How do you guys organize STUFF? Documents, bills, etc.

[Red]

Here is my situation: I've kept pretty much every receipt (even when I get gas, a bag of chips somewhere, etc) and credit card statements for the past 4 to 5 years. I've also kept all of my tax documents, student loan papers, cell phone bills, etc.

Do you guys file this stuff away or no? And also, how do you organize the stuff you keep? I'm thinking I need to get a filing cabinet and some hanging folders soon.

 

[UnatcoAgent]

I kept all of my receipts up until a few days ago, and then threw out all but the really important ones.

Anything to do with banking I keep.

 

I have a part time secretary come in once a week and organize my paper work, they are then filed into cabinets by date and contents.

 

[FoBoT]

you don't need a lot of that, throw it away. only keep what you need in a filing cabinet/hanging folders

tips on record keeping

The amount of records you should keep is actually more limited than you think. Here is Clark's advice on what to keep and for how long, and what to get rid of...

What records to keep:
? Tax returns, keep forever
? Tax return documentation, for six years
? Contracts, forever
? Real estate records, forever
? Last pay stub of a job if you leave that job
? Last pay stub of the year for your current job
? All mortgage payment checks (statements), until mortgage is paid off
? All student loan payments, until loan is paid off
? Car loan payment stubs, until the car is paid off
? Cancelled checks, for 7 years
? Bank deposit slips, for 7 years
? Bank statements, for 7 years
? Home improvement records, ownership period plus 7 years
? Investment records, ownership period plus 7 years

What records to toss:
? Credit card statements that are more than three years old
? Past insurance statement
? Old utility bills, except the most recent one from your old address if you?ve moved
? Recently paid bills (statements), once you have something saying they've been paid

 

[Red]

Originally posted by: Magnum375
I kept all of my receipts up until a few days ago, and then threw out all but the really important ones.

Anything to do with banking I keep.

Where do you keep them?

 

[UnatcoAgent]

Originally posted by: Red

Originally posted by: Magnum375
I kept all of my receipts up until a few days ago, and then threw out all but the really important ones.

Anything to do with banking I keep.

Where do you keep them?

Receipts go into a wood box in my closet. Forms and other papers go into a filing cabinet.

 

[jjones]

Good old-fashioned file folders and banker's boxes. Repeat billing is filed by company/type and year. Example: Visa card statements are all in a single folder for the year. Cable company invoices are in another folder for the year.

Previous tax filings are kept in an individual folder for the tax year. Misc. receipts go into a folder for misc. receipts for the month/year.

Makes life much easier when it comes to tax time and if I ever have to refer back to previous billing.

Edit: and except for permanent records, I toss everything older than 7 years.

 

[PingSpike]

I used to keep everything, but I didn't file them well enough. Now I just keep bank statements, cc statements, tax stuff, some car stuff and anything else I think I might need. Its still out of hand though.

 

[freegeeks]

I throw everything away with the exception of contracts

 

[aircooled]

I shred most everything except documents I know I'll need later. They get filed away.

 

[woowoo]

Keep it for years then Bonfire baby......

 

[Slickone]

I just file in a filing cabinet, with green hanging folders. Each company/type has it's own folder, newest bill in the front of each. Some of the green hanging folders now have a hard cardboard support that goes in the bottom to make it flat & helps a lot when getting things out, if you keep a lot in it. I don't throw away sales receipts no matter how old. I'm always looking back to see how much I paid for something. What are banker's boxes?

 

[monk3y]

Have folders for everything separately... and I have one of those metal file cabinets. People call me sorta anal cause I'm OVER organized sometimes.

 

[Nanotech]

I'm pretty much all electronic/on-line anymore. I don't even keep my pay stubs or monthly bank account summaries.