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I spent an entire day reorganizing my filing system into new categories, with updated hanging folders and a brand new filing unit. It was a long process, but one that I’m glad I did. With the help of Office Depot [5], I was able to transform my filing system into a more manageable unit. My old system was functional but didn’t have all of the categories that I needed. This system (with a ton of space) allowed me the room to add what I needed. Today I am sharing my “zone” system with you. I hope it helps you get your files just as organized. Happy Organizing!
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I took the above picture before I started categorizing my files into “Zones”. Color coding your filing system is a great way to organize your files, making it much easier to find what you need.
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My filing system is the Pottery Barn Bedford lateral file cabinet. [8]
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I use the PTouch (Model 2730) [10]labeler by Brother. It’s my “go to” labeler for all projects.
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To organize our paperwork, I used the Smead “Brights [11] hanging file folders. Each box comes with 5 colors.
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The label tape that goes with the labeler is the TZ tape [15]. The black on clear 1/2 inch tape fits well for hanging folders.
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FILING SYSTEM ORGANIZATION
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Categorizing your filing system into color coded zones:
Write out all of your filing needs onto a piece of paper, then categorize each of them into 5 main colored sections.
1. Green – Bills & Banking
2. Orange – Taxes & Income
3. Red – Medical & Pets
4. Yellow – House & Auto
5. Blue – Memberships, School, Vacation & Other
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Green – Bills & Banking
– All bills (Account folders)
– Monthly folders for paid bills (Jan-Dec)
– 1 folder for each Credit Card Company
– 1 folder for each loan (Mortgage, Auto, etc)
– Paid Off (Any letters from loans, etc that are “paid off”.)
– 1 folder for each bank account/savings account
Orange – Taxes & Income
– All “current year” tax related documents (1 folder for each – Tax deductions: donations, office expenses, travel expenses, etc).
– All work related folders (I have one for each of our jobs)
– Annual tax paperwork (1 folder for each year).
– Retirement (401K, Roth IRA’s, etc)
Red – Medical & Pets
– Doctor Bills (Paid)
– Benefits Summaries
– 1 medical folder for each family member
– Prescription
– Vision
– Dental
– Vet
– 1 folder for each pet
Yellow – House & Auto
– Homeowners Insurance Policy
– Auto Policy
– House folder (paperwork pertaining to the house you currently live in)
– Homeowners Association
– House related warranties
– 1 folder for each automobile
– Contractors (1 folder for each: painting, landscaping, pool, etc)
Blue – Memberships, School, Vacation & Other
– 1 folder for each school (if necessary)
– 1 folder for each club or membership (YMCA, Zoo, gym, aquarium, etc…)
– 1 folder for each city you frequently travel to (vacation folders to keep flyers, hotel receipts, etc)
– AAA, Sams Club, Costco, etc…
– Hotel Rewards
– All other categories not listed
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My bottom drawer is still a work in progress. I have began putting my annual taxes in there. I will also be using it for paid off bills from the previous year. I hope I have helped you sort out the “filing system” anxiety. Its really not that bad once you get started. Good luck! I would love to see pictures of your filing system and how it works for you too. ** If you are unsure of how long to keep paperwork, there are many websites out there that share this information. I follow Dave Ramsey’s guide [20] (for the most part)
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Note: This is a paid post by Office Depot. All opinions are my own.
