We have probably 15 different folders with different documents in them, but no idea what is in each folder, so whenever we need something, we have to go through every folder, every paper, until we find what we are looking for. It's time consuming, and very frustrating.
Along with all that, we have our standard paperwork. Our mortgage paperwork, insurance documents, warranty and replacement documents, etc. all of which just kind of... float around in our spare bedroom/office. When my mother-in-law gave us a set of bunkbeds, we had a place to set things out of our Little Misters reach so he couldn't destroy them, so the top bunk sort of became our 'catch all' for everything until he learns that everything he can reach is not something to destroy.
I have a box that I should be putting all these things into but I never got around to filling it, and what I did put in there is unorganized and confusing. If I want to have any order in my life, first I need to organize the smaller things. I knew what I had to do, I really had no excuse to put it off for as long as I did, but it was time to tame that Paper Monster!
When I bought the document box, I bought some regular green hanging folders to go in it, but I didn't really have any folders to go inside. I had a few odd files I had collected over the past couple years, but they had writing on them and were just terrible! I decided that would be my first order of Business. I needed some file folders!! I have always loved Target's selection of office supplies. Their 'green room' collection is so neat looking, plus, recycled!! How can you go wrong!?
When I got there, the aisle had been picked clean, apparently back to school shopping is in full swing, and I was late... The shelves had odds and ends, but nothing that I would want to consider using to manage my paperwork. The way I see it is that if I love the way it's organized, I will love to organize it, whereas if it's just plain and boring, I won't want to spend the time. Plain and boring might work for some, but unfortunately not for me.
I did a little digging with no luck and was pretty much ready to abandon my 'pretty' paper organizing, but I finally found them. There were two sets thrown in with the binders at the end of the aisle, just waiting for me to grab them up. Unfortunately, the front set had a huge gash down the middle and the tabs were bent beyond repair but the second set was in perfect condition. I can't tell you how excited I was to get home and get started. Really, how can I get so excited about office supplies? First my binder, now file folders? At least I'm enthusiastic!
When we got home Little Mister went down for a nap, I pulled my new, spiffy folders out and then I started lugging all of the files and papers into the dining room. It was very daunting. I decided to start with the military documents because once those are out of the way, it'd be a cake-walk. For the folders with older documents, I went through each page and taped a piece of paper to the front of the folder, writing down each document that was enclosed, as well as how many pages they had. That got old fast... I think I got through two before I gave up.
I changed tactics and went through and sorted them by duty station. We were in Texas after he finished Basic Training, then he was in South Korea, and now we are here, so I took all the documents from Basic Training and before and put them in their own folder (which actually included all the folders I had lists for...) Then I took all the documents that had to do with the transition from Texas to South Korea, and put them in a folder. The next folder had everything from his time in South Korea, as well as his orders to Fort Campbell. I have one other folder left over for documents from this duty station, but it's pretty small as of now. I didn't use any of my pretty folders for the military documents... There are so many, and it just seemed unnecessary because most of them came with their own (boring) folders.
Going through all those documents took the better part of the afternoon, and Caden had woken up from his nap somewhere near the end, so I turned on a movie and tried to get him to watch it while I worked on the rest. (I say 'tried to get him to watch it' because he really has no interest in the TV, which is great, but makes situations when I need him to be distracted by something more difficult... haha)
This next step was much easier, and went by in about two hours. Apparently my documents weren't in as big of a mess as I had thought, it just seemed that way because they weren't organized and I could never find anything I was looking for. I started by figuring out what categories I would need. I knew I needed a section for my insurance policies, so I made one for the house, and one for the car. I figure I can use those two files for other house/car related documents too, but that will be for another time, given that we don't have any right now!
Our warranty documents, as well as receipts and product replacement documents have their own folder, as do all the documents regarding our previous moving shipments via. the military , which we really probably don't need, but it's nice to have a point of reference, so I am keeping them. Then I have a few more for things like taxes and certificates that Chaz gets through the Army, our personal documents, and other odds n ends. That left me with three folders for future documents, which is excellent. It's always a good idea to have some room to expand!
My next step will be to print the labels that came with the folders and then I'll be done and post pictures!! It's really such a refreshing feeling to know that the next time I need a document, I won't have to go digging through piles of paper. Plus, we get our top bunk back!
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