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Have you ever looked through your filing cabinet (or whatever counts as your filing cabinet, including a drawer, the closet, or the floor) and thought, “wow, that’s a mess!” In our busy lives, it’s easy to put an important piece of paper in a drawer for safe-keeping, promising yourself you’ll look at it again once you get organized.
On one hand, it’s not completely crazy to think this way. You have kept that important document safe, and you could probably find it again. However, there’s a small chance you might not find it (buried under other paperwork). At the very least, it will take you a lot more time searching for the paper than if you had just filed it.
No one really likes thinking about organizing, because it is a lot of work at the beginning and it does take diligence to keep everything running smoothly. Many of us have the best of intentions, like taking a Saturday to set up a filing system, but then eventually things just… fall apart. If this sounds like you, read on to see how getting organized can save you time and money!
Set Aside Time
I have to admit: it does take a lot of time upfront to get organized. This time last year, B and I decided our empty filing cabinet needed some files in it, and our pile of floor paperwork just wasn’t responsible anymore. We thought we could do all our filing in an evening after work.
How wrong we were. Getting organized, whether that’s a filing cabinet, a kitchen pantry, or a closet you’re trying to organize, takes more time than a few hours on a Thursday night. You also probably shouldn’t involve alcohol while getting organized, like we did (although you can drink a glass after you’ve finished organizing to celebrate!).
Get organized like you get ready for spring cleaning. Get your game face on, and spend a Saturday tackling that cabinet/pantry/closet. Empty everything out of your space, clean it if it’s dusty or has crumbs (why there are crumbs in your closet, I don’t know, but I don’t judge), and prepare to spend a couple hours getting organized.
Be Prepared
Just like you wouldn’t go into a meeting unprepared when you have a presentation to make (hopefully…), don’t even consider getting organized without being prepared. This means making sure you have everything you need before you get started. In case the italics weren’t enough, have everything you could need for your organizational project before you get started.
When we started our filing cabinet organizational project, here’s just a short list of things we realized we needed… after the fact:
- Hanging files (duh)
- A pen to write on the tabs (or one of those label printers)
- Extra tabs, extra file folders
- Plastic cover sheets for things that are important, sentimental, or old and fragile
Since we didn’t have these things ahead of time, we wasted time by having to drive to Staples. We also wasted money because, if we had planned ahead, we could have bought some of these items cheaper online or waited for coupons and sales at Staples.
If you’re cleaning out and reorganizing a closet, you may need the following:
- Hangers (for pants, shirts, and maybe one for belts)
- A shoe caddy or shoe storage unit (especially if you have a lot of shoes)
- Bags or boxes for donating the clothes you don’t wear anymore
- Dividing tabs for purses, hats, shoe boxes
Surprise Twist: Err on the Side of Caution
As opposed to other posts, where I urge you to be ruthless, you may want to actually be cautious about tossing old papers. I’m not saying keep everything, but if you’re not sure, keep it and re-evaluate it in another year.
Paperwork like birth certificates, graduation certificates, your Social Security card, all should be kept forever. You may even want to keep these things in a safe deposit box off-site, but at the very least in a fireproof cabinet with locks.
Other paperwork you should keep:
- Your most current insurance documents (you don’t need to keep anything that’s expired)
- Warranties (unless they’ve expired)
- Documentation on any work you’ve had done on your house (anything that adds value to the home is important to keep, as you can show it to future buyers)
- Taxes! Save them for 7 years
- Debt paperwork (unless you’ve moved everything to electronic paperwork, definitely keep paperwork related to your student loans, car payments, etc.)
Once you’ve gone everything and bought the things you need to be efficient and effective, it shouldn’t take you too long to get organized. The best part about getting yourself organized is the time and money you’ll save in the future. Think of it: you need a copy of the warranty on your fridge, which is now making a terrifying buzzing sound. Just go to your filing cabinet, go to the “Warranties” or “Kitchen” folder, and voila! You just saved time (going straight to the filing cabinet instead of hunting around the house) and money (if your warranty is still good). Think of all the possibilities!
What’s your organizing system, and how long did it take you to get one in place?
DC @ Young Adult Money says
These are truly great tips, Melissa, and I desperately need to get more organized. With full-time work and side hustles unfortunately this typically ends up last on the list, despite the value that it provides. The one time of the year I’m really forced to get my organization act together is when I pay taxes. You really need to have your ducks in a row if you have any sort of side income.
Connie - Savvy With Saving says
Great tips, Melissa! I’ve been reading the book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and it’s really made me think more about how to organize all my stuff and only keep the things that I truly want/need.
Shannyn @ Frugal Beautiful says
Love your organizational system! Decluttering and organizing files is a lot harder than we think at first, and it does pay to be prepared.
Kate @ Money Propeller says
This one is very helpful! I used to keep all my payment receipt until one day I decided to throw it away and keep the latest one.
Will @ Phroogal says
I actually really needed a post like this. Organization takes a lot of time upfront but saves you in the long run. Plus I’m always happier when I’m organized. I’ll do better today!
Mike @ Tip Yourself says
Great tips! It’s amazing how much of an impact a clean and organized home or work space has on your mood. For me, simply making the bed everyday has a crazy impact on my productivity. I worked hard to build it into a daily habit. Small little steps all add up, but like you knowing they take effort (even small effort) is important!
Alexa says
I’ve actually been working on this 🙂 In the house we just bought the old owners left this hutch/cabinet/bar looking thingy (not sure exactly what you would call it) And I have transformed into the bill space and the spot for homework supplies.
I am super ruthless about paper clutter. All important documents (which are very few) are kept in a dresser upstairs. Everything else is shredded (well, hand shredded by me lol) as soon as I get it/pay the bill.
Jack says
The largest problem in our home organization is each other. Developing a system that makes sense to both of us, logical as well as low friction, is a challenge. Since everyone has different thresholds for what makes sense as well as what level of effort they’re willing to maintain long term, finding a good compromise is hard.
So far we’ve survived by making each of us the owner of specific areas – closets, kitchen, filing cabinet, etc. The owner sets the rules for that space, and the non-owner negotiates possible changes. Since the owner is responsible for maintaining the order in a particular area, it’s in both our interests to find a good compromise, otherwise the owner ends up doing all the work in that area.
Seems convoluted to some, but it works for us.