Words from Jesus

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:25)

Organizing your bills in 2010 – continued –

After posting my last post I realized that all your papers from the past few years may need organized. This would be the case if you are trying to get a loan for a home or something else or maybe you need them for certain tax purposes. In any case just fix some more folders in the same way as discribed in the previous post.

HOW DO I BEGIN:

If your overwhelmed with so many bills, documents and other papers, don’t fret.

1. Go ahead and make your folders using the method in the previous post and by putting the year on the tabs.
2. Organize all your file folders in the order that you need them and by years.
3. Put all your orgainized empty file folders in what ever you have to stand them in – decorated box, expandable file, plastic file box or file cabinet.
4. Grab a medium or small box or a grocery bag and a trash can.
5. Don’t bother about gathering up ALL the bills, documents and other papers, that you need organized, at once. They’re probably scattered from here and there.
6. Just pick one location where you have a pile and fill your box or grocery bag up with them.
7. Now take one paper out at a time, making sure you unfold it, and put it in the file folder that it belongs in.

NOTE: There’s no need to save the envelopes or extra papers that come in with bills, etc. throw these in the trash can. They are just a waste of space and their trash. When your done you can take all this extra baggage to the paper recycling bin.

Organizing your bills in 2010

Ok, it’s a little late but we need to get our paper files organized for 2010.

I’m not good at writing articles but like to share useful material. So I guess if you’re reading this you realize that you’re tired of having such a bad paper mess at home and tired of not being able to find anything when you need it.

WHAT I NEED TO GET STARTED:

A few pieces of letter size paper
1 box of letter size file folders
1 pen or pencil

Something to put your file folders in.

Depending on how many file folders you have will depend on what you need to put them in. Some suggestions:

Any sort of box that the file folders will stand up in. You could decorate your own to match your decor.
Plastic or cardboard expandable file pockets (file folders not needed)
Plastic file box
File cabinet

1. Make a list of all your weekly bills, bi-monthly bills, monthly bills and yearly bills in no certain order.

My list was simple. Yours might be a lot lengthier or it could be shorter.

Here’s mine (a sample list), some of my bills are grouped because that’s the way we pay them. Where you live it might be different:

Rent
Electric (includes water, sewage, and sanitation)
Charter (home phone, internet, and cable)
Insurance (auto)
Doctor’s bills
Lawnmower
Storage shed

Other types of bills you might have:

Mortgage payment
Water/sewage bill
Gas heat bill
Phone bill
Cell phone bill
Cable bill
Internet bill
House insurance
Renters insurance
Health insurance
Property taxes
IRS taxes owed
Sanitation bill
Monthly prescriptions
Monthly co pays
Day care
Child support
Alimony
Auto payment (a file folder for each auto payment)
Loan Company (a file folder for each loan company)
Credit card Company (a file folder for each credit card company)
Magazine subscription (a file folder for each magazine subscription)
Membership (a file folder for each membership)

2. Make a list of file folders that you will need to file other documents in:

Here is mine (another sample list):

Bank
Husband’s income (includes health, dental, vision insurance, child support)
My income
Personal important documents (birth certificates, social security cards for children, etc.)
Husband’s work
My work
Child support office
House maintenance
Miscellaneous
Warranties
Husband’s truck
My car
2010 Taxes

Other types of file folders you might need:

Home improvements
Grocery Receipts
Coupons
Eating outs
Computer expenses
Hobbies
Vacations
Pets (a file folder for each pet)
Investment (a file folder for each investment)
Savings (a file folder for each savings)
Child’s school (a file folder for each child)
Child’s art work (a file folder for each child)
Grooming (a file folder for each grooming need)
Christmas wish lists (don’t forget to put a list of clothes/shoe sizes in this file folder)

3. Now you have a choice of putting your file folders in alphabetical order or in groups. I find it is easier and faster to find what you need if you put your file folders in groups instead of alphabetical order. Then in order of importance.

Just get a clean piece of paper and using the list you just made, make another list grouping the file folders you will need as described below.

The first group of file folders has not been listed yet. They are two file folders that everyone needs.

Bills to pay
Things to do

You will have two file folders in front of your file box, etc. with these two subjects labeled on the tabs.

Instead of laying bills, papers, documents down on the table shove them in “Bills to Pay” or the “Things to do” file folders. File the bills in the correct file folders the day you pay them or stick them in the “Things to do” file folder and file them while watching TV or in your spare time.

Put school papers, honey do lists and everything else you have to do in the “Things to do” file folder and refer to it daily if you have to. Don’t leave these file folder out of their container so they can get lost. You could throw a calendar off in this file folder to if you wanted.

Another file folder you might want to have in your first group would be “Old Bills”. This would be for delinquent bills that you have and might need to spend at least $20.00 a month on each until they are all paid off.

Your second group of file folders will be your money group. You have to have money to pay all the bills so you should file those file folders next.

This group will include all your file folders for banks, investments and work related.

Here is mine (another sample list):

Bank
Husband’s income (check stubs)
My income (check stubs)
Husband’s work (work related papers, work schedules, booklets, etc.)
My work (work related papers, work schedules, booklets, etc.)

The third group of file folders will be the main bills for your main living expenses. Rent, mortgage payment, electric, heat, water. You’ll have to decide by your main list what are your main living expenses.

The fourth group of file folders will be your secondary bills. These would consist of insurance, doctor’s bills, co pays, monthly prescriptions, etc.

The fifth group would consist of your bills for automobiles, house maintenance, etc.

The sixth group would have file folders for loans, credit cards, etc. The bills you soon want to dispose of after they’re paid off.

The seventh group of file folders will be memberships, subscriptions, etc. Things of entertainment.

The eighth group and last will be file folders for miscellaneous and warranties, etc.

If you need more groups that’s fine. This article is just for your guide to organizing all your paper work and documents so when you need them you know where they are.

I hope this article has helped you and have a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Deborah