What to do with papers?

[kimmypoo]

What do you do with your bank statement after you've balanced your checkbook? What about you bills after you've paid them? Or things from your insurance that show what they've to paid your doctor? Do you throw these things out or keep them? If you keep them, for how long?
I never know what to do with this stuff. Sometimes I throw them out and sometimes I think maybe I'll need them again for some reason and they just end up cluttering my desk.

[Mama Mko]

I stopped getting bank statements and do it all online. I can access those records whenever I want. We do most of our bills online. Insurance/doctor's papers go in their own file folder. I don't clean it out as often as I could. I would keep them for approximately a year if I was keeping up with tossing them regularly.

[BCFD]

I have manilla folders for everything and we store it in a Flort box from Ikea.http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70166916 Every couple of years I purge.

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by BCFD

I have manilla folders for everything and we store it in a Flort box from Ikea.http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70166916 Every couple of years I purge.

Are these stackable? I LIKE this!!

[laurabfig]

Read "Getting Things Done" by David Allen- he has a great system of organizing and dealing with paper.
We have a filing system I set up after reading his book- I bank online, but keep things like medical bills for about a year until our taxes for that year are done. once a year I do a purging of all the files and take out / shred what we don't need.

[greeny]

An easily accessible file cabinet.

[bigteamug]

Oooh boy do I know about this one - we are in the middle of a HUGE office declutter.

I've gone thru 3 boxes full of papers, 1 more to go, DH has two big black garbage bags full of shredded stuff.

Sad thing is, I won't even brag on this to my friends - I don't care to admit how bad I let it go...

Here is a decent short guide:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home...papers-to-keep

Now I gotta go finish the job....

[Jazzmin]

I use a filing cabinet. I used to have a container for my papers, but it was too small.

The link the PP shared is super helpful! I saved all of my bank statement ( DH and I have 3 between us), which takes up A LOT of room in the cabinet. Guess I need to borrow a shredder or invest in one.

[kimmypoo]

Originally Posted by bigteamug

Oooh boy do I know about this one - we are in the middle of a HUGE office declutter.

I've gone thru 3 boxes full of papers, 1 more to go, DH has two big black garbage bags full of shredded stuff.

Sad thing is, I won't even brag on this to my friends - I don't care to admit how bad I let it go...

Here is a decent short guide:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home...papers-to-keep

Now I gotta go finish the job....

Thanks, that link is really helpful.

[bluebunny]

I file bank statements, medical/insurance forms, and bills for one year (or until taxes are filed, whichever is later), then I shred. We have a two-drawer file cabinet that holds all of that, plus tax info and business records.

[BCFD]

Originally Posted by Turquesa

Are these stackable? I LIKE this!!

Hmm..they are canvas/nylon-ish type material. I wouldn't stack them more than 2 high. However, they fit into the expedit shelf perfectly!!!!