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Home > Consumer Focus Archive > Managing Household Records > Creating Your Home Filing System
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Consumer Focus: Managing Household Records
This is an archived document.
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Creating Your Home Filing System

You've gotten your papers together in one place and shredded those you no longer need. Now what? The pile still looks daunting. Don't worry! The most satisfying part of this project is yet to come-getting it all organized. We've assembled some tips and checklists that, with just a little planning on your part, will make it all come together easily.

Posted: October 16, 2003

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Stick to the Basics

A few simple supplies like a sturdy cardboard file or an inexpensive file cabinet, manila file folders, and labels are really all you need to get started. Generally, your home file should include all the items you refer to frequently. These files would include bills, warranties, bank statements, etc.

Don't forget that you also need a secondary storage location for your more important, difficult to replace papers such as passports, titles to vehicles, birth certificates, etc. A fireproof safe may be one possibility, but it's better to store those records in a location away from home such as a bank safe deposit box.

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Your Filing System

Your system is just that, yours. Design it in a way that you can understand and manage. Keep it simple. However, don't get too general in how you label your files-you may find yourself putting everything in that folder labeled "financial" when you would be better off having several folders labeled with language like "bank statements," "credit card statements," and "retirement fund."

One member of your household needs to be appointed the file manager to take responsibility for keeping the filing up-to-date and consistent. However, in case of an emergency everyone in the household needs to be familiar with the system, including children old enough to understand how to use it.

Develop and stick to a regular filing and paperwork schedule. If you don’t, you’ll most likely find yourself back to where you started, having to sort through several weeks or months of backlogged papers and spending more time then you would have if you’d just spent a few minutes once or twice a week on your record keeping.

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Scan Your Documents

Declining prices coupled with improvements in digital scanning technologies make scanning and storing your documents electronically an alternative worth considering. Scanning will allow you to still have easy access to your documents and allow other features such as being able to transfer them via e-mail. Generally, you still need to retain the originals for legal purposes, probably in your offsite storage location.

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Image of person at a desk sorting papers between the file bin and toss bin

Outside Help

If you don’t have the time or the inclination to take even these basic steps, or have realized that the task is too much to handle, consider bringing in an outsider. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, an outsider (a relative or family friend) may help you focus. Or, you may want to consider hiring a professional. A professional organizer can provide information, structure, solutions, and systems, and help you gain a sense of control.

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Other Resources

This is just a brief overview. For more information, check out these resources:

Read these publications online or order them from FCIC:

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* Names of resources and organizations included in this online article are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that they are endorsed by the Federal Citizen Information Center or any other Government agency. Also, if a particular resource or organization is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that it is unsatisfactory.

*If you click on these links, you are leaving FCIC's website. Please bookmark us before you leave so you can return easily. FCIC is not responsible for the content of these websites.

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For more information on other popular consumer issues check out FCIC's Consumer Focus Archive.

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