March/April 2007
Fort Wayne Woman Magazine
Streamline Your Paperwork
If you are inundated with paper and look around to see endless stacks of newspapers and magazines, bills, junk mail, kids' schoolwork, coupons and correspondence, consider some of these tips to help get it under control. It may be too late to make a difference for tax-time this year, but set up a new system now and you'll thank yourself when you sit down for that dreaded task next year!
Records Retention (what to keep and for how long)
Keep only what you need and toss the rest. The less you keep, the easier it is to stay organized. Most of us keep far more than we need to, because we're not sure what we have to keep and what we can safely throw away.
File it Away
Try using a desktop file box with folders for the basic categories of papers you need to keep. Use one without a lid to avoid the "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome. Locate it where you typically find yourself opening the mail. If the location is convenient, you will be much more likely to keep up with filing and avoid a large stack "to be filed someday."
If you itemize your taxes another idea is to use an accordion file. You can label the individual tabs with a different category for each deduction you take. By filing into the basic categories as you go, the end of year panic will be greatly diminished.
Reduce Junk Mail
To reduce the amount of paper coming into your home in the first place, contact these organizations to remove your name from the lists that solicitors buy:
DMA Mail preference service (PO Box 282 / Carmel, NY 10512 or www.dmaconsumers.com)
Private Citizen (1-800-cutjunk or www.privatecitizen.com)
Consider Going Paperless
If you are wasting money on late fees or simply want to avoid writing and mailing checks, on-line banking may be for you. Another option is to set up automatic payments with each individual company without going through the bank. (This requires a bit more diligence on your part.) These services are being utilized by more and more households everyday and there are many security features in place to protect your information. Additionally, one can also sign up to receive copies of bills via e-mail, which will reduce the paper filling your mailbox even more (especially if these bills are not ones you need to keep).
Protect Your Identity
It is a great idea to purge your files and start the New Year fresh, but do not put paperwork with account numbers straight into the trash! Your trash becomes public property when it is sitting at the curb. With identity theft on the rise, it is safest to buy a personal shredder or take your bags of papers to Stop & Shred, a local shredding company that will shred while you watch.