Whether it’s due to a lack of time or just not knowing how, a lot of people struggle to get and keep important documents organized. The other issue is they’re not sure how long to hold onto them. If you a hard time with this, you’re not alone.
What documents are important?
Of course, there’s always going to be some differences from person to person but for the most part, important documents are the same for everyone. These include birth certificates, car titles, wills, adoption papers, social security cards, naturalization papers, power of attorney, disability papers, appraisals, deeds, and financial institution documents, among others.
Available help
Fortunately, one mom provides several solutions to help people with this. Not only does she offer tips on organizing important documents but she also shares the appropriate length of time to hang onto them.
Beyond the obvious
Her name is Tracie and as she explains, “important documents” go beyond those already mentioned. They also include receipts, warranties, and manuals. All too often, people throw these things away and then find they need them after the fact.
Key benefits
For one thing, getting your important documents organized could ultimately save you money. As an example, you’ll have proof of owning something so you don’t have to purchase a duplicate. But this will also prevent you from wasting a lot of valuable time.
File box
The kind of filing box you purchase doesn’t matter just as long as it has enough compartments for your documents. You can even find online tutorials for making one. Then, purchase different colored folders with tabs. Label them according to what you need to organize, i.e., insurance papers, owner’s manuals, taxes.
Filing cabinet
If you prefer a more conventional way to store important documents, you can’t go wrong with a filing cabinet. This is especially helpful for people with a lot to store, including small business owners. You can find them in all kinds of sizes and styles or if preferred, make one using an online tutorial.
Paperless
For those of you who hate messing with paper, there’s another option for organizing your important documents. This one is paperless. Simply create a place for them in your cloud account, scan the papers, and then save them in the appropriate online folder. For certain items such as a passport, you’d still need to keep then in a physical place.
Accordion folder
Although this particular method of organizing documents doesn’t work for some people, it’s great for those who don’t have a lot to maintain. This is simply an expanding folder that you can purchase or make.
Archiving
The amount of time you need to hold onto important documents depends on the type. For instance, you want to keep tax returns for seven years. As for warranties, you can get rid of them once they expire. Then for car titles, passports, and other similar documents, you never want to get rid of them. You can follow the guidelines on this site.
Disposing documents
With identity theft a real issue, you never want to throw your documents in the trash. Instead, invest in a small shredder. You can find a good one for as little as $30. That way, no one will ever get hold of your personal or financial information.
You can even use the shredded paper for other things like crafts, lining a bird cage, and so on. As you can see, organizing and storing documents isn’t that hard. With a little bit of effort, your life will become so much easier.
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Source: Penny Pinchin’ Mom, Wise Bread
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