HOW TO ORGANIZE PAPERWORK

I shared all about the best self-purging paperwork organizing system here. And, in this post, I share different organizing solutions for how to organize your paperwork according to your organizing style. You can find out what your organizing style is here!

In my freebie library here, I include guides which help walk you through the organizing process and help you decide what to purge and keep. I also include my declutter and organizing challenge calendars and guides to help direct you through each area of your home. These guides ensure you get through every nook and cranny and finally get to the other side of clutter … an organized and functional space!

In this post, we focus on how to organize your paperwork. Below, I share ideas on how to organize your paperwork with different types of organizing solutions that will work for your organizing styles and spaces. In my freebie library, you can also find my free paperwork maintenance routine chart which helps you to stay on top of paperwork on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis!

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The Ins & Outs of Inboxes, Filing Systems, & Outboxes for Paperwork

I honestly wish paperwork didn’t exist and that everything was digital. But, since it’s always going to come in through our mailboxes, appointments, meetings, and receipts from the store, we must manage and organize paperwork so that it doesn’t overrun our spaces. Here are three things that are a must for managing paperwork:

• A self-purging sytem: our paperwork storage isn’t supposed to grow and grow requiring more file folders, file drawers, and/or file cabinets. There are very few files we actually need to keep. And, annually, we can legally purge specific files beyond seven and ten-years-old. I share all about my self-purging paperwork organizing system in detail here. It works for both physical and digital filing systems.
• An efficient paperwork management setup: along with a self-purging system which breaks down what to keep and purge and when, we need a physical system to set our files (whether we keep physical or digital files), as paperwork comes into and out of our homes. An efficient setup includes four holding areas for incoming and outgoing paperwork, petty files, permanent files, and archive files. I share all about this in more detail here.
• Organizing solutions that work for your organizing sytle: because we all have natural habits and preferences regarding how we look for and put our things away (a.k.a. our organizing styles … find out yours here), it’s important that we work with those habits and utilize organizing solutions that maximize our natural habits. That way, we can finally get, and stay, organized. And, that’s what I share all about in this post!

Organizing Solutions for Incoming & Outgoing Paperwork

For how to organize incoming paperwork, at minimum, you need a place to set it down so it that it isn’t building up in random areas around your home like the kitchen counter, dining room table, office, etc. Along with that, you also need a “follow-up” bin and a “to file” bin. That way, whether you sort your mail daily or weekly, you can quickly set items in the appopriate bin to follow-up on or file later. You can also have an outgoing bin in this same area. Or, you can set your outgoing mail bin where you are likely to remember to grab paperwork that needs to leave the house with you. So, that means you can have:

• a paper sorter with four sections located where you commonly set down your mail.
• Or, it can have three sections with your fourth section, the outgoing mail section, loctated where you will remember to grab outgoing mail.

Here are paper sorters of different configurations that can work for your organizing style and/or your spaces!

Tabletop / Countertop / Desktop Organizing Solutions

Depending on where you decide to set your outgoing mail, you can utilize three or four of these paper sorters below to organize your incoming paperwork on your surfaces. You will want to label the sides or front ends with “incoming”, “follow-up”, “to file”, and “outgoing”. I suggest using black ink on clear tape if you use a label maker. If you decide to place your outgoing mail on an outgoing mail bin on the wall, I share an example below. This can be beautiful set on a desk (found here):

If you prefer to have your paperwork almost completely concealed, you can utilize drawers like this instead (found here) (pretend the monitor isn’t there if you don’t need it as a monitor stand):

If you prefer to store your files vertically, you can use magazine files (I share multiple ways you can use magazine files around your home here). To keep papers from flopping over, you will want to use file folders which I share below. If you use file folders, you can get away with utilizing only one of these magazine files. If you don’t use file folders, you will want to label the fronts of each of these (found here):

Another vertical filing solution is an organizer like this one below. For any organizers that come with more than four sections like this one, you can use the other sections for things like projects, reference material, mail supplies, etc. (I share my set up with additional sections here.) For this particular paper sorter, you can set your outgoing mail in the front since your outgoing mail will likely be in an envelope which is the perfect size for the low profile section (found here) (I share how to label these in the file folder section below):

Wall Mounted Organizing Solutions

A wall mounted paper sorter is great to store in a kitchen to conserve counter space or office to conserve desk space. Since this particular sorter below has a shallow profile, it can also be set on a surface and not take up too much space. You can label the top portion of each slanted section or the side of the organizer. Or, you can use file folders as I share below. This particular sorter has a great storage section for staples and paperclips to keep the contents, of the envelopes you empty, contained (found here):

In combination with any of the paper organizing solutions above, you can set an outgoing mail holder like this wherever you will remember to grab your paperwork when leaving the house (found here) (i.e. the front door or garage door … I share my outgoing mail bin here):

File Folders

You can use file folders in any of the organizing solutions above not only to contain and subdivide paperwork, but also to conceal paperwork and make your paper storage areas look more aesthetically-pleasing. Additionally, you can use any style file folder you like and coordinate with your decor! And, to keep labels streamlined, I suggest using black ink on clear tape if you use a label maker. That way, you won’t be too distracted be the label and can enjoy the beauty of file folders like these (found here):

Organizing Solutions for Paper Filing Systems

File Folders

For your filing systems for your petty files, permanent files, and archive files, I highly suggest using hanging files. Hanging files are the easiest to sort through as they don’t flop over like the regular file folders above. They simply hang on the rods of your file box, drawer, cart, or cabinet (found here):

These pretty hanging file folders above can be utilized in more visible filing systems while simple ones like these here can be stored in concealed filing systems, all of which I share below.

A common mistake when utilizing these folders is to insert regular file folders, like the ones better suited for incoming and outgoing mail bins above. Inserting folders into hanging file folders is not necessary. The added folders add unneccessary bulk. Also, the labels from inserted folders are usually not easily visible. Hanging file folders already come with tab labels.

Bonus tip: I suggest labeling the outside of the plastic tab label, rather than the white paper insert, with black ink on clear tape if you use a label maker. You will still insert the white paper insert as a backdrop to the label. You don’t have to worry about labels falling out and going missing when the tab itself is labeled as the tab is quite secure within the hanging file folder’s adjustable slots.

Hanging File Organizing Solutions

Desk Drawers & File Cabinet Drawers

I used to store my files in totes which I share here in my tiny office here. After I moved, I had desk drawers that were the perfect size for storing files. They didn’t have the bars to hang files onto, however. So, I installed bars for a few dollars which I share here. Having your filing system closeby to where you sit at your desk makes it super easy to stay on top of paperwork. If your drawer is the perfect width for hanging files, you can protect the tops of the drawer sides with these guards here. You can also turn a desk drawer or file cabinet into a hanging file cabinet by inserting this (found here):

If your desk doesn’t have drawers, you can set a rolling file cabinet like this underneath (found here):

File Carts

File carts are a very convenient and functional organizing solution for containing files. They can be rolled under desks are anywhere you need them when filing. This super simple file cart can be all that you need to contain your files (found here):

If you need to keep your files secure, there are file carts that lock, like this one (found here):

Safe Containers for Permanent Files

For extra secure containment for your permanent files, like certificates and titles, a fireproof safe with a lock is a must. Again, very few documents need to be kept permanently. So, you can get away with using simple locking fireproof safe like this one (found here):

Archive File Storage Solutions

Most households can get away with using just one hanging file folder for each year of archives. I share my own setup here. For our church, I used half-size archive boxes which I share here. If you have a lot more paperwork (i.e. if you run a small business), you can utilize decorative hanging file folder boxes like these (found here):

The boxes above are great if you must store your archive boxes in a visible location. Otherwise, you can get away with using bankers boxes to stow them away out of sight. Remember, you only need ten boxes max! To understand why, click here.

Organizing Solutions for Digital Filing Systems

The simplest digital filing system is to simply use the scanner function on your printer or phone and file your documents into folders which I outline here. And that’s all you need! Well … besides a shredder and/or privacy stamp which I share here. (Honestly, I just cut up indentifying information with scissors!)

If you want to go high tech, you can use a file scanner with software included like this one (found here):

I hope you found some ideas for how to organize your paperwork for your organizing style and/or the space that you have! Don’t forget to grab my free resources from my freebie library here. Let’s get to the other side of clutter … an organized and functional space!

Happy Organizing!