stuff in your home office, it is time to dig out.
First, if you come across papers that are over seven years old, throw it away even if it is linked to your tax return. The IRS website says seven years to keep paperwork if you took a deduction on a bad debt. If you did a standard deduction and nothing that appeared on a schedule, you may be able to toss it after three years.
Bank records can go bye-bye after one year. You want to get your bank statement and check it within 30 days for errors anyway. Once you feel confident that the statement is correct, you do not need to keep it. Also check for bank fees and charges for things like checks, ATM withdraws, and maintenance free. There are free checking accounts out there and those fees add up so look at your options.
I do recommend you keep manuals for appliances in one folder or binder. If your washer has crazy blinking lights or your dryer will not start, it is great to be able to put your hands on the manual as soon as possible rather than call a repair person. Some professional organizers say to throw away all the manuals because you should be able to find manuals and instructions online. However, not all manufacturers make it easy to find those manuals on their websites and really when you want to fix the dishwasher that is having a seizure you want it done now.
Something else to consider is do you need professional help. There are people you can hire that will come in and help you organize your home office. This may even be tax deductible if you run your own business from home. I have hired people to sort, scan, shred, and return on a thumb drive three years worth of paper files. They did it faster than I could have done it. At the time, it made sense to pay them their rate which was lower than my hourly rate.
If you come across sentimental items while organizing your home office, put those to the side. If you start looking over photographs, recipes, birthday cards, and year books while trying to sort business papers, there is a chance you will not make it out of those piles because you travel down memory lane. Put all your sentimental stuff to the side and deal with it a different day when you have time.
Do you have any tips to share on organizing paper? If so, please put it in the comments. Remember to share the blog with a friend. Enjoy today!
