Blog a Job! Part 5 The Transformation Complete!

The Transformation Complete!

Let the fun begin! This is the last work session with my client, Becky, and her home office.

During our previous work sessions, we literally worked our way through the room and through many years of paperwork and accumulated clutter. We were working in a room, which lacked identity and purpose, and that made it way too easy to continually add to the clutter and chaos.

We were able to reorganize the past, disposing of everything that was not needed in the present and organize treasures and precious memories for their enjoyment in the future. We set up a current working filing system and archive files for storage. We sorted through many years of craft and sewing supplies, and were able to purge the useless and organize the useful.

As the process continued, we were able to define what tasks Becky wanted to accomplish in her office and therefore, which clearly defined zones would be established in her space. She was left with an area for books, crafts and sewing, her office area with her desk and current files and the closet which would store off-season clothing, gift wrap, craft and office supplies.

Becky is a creative soul. She is both vibrant and gracious, and she is overflowing with personality and style. She had decorated her office, but the style was literally lost in the clutter. Once we cleared out the clutter, we were able to edit some of her decorative items and were left with a stylish office space that is light, bright, and functional.

We were able to use much of what Becky already owned and therefore had to spend very little money on supplies, while creating her new space. Becky purchased the craft supply cart, jars for the ribbons on the shelves and some filing supplies.

It is my hope that by following the progression of this organizing job and the transformation of this space, that you are both encouraged and challenged to imagine the possibilities of your home “In Order” for “Life”!

Check out Blog a Job! Part 1, Blog a Job! Part 2, Blog a Job! Part 3 and Blog a Job! Part 4 for the complete story! Also, check out the Before and After Gallery for pictures of our progress from beginning to end.

Thanks Becky, for opening your home and your life and allowing me to be part of this transformation.

It has truly been a pleasure!

Cheryl

Organized for Success – How are YOUR Students Managing?

Organize the Student

An organized student is a more successful student. Give the students in your home every advantage by working with them in developing excellent organizational skills. Help your student(s) develop a plan to organize their time and their papers. Most students receive an agenda book. Hold your student(s) accountable to using it. Help them get into a good habit. It takes approximately 21 days of constant repetition to form a new habit. Offer them grace as you encourage them in forming this new habit. It will help them succeed as a student and they will learn valuable lessons of time management for the future. Teach them organizing skills as you work with them to set aside specific places in their binder, notebook, or folders for homework, current work and completed work. Many teachers will share their suggestions with you and your student. Take advantage of their teacher’s wisdom. Also, consider creating a file box at home to store completed work, filed by subject. When their binder begins to bulge, they will have an easy and convenient place to file their work away, while still having quick access to it for future needs.

Organize the Study Area

Next, prepare a study area and take stock of your school and office supplies.

Beadboard Basic Corner Desk from Pottery Barn Teen

Create an area in your home specifically for doing homework. This area should be well lit and quiet with a work area and a supportive chair. It is also helpful to have storage for basic study helps and school supplies.  This is the perfect time to inventory all your school and office supplies while reorganizing the area for ease of use. This is an easy process, which includes a few simple steps:

• Think through how you want your space to look and function
• Empty out any drawers, cabinets, bins or files that are storing office and/or school supplies
• Group like things together. Create sub categories such as Art Supplies, Paper Supplies, Pens and Pencils, Notebooks and Binders, Office Supplies, Computer Supplies etc……..
• Toss or donate any damaged or obsolete supplies
• Return the “keep” pile to the space and think through what, if any, storage accessories or containers you may need
• Store often used supplies close at hand, while utilizing harder to reach space for seldom used supplies

Organize a School Memory Box

The Bungalow File Holder from See Jane Work

If you haven’t done so already, consider creating a School Memory Box for each child. This can be as simple as a plastic file box or a cardboard banker’s box divided into 12 sections. During the school year file away any artwork, projects, special memories, creative writing and awards. Then, at the end of each school year, go through your file box of completed work and pull out the best and most meaningful of their creative writing, schoolwork and artwork. Finally,  simply file it away in their School Memory Box in the appropriate year. By the end of high school, you’ll have a wonderful, handpicked history of your child’s development and accomplishments, with very little effort.

Check out these stylish Bungalow File Holders from See Jane Work. They come in 5 different designs and hold standard hanging files. They are chic enough to set out on a bookshelf, desk top or kitchen shelf, adding flair to your home and organization to your life.

Organize the Room

This is also the perfect time to work with your child organizing his/her bedroom and clothing. Use the same basic steps outlined earlier:

• Think through how you want your space to look and function
• Empty out drawers, clothes and any bins that are storing clothing
• Group like things together. Create sub categories such as Underclothes, Sports Clothes, Uniforms, School Clothes, Dress Clothes etc.
• Toss old or worn clothes and donate outgrown, seldom worn, or out of style clothes. The biggest pitfall is keeping more clothes than you actually can use or have room for. Be realistic in what you are keeping.
• Return the “keep” pile to the space and think through what, if any, storage accessories or containers you may need. Assign a specific space for each sub category of clothing.
• Store often used clothing close at hand, while utilizing harder to reach space for seldom used items. Store off season clothes in a clearly labeled bin or under-the-bed container.
• Be careful not to over-stuff drawers and closets. You will go a long way in helping your child stay organized by actually providing a space for all of their belongings and then making it both easy and accessible to put them away.
• Make use of storage space, which is often overlooked, such as the backs of doors or inside of closets to mount hooks, racks, or pockets. Use hooks for storage of everyday items such as sweatshirts, pajamas, robes, and towels. If your child doesn’t have many hanging clothes, install shelves in half of their closet for additional folded clothes or for toy storage.

Now that you know what your child owns and what needs they may have, you may still be able to take advantage of summer clearance sales.

Have a Fantastic (and organized!) School Year!

Cheryl

Blog a Job! Watch a Professional Organizer in Action! Part 4

Today is paperwork day. Tedious and time consuming. But, it is oh so worth it! Investing the time into creating a simple and effective filing system is one of THE MOST BENEFICIAL organizing jobs you can accomplish. Think about all the paper lying around your house……..the newspapers, magazines, newsletters, school papers, bills, mail, invitations, the stack on your kitchen table (you KNOW you have one!), appointment reminders, and the list goes on! Now imagine your home de-cluttered and organized with no paperwork in sight, yet easily and quickly accessible. It IS possible. And the fist step in achieving this is to create and maintain a simple and effective filing system.

Becky and I spent four full hours setting up a filing system. Our first step was to organize both her and her husband’s past work files and clear them out of their office space. Becky worked in an industry, which requires her to keep business contacts and files for four years. These files will, most likely, never need to be accessed, and therefore, could safely be stored in their attic. Next, we organized her husband’s past files. Much of his paperwork and files have to do with his master’s degree and current teaching position. His files may need to be accessed occasionally, so they were organized and will be stored in the office closet. Out of the families current living space, yet still accessible. By clearing out the past, we created space for the present. Finally, we set up their family’s current filing system.

Check out my previous blogs; “Developing a Simple and Effective Household Filing System” and “Filing Tips, Tricks and Ideas“, for direction and ideas on setting up your own filing system. Or, feel free to shoot me an email at cheryl@inorderforlife.com or give me a call at 410.259.1466 to schedule an appointment.

The secret to any good filing system is to keep it simple. Whatever system you use should make it easy to find what you need, be easy to maintain, and make sense to everyone who may need to use it. You should be able to retrieve any paper in less than one minute—if that’s not the case, it may be time to revamp your system. Then be sure to locate your files in a place that is easy to get to. If they aren’t  you won’t get to them!

The Shred Pile has grown as big as Charlotte!

Becky and her husband both had homework this week:  Becky was to bring her books to the library for donation, sort, purge and organize her memory bins and shred all her documents that had identifying information on them. Her husband was to sort, purge and organize both his past files and his memory box.

Check out Blog A Job! Part 1, Blog A Job Part 2,  Blog a Job! Part 3, and Blog a Job! Part 5, to read the complete article and to see the finished office space.  The fun is just beginning. Now that we have cleared out the clutter, re-organized the past, and decided exactly how the office space will function, we can organize the present!

Happy (and organized!) Days!

Cheryl

Blog a Job! Watch a Professional Organizer in Action! Part 3

During this 4-hour work session, we literally began working our way through the room. We started at one end of the room and began sorting and purging everything into one of the following categories:

• Trash
• Consign/Give Away
• Relocate (move to other areas of the home)
• File – Long term (will be moved out of the office)
• File – Current
• Office
• Craft
• Gift Wrap
• Memories

As we were sorting, we came up with the following zones within the room:

• Bookshelf
• Craft/Sewing Area
• Desk/Office/Files
• Closet: Off-Season Clothing, Gift Wrap/Craft Storage, and File and Office Supplies

I mentioned earlier that it will look worse before it gets better. This is almost always the case. It takes space, energy and time to pull out everything and sort. But it is a necessity, before you purge. How can you begin to make decisions about what to keep, if you don’t truly know what you have? The answer is, you can’t! Becky and I were working in a relatively small office space. Therefore, it was necessary to spread out a bit. You will see photographs of us working in her daughter’s room which is located across the hall from the office. We also used the hallway for storage of our supplies along with bags, boxes and bins, which were being permanently moved out of the space.

At the end of the day, we had an even better direction of how Becky would like the room to function. We also had several huge bags of trash, several “relocate” bins and a gigantic pile to take to the consignment shop. It truly does pay to get organized!

I am often asked if I will throw out or get rid of other family member’s belongings. I always assure clients that it is my policy to only work with my their belongings. If there is ever a question about other people’s belongings, they are set aside in a pile or bin so that the owner(s) can sort through and make decisions.

I also don’t try to talk clients into getting rid of belongings. I do help them see the trade off (and there is always a trade off!). The reality is; more stuff = less space and less breathing room, while less stuff = more space and more breathing room. Generally by the time a client contacts me, they are tired of living in the midst of so much stuff, and are ready for change. The truth is, you cannot organize clutter. I love Flylady’s definition of clutter:

“Clutter is anything that does not bring you joy, you do not love, or you don’t need. Things that you use, love, and enjoy are necessary and important to have. Things that you have in your home that you don’t need or don’t like will have the opposite effect on you: they will make you feel negative and dragged down.” FLYlady

So, my job is to help clients eliminate clutter. But this is a process that we work through together. It begins by first helping clients identify what things they use, they love, and they enjoy. Then we figure out what to do with the rest. We don’t just “get rid of” the rest. We thoughtfully make decisions. Are there family or friends who might enjoy an item? Is this something that they might be able to sell or consign and make a few extra dollars? Are there people in need who could truly benefit from the donation of these items? When put in this context, most people are much more likely to begin the process of eliminating clutter.

As I work with clients, I suggest specific “homework”, jobs that they can accomplish on their own.  This can reduce the number of hours that we work together. Clients can, of course, choose to have me work alongside them throughout the entire process. The choice is theirs.

After this work session, Becky was left with the following homework:

• Go to the consignment shop
• Empty “relocate” bins and move to the appropriate areas of the home
• Remove 2 extra file cabinets from the room
• Purge and reorganize 3 “memory” bins
• Purchase additional clear plastic bins for memories

During our next session, we will dive into the paperwork. We will begin to set up a family filing system. This is going to be a tedious and time-consuming task, but will both simplify Becky’s days and significantly de-clutter her office.

Check out Blog a Job! Part 1, Blog a Job Part 2,  Blog a Job! Part 4 and Blog a Job! Part 5.

Check out our progress in the coming days!

Blog a Job! Watch a Professional Organizer in Action! Part 2

My client, Becky, has graciously agreed to allow me to “blog” her first experience working with a professional organizer. I thought it might be eye opening for you to see how the process plays out through an actual job.

Becky is a creative soul. She is one of the most vibrant and gracious people you will meet. She is overflowing with personality and style. This is going to be a FUN job!

Clutter Piled On Top of Important Files

We will be focusing on her home office space. Becky was a successful business women, who has now chosen to commit full time to the new job of raising her precious daughter (the darling girl you will see in the pictures). In the midst of the transition from the business world to the home world, Becky never made the transition in her home office.

She is an organized girl and has a beautiful home. But, she has a room. Many of us do. It’s the one place we “pile”. It is the “extra” room. It is the room that no one sees. Therefore, it is the room that we put anything and everything that doesn’t have a place. And it becomes THE room to accomplish many tasks. While accomplishing many tasks, it accumulates lots of stuff. That’s the reality of many of our homes and lives.

During our first meeting together, Becky shows me her home office, which is causing her stress. I ask many questions, attempting to get a feel for how she and her family work, what systems they currently have in place, and how we might improve on them or create new systems. At the same time I’m trying to get a picture of her vision for the finished project. How would she like this room to function? What tasks will be accomplished in this room? I take pictures, both to refresh my memory throughout the process, and to motivate us both along the way.

An Inefficient Work Space!

With this information in hand and pictures in my camera, I can begin to create a plan of action.

During our next appointment, the hard work will begin. Next time we will get down and dirty.

It generally gets worse, before it gets better. But, as you will soon see, the results are definitely worth it!

Check out Blog a Job! Part 1,  Blog a Job! Part 3 , Blog a Job! Part 4, and Blog a Job! Part 5

Piles and Bins and Tubs, Oh My!

Check out our work progress next week!

Cheryl

Blog A Job! Watch a Professional Organizer in Action! Part 1

Have you ever wondered what in the heck a Professional Organizer actually does? Will she take over your home? Will YOUR mess shock her? Will she work for endless hours, working you right into the poor house?

You have the opportunity to have your questions answered, as you follow Cheryl Osterhouse, owner/operator of In Order for Life, LLC, in action. You will be able to witness the progress of a “typical” organizing project through each step of an actual organizing job. You will see first hand, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Let’s start at the beginning. When I get a call from a potential client, I am sensitive to the fact that it has taken much nerve and often weeks or even months to pick up the phone and make that call. Why is it so difficult to make that call? Why do we assume that everyone should naturally be organized? We each have gifts, strengths, and areas in life where we naturally excel. Organizing may or not be, one of your gifts.

I think creatively when it comes to organizing. Otherwise, NOT! I have finally come to terms with this fact. I’m on our Women’s Ministry Team at our church with some ridiculously creative women. They can brainstorm and come up with ideas, themes and programs in no time flat. Myself, not so much. I could come up with fresh and creative ideas, but at too high a cost. So, they come up with creative ideas, and I keep us organized. It works.

Gardening is another area where I do not excel. I enjoy gardening. I love the IDEA of gardening. I feel like I SHOULD be a gardener. After all, I live on 5 acres with great potential for beautiful gardens. Again, I have come to terms with the fact, that at this time in my life, gardening just is not one of my strengths. I simply don’t have time and/or energy for it. It’s OK. The stakes are low. I maintain the gardens around my house, and let the others go for now. Maybe one day………

So, what if you are not naturally organized? What if you simply haven’t learned organizing skills? Or, more likely, what if, in the midst of your crazy, ever changing life, you haven’t had the opportunity to re-group and get reorganized? Well, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that the stakes of maintaining a disorganized home (and life!) are high.

Being disorganized costs you financially, in loss of time, and emotionally. NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) estimates that the average American spends nearly an hour every day looking for simple things. That’s for the average American. If you consider yourself “disorganized”, chances are you spend more than an hour a day looking for things. Think what you could do with that extra time each and every day. Aside from wasting time, being disorganized can quickly lead to financial loss as well. Do you find yourself paying late fees on bills that you had the money to pay, only because you had misplaced the bill? Are you purchasing duplicate items because you simply can’t find or don’t have time and energy to look for the items that you know are “around here somewhere”? Are you running to fast food restaurants and purchasing pre-made dinners from the grocery store, not because have want to, but rather because you have to?

Finally, do you feel burdened and overwhelmed by all the stuff surrounding you?  Are you unsure of which way to turn, where to start, or do you feel stuck?

Organizing is a skill to be learned. My favorite definition of organization comes from Julie Morgenstern in her book  Organizing from the Inside Out:  “Organizing is the process by which we create environments that enable us to live, work, and relax exactly as we want to. When we are organized, our homes, offices, and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going.” That’s my job in a nutshell. I work with clients to create processes within their homes and within their lives, and at the same time, teach them the skills necessary to maintain those processes.

At times I am called upon to assist with a specific room, while other times it may involve the entire home. Occasionally, the request for help is in the area of time and life management. In each situation, the process remains the same. I begin with a visit to the client’s home, at which time they have the opportunity to show me, first hand, their current situation. I ask many questions, attempting to get a feel for how they work, what systems they currently have in place, and how we might improve on them or create new systems. I will then create a plan of action personalized for both their budget and style. Finally, we jump right into the work. We work together as we sort, purge, and reorganize, one area at a time. I usually suggest specific “homework”, jobs that they can accomplish on their own, reducing the number of hours that we work together. They may, however, choose to have me work alongside them throughout the entire process. The choice is theirs. Throughout the process, it is my goal to teach my clients new skills, giving them the tools and tips necessary to maintain their newly organized space.

My Brave Client, Becky

So, come along with me as I work through an actual job, from beginning to end. My client, Becky, has graciously agreed to allow me to “blog” her first experience working with a professional organizer. I thought it might be eye opening for you to see how the process plays out through an actual job.  So, come along with us. Next week, Part 2 will be posted, showing the first stage of any organizing job, the in-home consultation.

Check out Blog a Job! Part 2,  Blog a Job! Part 3,  Blog a Job! Part 4 and Blog a Job! Part 5

Come On Along!

Cheryl

Filing Tips, Tricks and Ideas

As I recommended in my previous blog, “Developing a Simple and Effective Household Filing System”:

• Make your system as simple as possible. You are much more likely to keep up with it.
  

  Work To Be Done

• Start from scratch. You will find it is much easier than trying to revamp your previous system. I don’t recommend purchasing a pre-designed filing system. It WON’T be simple. At least not for you. You will have to spend time fitting your categories into their categories. It is much easier to create your own categories, with titles that make sense to you.
• Opt for a system based on subjects rather than filling alphabetically.  Filing alphabetically is way too much to remember. Is my VW Bug filed under “V” for Volkswagon, “B” for Bug, “A” for Auto or “C” for Car?? It’s way too much for this pee brain to remember! If on the other hand, my filing system is separated into the 3 main subjects of Family and Personal, Possessions and Finances, my car will be very easy to locate. Within the subject section “Possessions”, I will have a hanging file titled “Automobiles”. Within this hanging file I will have a manila folder for each of my Automobiles. Simple and easy to find! 
• Locate your filing system in a place that is both convenient to use and located away from the hub of the home
• Color–coding of your broad categories can reduce miss-filing and stimulate your thinking. Again choose categories and colors that make sense to you! One possibility…… 
  • Green for $
  • Yellow for people
  • Red for possessions
• Straight-line filing, with the tabs one behind the other, is not only easier on the eye, but also simpler to maintain than alternating tab positions.
• After you complete your new filing system, make an outline or list of your system and use it until you are comfortable with it.

Purchase Basic Supplies:

Invest in a sturdy filing cabinet.  Check out any office supply store.  The choices are limitless. Consider where you will doing your filing.  Will you be in a home office where aesthetics are not an issue, or will your files be located in your family room for all to see? Will you need to roll it into a closet after use, or will it be a permanent fixture in your home?  You can purchase a mobile file unit that can rolled into a closet or a basic 2 drawer metal cabinet for as little as $50. Or, you can purchase a furniture grade cabinet for as much as $500. You can even purchase individual file boxes which can be stored on open shelving. Ultimately you need to remember that if that are not easy to access, they won’t be, and your filing won’t get done.  

Make sure you have plenty of uniform, sturdy hanging files and manila folders. 

Labeling Your Files

A Work in Progress

As you are developing a new system, use post-it notes as labels until you have your entire system complete. Use 2 different colors; one representing your hanging files and the second representing your manila folders. This enables you to quickly and easily change category titles and subject titles as your system evolves.

 When your filing system is complete, take the time to clearly and neatly label your files.

• To label your hanging files, you can use the clear vinyl tabs included with them. I generally use 31/2 inch plastic tabs and label them with my brother label machine. This makes for easy to read and uniform labels. Alternatively, you can simply use a thin black marker to label your inserts.

• To label manila folders, I generally use inkjet/laser file folder labels, and print them from my computer. Again, this makes for easy to read and uniform labels. Alternatively, you can simply use a thin black marker to write on your file folder labels and then stick them on the manila folder or you can write directly on the folder.

A Job Well Done

Remember, your filing system is dynamic and ever-changing. Your interests, responsibilites and possessions will change, and so should your filing system. Don’t be afraid to drop and add catagories as your needs change. Set aside time each week or month to actually do your filing. Then set aside time each year to purge and revamp your system. Don’t forget to use a Document Retention Guide, available online, and check with your attorney and/or accountant while purging.

Yes, setting up and maintaining a filing system takes a bit of work on the front end, but you will save yourself many hours of searching and much frustration in the long run. That, my friend, is priceless! 

Happy Filing!       Cheryl

Developing a Simple and Effective Household Filing System

 At the beginning of the year, as part of my “Get Organized 2009″ series, we began tackling the challenge of paper management within our homes. Starting with “Help, My Kitchen is My File Cabinet” in January and continuing in February with “Quick Access Files…Don’t Live an Organized Life Without Them” and “Junk All That Junk Mail”, I have been teaching you how to handle basic paper flow within your home.

Now it’s time to tackle your Basic Household Filing System. It’s time to change your thinking a bit, get organized and simplify. Does it sound like a daunting task? It doesn’t have to be!

 You should be able to retrieve any paper in less than one minute—if that’s not the case, it may be time to revamp that old system and start anew. Unless you already have a system that’s at least 75 percent effective, I recommend starting from scratch. Then incorporate your old files into your new system.

 If you can retrieve any paper in less than a minute, you have an organized and effective filing system and you can stop reading. Congratulations!

The first step in developing an effective household filing system is to understand both what it is and what it is not. These files are different than your “Quick Access Files”, which hold information that you need to access often and quickly. Many times, quick access files are used for a season and then discarded or updated. Occasionally, if they contain documents or information that you will want to keep in your permanent files, they can be transferred to your basic household filing system. Some examples of information found in your Quick Access Files” are, invitations, schedules, announcements, appointment reminders and take out menues. You need to access these files daily and quickly and for that reason, they should be kept in the hub of the home.

Your Household Filing System, on the other hand, does not need to be accessed as often. These files are your basic household working files, which hold current, important documents and records used for routine activities like bill paying, tax and financial statement documentation, medical information and home maintenance. They need to be accessible, but not located in the hub of the home. Generally, when you are writing bills or dealing with your household paperwork, you need a bit of quiet. For this reason, consider finding space in your home office, or even a quiet corner of your bedroom.

The secret to a good filing system is to keep it simple. Whatever system you use should make it easy to find what you need, be easy to maintain and make sense to everyone who may need to use it. If it isn’t simple and effective, it won’t get used.

Filing is not about storage, but rather it is about finding what you need when you need it. Instead of trying to figure out what you can toss, determine what you need to keep. There is a huge difference! 80% of the papers that we file away will never get looked at again. If you aren’t sure what to save, ask yourself the following questions – if you don’t answer yes, toss it.

• Are there tax/legal reasons to keep it?
• Will it help me complete a project I’m working on right now?
• Do I have time to do anything with this piece of paper in the future?
• If I ever needed it again, would it be hard to get from someone else?
• Is the information up-to-date?
• Would my work/life change if I didn’t have it?
• Is the same information easily accessible online?

Document Retention guides are available online. Just google “household document retention guides”, and you will find a number of guides to choose from.  Use them as a guideline, and be sure to check with your accountant or lawyer for advise about a particular situation or document.

“Man’s best friend, aside from the dog, is the wastebasket”.      Business Week

Remember this truth and always have your friend with you when dealing with paperwork!

With these tips in mind, let’s begin!

First, separate your filing system into 3-5 basic subjects: I generally use 3 Main subjects: 1. Family and Personal, 2. Possessions, and 3. Finances. You can separate each category by placing them in separate drawers, or by using separate color hanging files for each subject area.

Your next step is to assign broad categories within each subject, and place each broad category in it’s own hanging file.

Family and Personal – Create Broad Categories for:  Each person in your family, Medical Insurance, Each Animal in your family, Each Organization that you are associated with

For example: Within the subject of “Family and Personal“, I may have hanging folders for the following broad categories:

1. Family Members (1 hanging file for each family member)
2. Pets (1 hanging file for each pet)
3. Relatives and/or Contacts
4. Memberships
5. Insurance
6. Church/Ministry
7. Volunteer Organizations

Possessions– Include anything you OWN – Create Broad Categories for Automobiles, Home Purchases, Home Improvements, Large Appliances, Small Appliances, Large Electronics, Small Electronics, Your Current Home, Home Utilities, Home Services

Finances – Include anything having to do with your finances – Create Broad Categories for Bank Accounts, Credit Accounts, Investments and College Savings Plan

Finally, assign specific categories within each broad category and place each specific category in it’s own manila folder in the hanging folder. For example: Within the broad category of each family member, I place 3-4 mainla folders labeled; “Personal“, “Health“, “Education“, and “Employment“. The Personal file will hold birth certificate, social security card, passport, and other important certificates. The Health file will hold important health records, dental records and immunization records. The Education file will house permanent test results, transcripts, degrees, letters of recommendations, awards, and any other permanent records. Finally, the Education” file will hold resumes, contracts, benefits, retirement information and social security records.

Of course your family filing system will change as your life changes. You won’t have an “Education” or “Employment” file for your newborn, but can add those as the need arised in the years to come. Likewise, you may have additional files for the faily member(s) who are in the workforce for a long period of time. You may have categories of “Employment”, “Past Employment”, “Future Employment Goals” ect. The beauty of creating your own, personalized filing system is the ability to tailor it to your own needs.

For this reason, I do not recommend purchasing a pre-designed filing sytem. It WON’T be simple. At least not for you. You will have to spend time fitting your categories into their categories. It is much easier to create your own categories, wtih titles that make sense to you so that you will be able to remember them. I also don’t recommend filing alphabetically. It’s way too much to remember for this pee brain! Is my VW Bug filed under “V” for VW, “B” for Bug, “A” for Auto or “C” for Car?? 

Next week I will post additional tips, ideas and supply ideas for your filing system.

Happy Filing!

Cheryl

Junk all that Junk Mail!

In an effort to take back and clear out the piles of papers in your kitchens and dining rooms, we will learn how to “Junk all that Junk Mail”! The average American adult receives almost 560 pieces of junk mail each year. And they spend 8 months opening junk mail in the course of their lives! And we wonder why we are drowning in paper!

While striving to  ”Get Organized in 2009″, we have been looking at the universal problem of overwhelming amounts of paperwork, and the resulting piles that usually end up in the kitchen. Together we have looked at how and why this problem is created (Help, My Kitchen is My File Cabinet) and have begun to create a plan of action to eliminate it (Quick Access Files, Don’t Live an Organized Life Without Them!).

Today, we will learn how to ELIMINATE much of the problem by eliminating much of our junk mail. It takes a bit of effort, but the savings in time, energy, and waste are well worth it.

I wish I could give you one phone number to call, similar to the National Do Not Call Registry, but it hasn’t been completed yet. Check out the New American Dream site: http://www.newdream.org/junkmail/state.php to see the progress on the “Do Not Junk” registries.

Until then, there are several steps you can take to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive:

• Get off the Junk Mailing List. Visit the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service. Go to www.dmachoice.org , click on “Remove My Name from Those Lists,” and follow their instructions for removal.The DMA estimates that listing with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings

• Eliminate credit card junk mail. Most credit card companies use a central service to screen out people who don’t want to receive their mailings. To avoid getting most credit card junk mail, call 1-888-OPTOUT (888-567-8688).

• Stop junk mail before it begins. Whenever you fill out a form or place an order, always write “Do not rent or exchange my name” or ask the order taker to please “flag your file” so that your information won’t be shared.

• Eliminate the extra papers and advertisements sent to you with current bills by signing up for automatic payment. This will eliminate paperwork, and save you time and save money on postage.

• Stop the Catalogs. Most catalogs have an 800 number that customers can use to place orders. Use this same number to call and request that your name be taken off of their mailing list. You can also go to Catalog Choice at www.catalogchoice.org. This site allows you to type in whatever catalog or mailer you receive and opt out. Just be careful that you don’t sign up to receive more catalogs than those you opt out of!

Other helpful websites:

• www.junkbusters.com : provides further guidelines for reducing junk mail. You will find step by step directions to “gain control of your mailbox”.

• www.obviously.com : provides a free on-line do-it-yourself guide to stopping junk mail, emails and phone calls

Do you have more money than time? You may want to try one of the following services:

• www.41pounds.org will do the work for you. They are a nonprofit organization working to eliminate junk mail and charge only $41 for 5 years. That’s only $8.20 per year!

•  Purchase the Stop the Junk Mail Kit developed by the Consumer Research Institute. Go to www.stopjunk.com. The kit is $13.95 for the printed version ($9.95 for additional kits) or $10.95 for the PDF version. This simple kit was researched and developed by a former junk mail copywriter. The kit includes simple stop by step directions as well as pre-addressed postcards to make the job of ending junk mail simple.

• www.privacycouncil.org will do the work for you. The Privacy Council describes itself as “marketers committed to privacy”. Their mission is simple: they strive to collectively put an end to unwanted junk mail, SPAM and phone calls. The Privacy Council offers a full removal service, which removes your household from call lists, email lists, and junk mail lists. The initial cost for this service is $9.

This is only a drop in the bucket. A quick google search of “stop junk mail” brings up nearly 10 million sites. So, use my suggestions, or research your own. But, certainly DO simplify your life and clear out your kitchen by “Junking all that Junk Mail!”

Happy (and organized) Days!

Cheryl                  

Quick Access Files…….Don’t Live an Organized Life Without Them!

Last time in “Help, My Kitchen is My File Cabinet”, I referred to the universal problem of overwhelming amounts of paperwork, and the resulting piles that usually end up in the kitchen. Part of the solution to this problem is the creation of Quick Access Files.

Quick Access Files are just that– files that you need to access often and quickly. Don’t let the word “file” in “Quick Access Files” throw you. These are files containing different information than we generally keep in our regular “Filing Cabinet”.

  My Personal Quick Access Files

 

To create “Quick Access Files”, gather up all the bits of information lying around and plastered to your kitchen. Then separate them into logical categories. Because each of our lives and habits are different, so too will be each of our Quick Access Files.

You may end up with:

• A file for each school, which will hold current phone lists, school calendars, announcements, and newsletters
• A file for every sports team or club
• A file for volunteer organizations, which will hold current phone lists, announcements, schedules and newsletters
• Or, you may choose to create a file for each family member in which you can place all the information from each school, club or organization
• A “doctor/dentist” file with contact information, directions and appointment cards (which you will drop in the file AFTER you write it on the calendar)
• A file for prescriptions which can hold patient information for any current prescriptions that your family members are using
• A file for take out menus
• A file for parties and invitations (which you drop in AFTER you write on the calendar)
• A file for coupons and gift cards

For many of these categories you will also have a file in your regular file cabinet. For instance, each child will have an “Education” file in your regular files in which you will put all their permanent records, report cards and testing information. Each family member will have a “Medical” file, which will hold immunization records, surgery, allergy and all permanent medical records.

These papers, invitations, schedules, announcements, appointment reminders and take out menus in your Quick Access File will generally be  used for a season and then discarded or updated. At the end of a school year or sports season, for example, most of the contents of the Quick Access File will be discarded. Any important information or documents, however, will be added to your regular long term filing system, and your Quick Access Files are ready for a new season!

Several of my clients have been hesitant to create a Quick Access File because their spouses didn’t like the idea of a file box setting out in the kitchen or family room. You may kindly suggest, to these well meaning spouses, that a small, nice looking file box (think compact and attractive) looks much nicer than a pile of papers in disarray!

Check out some of these links for ideas.  Be creative!

www.containerstore.com

 

 

www.containerstore.com

Happy and Organized Days!

Cheryl