Last Friday, I taught you all my tried-and-true, systematic approach for cutting through the paper clutter in our homes. I’ve already heard from several of you saying what a difference my approach makes, taking a truly overwhelming task and breaking it down into concrete and manageable chunks (hurray!). Today, we are (finally) going to get into the nitty-gritty of our first Paper Type by applying the S-P-A-C-E method to a majority of our paperwork: household files. I have a hunch this kind of paperwork is the one that may be the most overwhelming and time-consuming for most homes…so I’m going to show you how I made sense of all our household paperwork while sharing some filing strategies to help you make sense of yours too! Let’s get started, shall we?

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

Pssssttt – Each and every post in this How to Organize Paperwork series builds on the previous one. As such, if you are just joining the series, I strongly suggest you review Part 1 and Part 2 before diving deep into this post.  

This Week We are Sorting…

Last week, I introduced the concept of Paper Types as a method for breaking down AAAALLL the paper in your home into workable categories. And while you are certainly welcome to work through each and every Paper Type one at a time (which may be warranted depending on how much paper you have), there may also be Paper Types that can be logically worked through together. You may see other categories that could or should be grouped together for your circumstances; but today, I am going to show you how I sorted through our “Household Paperwork”…a term I’ll use to represent the following (blue) Paper Types below:

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

Based on your lifestyle and needs, you may lump other Paper Types into this “Household Paperwork” group (especially Personal Documents or Child Papers), but since I’m going to show you alternative storage filing strategies for those kinds of papers later in this series, these blue highlighted Paper Types are the ones I will be showing and discussing today. Not coincidentally, they are all the papers we typically keep in our family filing cabinet, and you probably do too. Today, I recommend you start with what’s in (or should be in) your filing cabinet and/or what you would instinctively call “Household Paperwork” as shown in the light blue table above. Let’s get into my favorite filing strategies!

S (SORT) – Why I Recommend Sorting Files By Person

Re-visit this post to review what all is included in this step!

As I mentioned last week, the very first step is to gather each and every paper, bill, and file in the Household Paper Type and sort it all into 3-8 easy and intuitive, workable categories. Which starting categories you use will certainly depend on what’s included in this Paper Type for your household, how your brain works, how big your family is, and most importantly…what’s intuitive for you. Up until last year, I organized all the various papers in this Paper Type by group: household, business, cars, legal, medical, school, etc. However, it always felt that despite my attempts to order and label things a certain way, I could never quickly and easily find exactly what I was looking for, and the number of sub-categories in each major category became laborious to maintain.

Many of you long-time readers know that, years ago, I started categorizing my recipes by protein type because it was the quickest and most intuitive way to locate a recipe. It’s worked so brilliantly over the years that I wanted a similar approach to our household files. The solution pretty much smacked me in the face: what’s quicker or more intuitive than organizing by person! Think about it. When you set out to locate a piece of paper, it is usually associated with “someone,” right? Medical records, birth certificate, school transcripts, etc. Those all belong to a specific person. When certain documents pertaining to more than one person (i.e., just the children, or you and your spouse), those become “Family” papers. In our family, every last bit of our household paperwork was organized as follows:

  • Megan, Greg, Henry, or Sam – personal documents belonging only to that individual
  • Family – any documents related to our marriage or the household including warranties, cars, finances, etc.

This easy and systematic process will help you sort through and create order of all the paperwork in your home!

I can’t stress enough that you need to identify 3-8 initial sorting categories that make sense for you. But if you are a multi-person family, I can’t overemphasize how first sorting by person significantly changed the order and functionality of our household files. This turned into one of my favorite filing strategies!

P (Purge) – Ruthless Purging Leads to Functional Files

Re-visit this post to review what all is included in this step!

Once you have your initial categories identified and everything is loosely sorted into those groups, you next need to go back through and purge out anything that doesn’t warrant keeping. Please understand how important a ruthless purge of your paperwork is at this stage. I outlined some guidelines for what should and shouldn’t be kept here, but I also want to offer this:

The more papers you have, the more categories and sub-categories you will need to keep it all straight. The more papers you keep, the fuller your files will be. The fuller your files, the more cumbersome it will be to locate exactly what you are looking for. Finally, the more oddly-shaped the papers are, the messier your files will appear.

If you want to be able to quickly and easily locate any piece of important paperwork at any given time, you need to ruthlessly eliminate what you don’t need so that you can find what you do. Purging your paper lightens the workload for the rest of the process; proving it to be a great filing strategy!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

A (Assess) – Don’t Over Sub-Categorize

Re-visit this post to review what all is included in this step!

Once your household papers are sorted into 3-8 initial categories and fully purged so that only the necessary items remain, it’s now time to sort into deeper sub-categories. It is these sub-categories that will ultimately become your specific files, so it is important that you identify sub-categories that are certainly still simple and intuitive but also descriptive and specific enough to convey what is contained inside.

Your specific papers will tell you what the sub-categories should be. If you are having trouble identifying logical sub-categories, group similar papers together until sub-categories emerge. As much as you want to be specific so that you can easily identify what is contained in each file, resist the urge to over sub-categorize simply for the sake of categorizing. You don’t need to create more files and more steps in order to locate a piece of paper. Here is what I mean:

Scenario 1: Both cars are paid off, and the only paperwork you have for each car is the title, a copy of the insurance card(s), and documentation of your single traffic ticket. In this instance, all 4-10 pieces of paper can fit neatly into a single file labeled “Cars;” and should you need to access any of these specific documents, you will know exactly which file it’s in.

Scenario 2: You have two cars, a motor home, plus a stack of traffic violations. You have titles and insurance cards for the cars, but lease paperwork and a lengthly maintenance log for the motorhome. In this scenario, putting everything into a file labeled “Vehicles” may be intuitive and easy, but it also may cause too much difficulty when trying to locate just the car insurance cards. In this case, I would suggest a single file for Cars, another file for the Motorhome, and a final one for Traffic Violations.

There is no right or wrong way to sub-categorize all of your paperwork…the key is keeping sub-categories easy, intuitive and helpful.

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

As you identify your sub-categories for each larger category, place the papers back into empty files (or stack it as I show in this post). Resist the urge to make permanent/pretty labels at this stage, and instead use color-coded sticky notes to keep each category and sub-category straight (in the example above, all of “Megan’s” sub-categories were labeled with the orange sticky notes). By employing temporary labels first, you can continue to refine your sub-categories by combining or splitting as necessary. Keep working at it until your categories and sub-categories are perfectly organized in a way that makes most sense to you!

C (Contain) – Identifying the Right Filing Strategies

Re-visit this post to review what all is included in this step!

The next step in our S-P-A-C-E method is to identify the perfect storage solution for the sorted papers you have remaining. You may determine that your household papers would be best contained in binders or accordion files, but I have a hunch that the most logical and obvious solution for this Paper Type will be hanging files. However, even though files might be the best, a filing cabinet doesn’t have to be your only solution. Let me tell you why we recently abandoned our filing cabinet!

Four homes ago, we had a very specific spot for a filing cabinet. So we went to IKEA and found exactly what we needed to fit in that spot and hold our files. It was the perfect solution for that apartment, but in every single home since, we’ve struggled over and over again to find a place for that heavy, bulky (and ugly!) filing cabinet. Here it is last summer tucked under my current sewing desk…certainly not out of the way!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

After looking at various other filing cabinets (none of which were inexpensive!), it occurred to me that if I found a good filing cabinet for this home, we’d likely continue to struggle to make it work in home after home. So…I decided to look for alternative methods for storing files. My search led me to these sleek and simple storage boxes. Not only were these boxes a more budget-friendly solution, but because they aren’t a big, bulky cabinet, we have a greater chance of making them fit/work in home after home. These boxes actually fit perfectly on my closet shelf. And while it is certainly a bit more cumbersome to pull down several boxes rather than slide a single drawer open, the flexibility in their size and shape make them the ideal paper file solution for our household!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

I’ve got a few different filing options for you to consider at the bottom of this post, including filing cabinets, plastic file boxes, cardboard boxes, and more decorative boxes like I’ve shown here. As you think about the various options to store your files, consider these things:

  • Do you want something pretty for an office or something that will get tucked into the back of a garage?
  • Does it need to be lock-able?
  • Where do you need to put it? Does it need to fit a specific spot?
  • Does it need to be moved frequently?
  • How big do you need it to be? (You can now answer this because you’ve purged down all your files!)
  • Who needs access to it?

Once you identify the right filing system for your household paperwork, load it all in. While this step may require some thought as to which categories/sub-categories should be grouped together, what order things should be in, etc…this step should go fairly quickly since all of your sorting and categorizing is already done!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

(All of our Household Papers, organized by person and then sub-categorized, are loaded back into temporary file folders [sticky notes are on the fronts of each folder] until prettier/permanent solutions are decided.)

E (Embellish) – Improve Functionality With Pretty Details

Re-visit this post to review what all is included in this step!

As I start to show you some of the prettier details of our filing system, I think you will better understand the sorting and assessing methods I have repeated throughout this post. Making your files pretty certainly isn’t necessary, but the strategies I’m about to show you will not only make your files nicer to look at (and more fun to maintain!) but also enhance their overall functionality!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

Color Code By Major Category

Color-coding your files (either by folder color, label color, or both!) can be one of the easiest ways to make your files more locatable. And to do so, I recommend assigning a color to each of your initial 3-8 simple categories. These categories were intuitive enough to help you sort down your paperwork, so they will be intuitive enough to help you locate your categories too. I sorted our papers by person, so each person was assigned a color (Megan = Red, Greg = Blue, Henry = Green, Sam = Grey, Household = Turquoise).

Let’s say I need Henry’s shot record. I simply go to the green folders and look for “Medical.”

Not only does the color-coding look pretty, but the colors help me keep labels short and easy to read. Because the colors themselves act as a label, I don’t need to put “Henry – Medical” on the tab. The color + a short, descriptive label helps me find the right papers quickly!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

TIP! I bought boxes of these single color folders because I needed a lot. Another option is to buy several boxes of multi-color sets and then sort out the 5 different colors!

Use a Single Hanging File for Each Sub-Category

Notice that my final files do not include file folders within each hanging file:

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

I personally have found that file folders within hanging files simply make things more cumbersome, bulky and harder to find. I recommend using a single hanging folder for each and every sub-category. If you need to separate out a specific hanging folder into more specific categories, that’s an indication that the sub-category needs to be broken down further (and therefore you should use additional hanging folders).

Maintainable Labels

The colored labels hooked onto the colored hanging folders is one of my favorite aspects of our entire system. Yes – the colors give me all the heart eyes, but I also love how easy it is to change and maintain this labeling system. Years ago, I used to print out my labels and/or attach labels directly to the paper tabs on file folders. Both of these solutions required a ton of work just to change a folder’s name.

This time around I chose to slide a coordinating cardstock tab into each plastic tab (simply slice down sheets of cardstock to fit!). I then used this label maker and clear tape to label the OUTSIDE of the plastic tab. Now, if I need to change a folder’s category (color), I slide out the cardstock tab and slip in a new one. If I need to change the label, I peel off the clear-tape label and quickly create a new one! These quick-change techniques allow me to update and change our files as our needs evolve!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

TIP! You don’t need to pull out the cardstock and paper trimmer every time you create a new file. When you first assemble your files, cut a bunch of extra paper tabs in all your colors. Load them into a plastic bag with the extra plastic tabs and store them in the back of your filing cabinets or bottom of your filing boxes!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

Keep It Consistent

You will see evidence of this as we move forward into additional paper storage and filing strategies, but whenever possible, keep your color-coding consistent so it becomes intuitive for the whole family. Consider assigning a specific color to each person/category for various systems across your home to reduce confusion and allow people to be able to quickly and easily find whatever it is they need!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

Filing Strategies – Products I Love

Here are the products I used (and truly LOVE) when putting our Household Files together!

 

Here are some other filing resources that might work for your family!


Other Paper Filing Strategies to Check Out. I worked through and established this Household Paperwork Filing system last summer; and honestly, it has worked (and continues to do so) wonderfully for our family. That said, I realize each and every household has unique needs and requirements for their paperwork filing strategies. As such, I’ve rounded up some of the best articles and tips I could find from my friends and fellow bloggers for even more filing strategies. If you need more ideas for organizing your paper files, check out these posts below:


How to Organize Paperwork Homework

Homework. I know many of you are ready to dive in right now, so I will give you a “Homework Assignment” of sorts each week. Take the next 6 days to accomplish everything I have outlined here. Then tune in next Friday for the next step on your paper decluttering journey!

This week:

  • Review and/or learn the S-P-A-C-E process outlined in this post. The more intuitive this process is, the quicker your sorting will go.
  • Decide which Paper Types will be part of your Household Papers project (i.e., decide what paper categories will go into your filing cabinet).
  • If you haven’t done so yet (this was extra credit last week!), use the S-P-A-C-E method to Sort, Purge, Assess ALL the Household Papers in your home.
  • Once your papers are fully sorted, use the Contain and Embellish strategies outlined in this post to refine your filing system and make it pretty (as desired!)
  • Extra Credit: Snap a photo of your organized files and share it on Instagram using #THIHMpaperorganization (and don’t forget to tag me so I’ll see it!)
  • Extra Credit: Visit the tag #THIHMpaperorganization to encourage and motivate each other!

How to Organize Paperwork Series

Below are all the posts featured in the How to Organize Paperwork blog series. Work your way through the entire series in order to learn and implement the best strategies, ideas, tips and tricks for truly managing all the paper in your household!

I realize we are starting with likely the biggest paper hurdle in your home! I know it may seem overwhelming, and I know it may feel like you will never create order from the disorder in front of you. But I promise you can. If all the steps in this post feel like too much, start with the first one…focus on the first one…and don’t move on until it’s done. Do this with each and every step of the S-P-A-C-E method. I promise, with each paper you sort, purge, assess and contain properly, you will feel more confident in your ability to truly tackle the paperwork in your home!

I hope you’ve found my filing strategies useful! As we’ve been doing all series long, don’t hesitate to leave comments, questions, concerns or motivations to your fellow Paper Conquerors in the comments! Know that I’m cheering you on, and I’ll see you back here with our next Paper Type next Friday!

Figuring out how best to organize and file household paperwork can be a frustrating experience! Use these Paper Filing Strategies to cut through the clutter and create a system that works!

See You Soon!
Megan