PS Jean – I’d love to ask you more about your filing system!! Mine isn’t really a system at the moment… and I will need one eventually since I will be starting a business. If you’re willing to share more detail, please email my yahoo acct. at sandpiperhiker. (I know that’s awkward wording, but I’m hoping auto-phishers don’t read for e-mails in that order.)

I used to dislike balancing my checkbook. So I started to play some music I love, fix my favourite drink, and perhaps burn some essential oil to make the environment more pleasant while I was doing the balancing. It really worked, and after doing this several times, I no longer dread balancing the checkbook and in fact no longer need the “props” of the music, tea, and oils.

Now that I have online statements and Quicken, it goes even faster, and I no longer dread it. I balance as soon as a statement becomes available.

I suppose I could do the same process with filing. And I appreciate the suggestions in the previous comments about the Smead files and the expanding file, and also the digital images.

@the bag lady: My guy is bored by money talk, too. So I send him an email every month to tell him what I did with the finances during the month and where our savings stand. I insert funny photos (of silly piggy banks, animals, whatever) and joke about the things I didn’t do with the money. That keeps it fun but also keeps him informed about exactly what I am doing with the loot. I don’t go into a lot of detail, and I always tell him to ask me about things if he wants to know more.

When we started the business, I started using Quickbooks. I also set up an envelope system. One envelope a month for receipts and check stubs (payments).

My filing cabinet is set up using Smead Viewables. I love love love this product. It makes each hanging file folder it’s own folder — no more tab top folders inside folders with not very readable tabs. And these tabs are VERY easy to read, with a flat printed top so you can see it from the top — no more riffling through and bending the tabs back to read. Frankly, it’s my belief if the system is easy to use (and mine is even color coded!) you’re more likely to use it.

I also came from a banking background — so each piece of paper I handle, I initial. Actually, I write my first name… so if I DON’T file it, I know that whatever has needed to be done with it, has been done with it and all it needs is to be filed. My receipts are stamped posted, after being posted. (I have to keep receipts because we charge those purchases to clients)

At the end of the year, my file cabinet gets cleaned out. All statements and receipts and documents that pertain to the business are banded together and put into a large clasp envelope marked business, year and also included is a system backup disc for the year end. Personal statements get the same treatment — because sometimes the business and personal lines blur.

The 18 monthly (and bi monthly for personal receipts) envelopes are banded together and placed in a clasp envelope and all three are stored away.

When we were audited by the IRS, my accountant was stunned at the ease I brought all my records together. After they figured out my system, they were happy, and the audit went perfectly.

Now I just need to come up with a system to deal with the HUGE amounts of paper that come home with my kindergardener every week.

You know what I like to do to more efficiently organize my archived paperwork documents such as phone bills and traffic tickets etc?

I take my digital camera and I take high resolution photos of every document. Rather than retaining mounds and mounds of paper documents that clutter up and take up space, I only retain an online digital copy of each document that I store on my personal home computer, neatly organized into file directories.
-Raymond

I actually just bought a groovy lime green expansion folder to file all my paperwork in!