Bills and Paperwork > Let’s Go Paperless!
We’re already into the second week of January 2021. Are you feeling good about the progress you’ve made so far?
Today’s goal is to create a bill-pay, paperwork and filing system that keeps your home/office clear of clutter and user-friendly. Are you ready?
First, assess your current situation. How much space do you need for files? What can be shredded and discarded? Better yet, how can you cut back on paper altogether?!
Let’s go through the next steps to wrangle your piles of paperwork and make 2021 a more efficient year for bill-paying too.
- Shred and discard > Get rid of all paperwork that is no longer relevant.
- Bank online > If you don’t have it already, set up online banking and request electronic statements.
- Eliminate JUNK mail and discard it before it even hits your desk > Exercise your right to opt out of firm offers of credit and insurance at OptOutPrescreen.com or To reach OptOutPrescreen by phone, call 1-888-567-8688 (that’s 888-5OPT-OUT).
- Switch to online bill pay.
- Sort and #Declutter any remaining paperwork (from yesterday’s office organization) plus any other paperwork still lying around the house into the following piles:
- Can be resolved NOW
- Junk/remove from list
- Can be changed to online payments/statements NOW
- Can be resolved in two weeks
- Can be scanned and archived in your computer
- Can be scanned and filed to accessibility (this year)
- Can be shredded NOW
- SCAN the following:
- Paid invoices for one year (change as many as possible to online bill-pay)
- Receipts for one year, or the length of a warranty for big ticket items.
- Articles, clippings and inspirational items.
- Medical receipts, claims and informational documents.
- Car repair info and receipts
- FILE the following: (See my blog post on how to color code your files)
- Taxes and any correspondence with the IRS (save for seven years and then shred.
- Legal claims and documents.
- Business licenses and legal documents, such as articles of incorporation.
- Social Security statements/cards, birth certificates, titles and licenses. (stored in a secure location, in a safe or safety deposit box)
- Please share how today’s project went for you on Instagram or Facebook tagging me on FB with: @organizedburley Or on Instagram: @organizedbyburley