• Tweet

• Tweet

With 2012 in full swing, it’s a sure bet you’ve been working tirelessly at those resolutions you chose amidst a lazy, and most likely groggy, New Year’s Day. Although I hope that you’ve already been to the gym today, are in the process of ditching a bad habit, and are eating a fresh cornucopia of produce as you read this, it’s a stretch for most of us to follow our resolutions for longer than a few weeks.

For someone like me who shrugs and says “meh” to resolutions, I feel a bit guilty for not making some semblance of a vow to improve my well being this year.  The only thing I can truly seem to make a commitment to in 2012 is keeping my life and habitat organized. If climbing Mt. Everest seems like a less daunting task than cleaning out your cupboards and filing important documents, just think of it this way: the less worrisome you are about clutter, chaos, and disorder in your life, the more time you’ll have to tackle resolutions you’d really like to see come to fruition.  Since I imagine you have more to organize than just your shoe shelf or tie rack, I’ll be bringing you a series of organization tips for your life and those disarranged rooms in your home that require a bulldozer to clean. Check out this week’s DIY ideas for organizing your home office!

Step 1 – Sort

Whether your home office is now your college-bound kid’s old bedroom or just the dining room table, I’m certain you’ve amassed a pile of stuff that’s collecting dust and dying to be sorted. You’ve got documents, knick-knacks, and just straight up junk. I can’t lie, this is the kind of project that sprouts a little quote bubble from my head that says, “%$#@&!” But organize, we must. Here’s what to do:

Sort your paperwork and other thingamajigs into three piles: TOSS, KEEP, or SHRED.

What should you toss?

In essence, papers can hit the trashcan sans-shredder as long as they don’t have your personal information on them. If an envelope or form is wielding your full name, address, phone number, Social Security number, or even email address, you’ll want to give it a quick little shredski.

And trust me, the other half of the pile is likely stuff you don’t need. Panda Express menu? Garbage. Halloween Pez dispensers in the junk drawer? Toss ‘em. Ten years worth of Golf Week, Golf World, and Golf Digest magazines? Oh yes Dad, I’m talking to you! It’s time to finally donate those magazines to people who don’t yet have an embedded encyclopedia of golf swing physics and mechanics in their brains like we do… but at least it explains why my head is so big, since my brain is simply overflowing with golf knowledge.

If you haven’t used it in years and can’t come up with a reason for it to take up even a millimeter of space in your precious home office, get rid of it!

What should you file, and for how long?

ONE YEAR

• Bank records
• Credit card bills
• Current-year tax records
• Home, renters, vehicle, and other insurance policies
• Investment statements
• Pay stubs
• Receipts

LIMITED TIME

• Household appliance and electronics warranties (until expiration)
• Loan documents (for life of loan)
• Vehicle records (for duration of ownership)

SEVEN YEARS

• Personal tax returns
• Federal tax returns
• State tax returns
• Supporting tax records

What should you permanently keep in a fireproof safe?

• Birth certificates
• Death certificates
• Marriage license
• Divorce decree
• Social Security cards
• Military discharge papers
• Employer benefit plan documents
• Estate planning documents (wills, trusts, power of attorney)
• Life insurance policies
• Passports
• House deed
• House title
• Detailed list of valuables

What should you shred immediately?

• Old tax returns
• Credit card offers
• Old photo IDs
• Convenience checks from credit card companies
• Canceled checks
• Canceled credit cards

Step 2 – Designate a home for documents

Yay, you’ve tossed 75% of your pile! But what now? It’s time to organize all those documents and items so you’ll find them easily accessible when you need them most. While you may have to grab a handful of file folders, a storage box, or a few binders, it’s a sure shot you’ve got most of these organization tools on hand.

Mail inbox and outbox – We’re talking snail mail, people. Get it organized! Already have a mail tray? Here’s a trick: try actually using it! If it has two partitions, separate mail to keep time-sensitive outgoing mail from getting confused with all that other stuff the postman brought you. Just have a big mail tray with no dividers? Try clipping a clothespin to the outside of the holder to gather important outgoing mail and pending bills, while the less crucial incoming mail can stay put inside the tray.

Paid bills – Since you should keep records of your bills for at least a year, keep them grouped together should a dispute with your provider ever arise. From cell phone to cable, each type of bill can be easily organized in an accordion-style folder that’s partitioned by month. Once the year is over, shred the bills inside and start over again!

Receipts – I never keep receipts, so from time to time, I find myself sweet talking a cashier at Target or one of my other havens of shopping to let me exchange an item. I’ve come to find that it’s like buttering up a cop after you’ve been pulled over for speeding: the success rate remains low and you’re often stuck with something you really don’t want. Let’s try it the easy way, shall we? Pick up an alphabetized expanding file that’s small enough to fit in your purse or glove compartment (in case you need to take it with you), and preserve recent receipts according to store name. If you prefer, you can snag one that’s apportioned by month instead.

Vehicle documents – Since it’s likely you have multiple cars being used in your family, you’re going to have a ton of documents that pertain to each ride. While there are certain things you’ll want to keep at your fingertips in the glove box, the rest can be housed in a sturdy document-sized plastic box with hanging files partitioned for each vehicle. These papers aren’t the type you’ll need to access frequently, so it’s safe to keep this box under your desk or in a closet.

Medical records – While you’re getting your hands on a nice plastic box for your vehicular documents, grab another one for your medical records and bills. Organize them by doctor (e.g., chiropractor, dermatologist), malady (e.g., hypertension, kidney stones), or simply by date. You’d be surprised how much a report from previous lab work can be beneficial if you’re unable to obtain it from your doc. When visiting a new physician or specialist, they’ll give you big props for having all of your history organized to help them get a clearer picture of what’s going on!

Coupons – Have so many Jet’s Pizza and Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons that you could wallpaper your casa with them? Yeah, me too. If you can get your hands on an inexpensive wire picture display that’s designed to hold a bunch of photos sans-frame, it’s a great place to house up-to-date coupons. I’ve got a snazzy daisy-shaped magnetic one that I have on my fridge for my not-so-extreme couponing needs. If you happen to be the extreme couponing type, though, try one of those alphabetized expanding file folders like I previously mentioned. If all your coupons don’t fit in there, I’m afraid I really can’t help you.

Kids inbox and outbox – Parents: how many times has your tot brought home a permission slip or test for you to sign but it inevitably gets misplaced? A LOT, right? Just like the mail inbox and outbox, create a similar space for all your kids’ items, from field trip information to A+ paintings. Keep it at a kid-friendly eye level, as well as in an accessible place for those hectic mornings.

Miscellaneous – Oh yes, there’s always stuff that random stuff you can’t figure out a home for. Papers and items that may be less important, like extra copies of your resume or take-out menus (that you absolutely need!), can be neatly stacked in a magazine rack or standing file folder. High-priority documents like boarding passes and travel itineraries can be tacked to a cork board or in a mail-style tray within arm’s reach of your workspace.

Step 3 – De-clutter

What else will transform your home office into a orderly locale to keep everybody (and everything) organized? Repurpose some of these great items you may already have on hand or can purchase inexpensively:

• Remember the 9-opening cube I told you about in my “Decorating Your Rental” article? This piece is perfect for your office setup, especially if you don’t have the ability to install a wall of shelving. While the fabric boxes I suggested using inside the cube for other items aren’t suited to keeping papers organized, rest assured that your binders, file folders, and books will stand neatly inside each partition. You could even designate a cube for each family member to keep things together!
• Short on room but need a desk area? Keep in mind that an inexpensive bookcase likely has adjustable level shelving. While this office area looks like a cabinet that latches shut when not in use, it resembles a bookcase that could be transformed into a small area workspace solution!
• Don’t run out to buy a fancy hanging calendar when you can make use of what’s lying around at your crib! Instead, make use of a piece of cork board, an old dry-erase board, or magnetic board (like the kind your tots may have used to place alphabet magnets on). Post your own printed calendars on a cork or magnetized board, or draw a DIY version on a dry-erase board. It’s an organization tool you can use year after year!
• Tame the chaos in your junk drawer with a partitioned silverware tray or jewelry organizer. Enough said.
• Pesky cords tangled again? Use binder clips or bread bag ties to keep everything together. With the clip-on version of bread bag ties, there’s usually enough room to label “PRINTER” or “DVD PLAYER” on the reverse side of the sell-by date.
• Throwing an empty tomato soup can or baby food jar into the recycling bin? Not so fast! These are great containers for pens, paperclips, stray cords, and more!

What, these ideas weren’t enough for you? You really know how to knock a girl down! For further inspiration, I’d suggest checking out the Home Décor category or searching “office organization” on Pinterest, and of course, there’s always HGTV.com for a truckload of user-created home offices.

Check back next week for the latest installment in the organization series: bathrooms!

 Printer Friendly Version