Do You Have a Filing System for Documents?

[38Chevy454]

I have the std filing cabinet and mostly paper files. Trying to go more paperless and that is progressing slowly. I am not always 100% organized and up to date on the filing, so I always seem to have a pile "to be filed" on my desk.
Since I have a small home based side business, I do keep paper copies of some things that I could go paperless, but having the easy access paper files is beneficial come tax time or in worst case audit time (hasn't happened yet though).

 

[Doribe]

I have the usual Steelcase four drawer file cabinet, with labeled hanging file folders.

During the next few years I plan to transition almost completely to paperless. I am doing this slowly but have started on it.

My first goal is to reduce the files to what will fit into a small rolling file box that I have (that will hold about 10" of standard hanging files). At that point, I will need to sell my file cabinet.

Then, in a related project, I plan to put all of my office supplies in one of those plastic storage bins and sell my desk. I used to use the desk for my desktop computer, but have not had a desktop computer for probably 20 years by now. At that point my home office will be nearly empty so I may need to find another use for that room.

I'm on this type of plan. I started to move to mostly digital about three years ago.

My permanent paper either at home or in the safe deposit box contains: wills, birth certificates, passports, deeds, titles.

I am moving tax returns and associated documents to digital storage. I still have several years still in paper that will get tossed as time goes by. In addition to backing up on hard drives I save a copy to Fidelity's FIDSAFE free document storage.

My household binder has one document from each insurance company, bank, brokerage, utility or other business relationship. I keep one piece of paper with the company name, the account holder, and at least a partial account number. This is intended for both helping me remember everything that I have going and also in case I die, the family has an organized source at their fingertips.

I still have a desk. I use one file drawer. I still have a desktop computer that I use to scan and store documents. I try to keep up with my pile of paper, either scan or file.

I still need to tighten up my digital filing systems by improving my file naming and categorizing.

 

[badatmath]

I prefer paper to online.

I can remember if it is in the yellow folder but NOT where it is on my computer . . . plus some days I call things 'car' vs 'auto' vs 'honda' so searching is hit or miss. I rather be able to see it.

That said I do not save a ton, certainly not utility bills and so forth.

 

[mystang52]

I have a reliable filing system. But the papers procreate on their own and ruin all of my good intentions.

 

[Ronstar]

I’m all paperless, but I keep 5 years of hard copy tax returns. Whenever I get documents to be filed, I store them in a plastic bin. Then every few months, I have a scan session where I scan the documents into an external drive filing system. Then burn or shred the hard copies.

 

[JustCurious]

I am almost completely paperless now, I download and save documents in electronic pdf format and store them in folders on Google drive. To be clear, I do not scan anything, I don't even own a scanner...rather I download documents directly from the provider's website and save them in their native electronic pdf format.

 

[rk911]

i digitize everything and store on hard drive with several layers if backup...physical, off-site and cloud.

 

[FlaGator]

Paperless, or don't even download it, for routine stuff like utility bills and credit card statements.

Still retain paper, stored in plastic file tubs, for critical things like tax returns, home purchase docs, and anything other than investment purchases showing original cost. Plus things like birth/death certs. Some of that is duplicated electronically, but there is still no substitute for paper in some situations.

Discovered today I need to go to Schwab to confirm a few transactions from 2003-4. Predates their on line availability and I didn't retain the paper in an easy to retrieve place.

 

[Katsmeow]

The Freedom Filer thing looks like a total waste of time. It would have me keeping a bunch of paper docs that I don't keep.

So - here is what I do:

1. Almost all docs are scanned in. I used a ScanSnap ix1500. I also have a flatbed scanner/printer that I used for things that can't be fed through. The only things I don't scan in or things that are more in book form. I do scan all receipts.

2. I OCR the docs I scanned in, and upload almost all of them to Evernote (I keep a few very confidential docs on my local computer only).

3. I then shred or throw away almost everything I scanned in.

4. Docs that I keep in paper format usually fit within one of these groups:

a. Docs that I may refer to often that are easier to review in paper form.
b. Docs that I have a legitimate need to have an original paper document. There are very few of these documents. Examples: Car Title, passport, birth certificate. I have scanned in copies of these but do keep the originals.
c. Very current documents where there is a potential I will need to have the actual document.

For the first two groups I mostly have subject folders. I have an auto folder. I have a house folder. One for DH and one for me.

For the latter group I have 12 folders, one for each month. I keep them in order by moving, keeping the current month at the front. Periodically I go through them and throw out stuff that is obsolete. Most of these are receipts for (1) big ticket items that I don't want to take a chance they won't accept a scan of a receipt or (2) recently purchased items that I might need to return.

I do keep a folder for each tax year with a copy of the tax backup for the year although I have been lately moving to scanning this stuff in as well. I haven't yet converted the old documents.

I do have a few folders of stuff that I had pre-this system where I just haven't gone in and scanned in stuff. I need to get around to doing it or seeing if the stuff is obsolete and throwing it away.

 

[mountainsoft]

I have a small fire safe for important documents like birth and wedding certificates. Everything else is saved electronically on my computer.

I keep all of our financial documents on a TruCrypt encrypted virtual drive, just in case someone snoops on my computer when I'm not here. I have folders for each account, checking, savings, phone, car insurance, home insurance, etc. Files are named with dates so they sort chronologically, such as "2019-12-31 - Checking Statement". I create year subfolders for most accounts, 2019, 2018, 2017, etc.

I download all of our statements electronically, saving the PDF's in the appropriate folder on my encrypted drive.

For documents I can't get electronically (very few these days) I have a ScanSnap scanner that I can quickly convert paper documents into PDF files to save on my financial drive. It was expensive, but is so much faster than my Epson V500 flatbed scanner. The paper documents get shredded in my home shredder once I have scanned them.

I backup my main hard drive to two external hard drives, one of which I keep in the safe deposit box at the bank, and rotate the external drives monthly. Once a year or so I also burn a copy to a BluRay data disc just for another layer of protection.

 

[jollystomper]

I have a 2 draw filing cabinet where I keep paper financial info, medical info, purchase receipts, insurance info, etc. Most of it is for the current year. Once a year I go through and "archive" a subset to a yearly folder. The yearly folders go back 20 years.

For electronic items I backup onsite, in the cloud, and in safe deposit box. I just archive, never delete (storage is cheap and not worth my time to go through and cleanup).

Though it may be overkill, it made surviving an IRS audit a piece of cake.

 

[levindb]

I have a box...and that's it. The box has 2019 on it...and I am ready for a new box with 2020 on it. All hardcopy things that are "needed" go in there and I will sort it out as part of my tax planning each November. Some "permanent stuff moves forward into the current year, but the rest stays in the box when it happened.

After 2019 taxes are done, then 2018 goes in the attic, and 2019 goes in the closet, while I fill up 2020...been doing that for many years. Electronic receipts are printed so they can go in the box.

 

[Gulfbeach]

Probably depends on location. I've used Kohl's and it works well except you have to stand in line which may be short or long depending on your luck. I've found the easiest way for me is if I still have the packaging to just use the UPS option. Tape up the box, print out the label, tape that to the box and take it to a UPS store that is a mile away. Never had to wait except for a few seconds while they scan it and give me a receipt.

+1!

 

[imoldernu]

Piling system.
All paper needing handling, paying, or response, jeanie takes care of as it comes in.. All else into my pile. Maintained in a box file, nominally by date (or era). No Problem for the past 60 years.
Naturally deeds, bills of sale, and all "ready to show" documents are kept in safety box.

 

[calmloki]

I have a box...and that's it. The box has 2019 on it...and I am ready for a new box with 2020 on it. All hardcopy things that are "needed" go in there and I will sort it out as part of my tax planning each November. Some "permanent stuff moves forward into the current year, but the rest stays in the box when it happened.

After 2019 taxes are done, then 2018 goes in the attic, and 2019 goes in the closet, while I fill up 2020...been doing that for many years. Electronic receipts are printed so they can go in the box.

Think this is pretty much what happens here. Left to natural devices I'm more chronological piles with sub-stacks of more pressing or important papers and a random scattering of really important things noted on the backs of envelopes. The gal, however, has us using multiple file drawers for medical, insurance, rentals, loans, and such and each year those files are sorted and divvied up into that which carries forward and that which gets boxed and carted up to an attic. Back and forth between Oregon and SoCal we go with three large plastic hanging file boxes stuffed tight with paper. I will say she can find about any important scrap of paper in a couple minutes and the unimportant stuff in maybe ten.

 

[yclipse]

I have scanned just about everything for several years. The current management of the resulting PDF files involves having all scanned files saved in a subfolder of a folder, and software (DevonThink) that "indexes" that folder so that they can be managed and reviewed there. Within DT I can rename the PDF files and organize them into folders. On New Year's Day I import all the files into an archive database, delete everything from the original folder, and start again.

I do not normally scan utility bills, though. I keep the paper bills for 2-3 months before just tossing them out.

 

[jim584672]

Any paper forms, bills, or info gets scanned and destroyed. Any time I can do paperless I sign up for it. Every month I collect the account statements as pdfs. Folder structure on the computer is my file cabinet.

 

[sengsational]

I do have a pretty simple filing system. I've never been a "pile" person, except for inbound mail (let it build up, then handle each bit once). So I've got files in a filing cabinet. It's effective for me, and best news: doesn't require scanning and curation of scanned documents! I like the self-maintaining aspect of the commercial filing system in the video. The concepts they talk about are valid no matter how you file.



I've never found a good argument for scanning stuff: too much effort for little payback. Most things I end up saving, I'll never look at. But I want to save 'em because I like to know that if I wanted to, I've got it. I like that flexibility, but I'm not willing to labor very hard for it. It takes me a couple of seconds to throw a sheet into the correct folder. I just put it in the front. I can lay my hands on the bit of paper that I want in just a few seconds. It would take someone besides me a while to figure out what I have, and how it's organized, but I think it would be pretty clear with just a little poking around.



Contrast this to a scanner: Power up, oops fix the driver, update the computer, scan the document. Oops the shredder basket is full. Oops, I spilled the shredder basket. Get out the vacuum cleaner. Then spend an hour searching the hard drive for something you "know is in there somewhere". Then you are away (or dead) and someone needs to pull some of your information together. Forget it! Anyone can open a file drawer, but not anyone can get into your machine and find documents.



Obviously the paper thing has it's down-side: bulk. But I have one file cabinet. If the hanging folders start to get tight together, I go through and grab stacks from the back of some of the folders, creating about 25% free space, which lasts at least a year. The box I fill, I take to the you-shred-it place. They even have an occasional day where it's free to shred.

 

[HFWR]

I’ve decided that most stuff doesn’t need to be “saved”, so trash, recycle, or shred.

 

[mountainsoft]

I've never found a good argument for scanning stuff

Just a few...

1. Takes up less space. Once it's in electronic form, you can throw away the paper.

2. Protection. Once scanned, I can back up the electronic documents to multiple drives. If there is a fire, theft, flood, etc. I still have backup copies of my documents in my safe deposit box.

3. Preservation. Many store receipts are printed with thermal printers. Those printouts can fade over time. I recently cleaned out my old paper file cabinet and many of the receipts were completely blank, despite being stored in a dark temperature controlled box. Paper documents can get dirty, torn, etc., but I can always print out a fresh new copy of an electronic document.

4. Easier to Find. With a good folder organization system, I can quickly locate any bank statement, pay stub, or store receipt. Or I can use a simple file search if I can't remember where I saved it. This comes in handy if I want to know something like when I bought our TV.

5. Sharing. It's easy to email or print out scanned documents if you need to show them to someone to qualify for assistance, a discount, or whatever.

Of course, if you can get documents electronically in the first place, you avoid the whole paper, mail costs, scanning, etc.

Contrast this to a scanner: Power up, oops fix the driver, update the computer, scan the document.

I open the door to my ScanSnap, insert paper, push button, name the file.

That's far easier than getting the key to my file cabinet, unlocking it, finding the appropriate folder, inserting paper, put folder back in cabinet, relock cabinet, put key away.

Then spend an hour searching the hard drive for something you "know is in there somewhere". Then you are away (or dead) and someone needs to pull some of your information together. Forget it! Anyone can open a file drawer, but not anyone can get into your machine and find documents.

You can use the same organization system electronically that you use in the physical world. For instance, a folder for electric bills, another folder for water bills, or whatever. No difference, other than the paper version takes space. As long as you organize your files well and name them appropriately, you should be able to find them as fast or faster than with an old file cabinet.

As for other's accessing your files, I do keep a short instruction sheet in a notebook in my desk drawer. If I die my wife or daughter can use the sheet to access any files they need to, though my wife already knows how to get to them. I keep the password to the encrypted financial drive in our safe deposit box (mentioned in the instruction sheet), so a thief can't just open the desk drawer to access our financial records.

 

[rk911]

+1 except i don't scan individual receipts. we use a CC for virtually everything so i save the online statements as a PDF. and it takes no time at all to scan a hard document to a PDF using our multi-function printer. i used to keep everything...canceled checks (remember those), utility bills, pay stubs, receipts, CC statements, yadda yadda. it was a huge pile of paper kept in, first, a 2-drawer file cabinet, then a second, transitioned to a 4-d and then a second 4-d. pure madness. digital PDFs is the way to go.

 

[ERD50]

You just never know when you might need something. When I found a CD in my FIL's name in the unclaimed property list for IL, they requested some bank statements or other documents with that address on them (they had not lived at that address for ~ 8 years).

The thing is, this unclaimed property apparently wasn't old enough for it to show up when I checked when FIL passed ( about 4 years ago). It showed up when I re-ran a search after MIL passed this year. So if I had taken the approach of throwing stuff out after X years, it might have been gone.

So maybe keep/scan something from every old account/address combo?

-ERD50

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Probably depends on location. I've used Kohl's and it works well except you have to stand in line which may be short or long depending on your luck. I've found the easiest way for me is if I still have the packaging to just use the UPS option. Tape up the box, print out the label, tape that to the box and take it to a UPS store that is a mile away. Never had to wait except for a few seconds while they scan it and give me a receipt.

If the product is defective, then no taking it somewhere required. Print out a slip, stick it in the box, tape it off and put on porch. UPS comes and gets it...done and done.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Piling system.
All else into my pile. Maintained in a box file, nominally by date (or era). No Problem for the past 60 years.
Naturally deeds, bills of sale, and all "ready to show" documents are kept in safety box.

Similar system here. Anything that can be digital (statements/etc) comes that way and stays that way. Any other paper that might be important gets scanned and put into a local file as well as a cloud backup. "Other" stuff gets tossed into my bottom drawer of the desk and at the end of the year, it's boxed and put in the attic. I have about 12 years worth of these boxes and have never had to hunt anything down.

Important papers/etc. are in a fire box and locked away in our fire resistant safe room.

 

[Katsmeow]

I've never found a good argument for scanning stuff: too much effort for little payback. Most things I end up saving, I'll never look at.

Mountainsoft's process and reasons are very similar to mine. I have had paper folders. Yes, I can find stuff in them but I have far more documents scanned. I have thousands scanned.

There is no way I could keep all of that in paper files. It would take up too much space and would be unwieldy to search. Back in the day, at my office we had tons of paper files? Now. Not nearly as much. Why? It is easier to store and search electronically. Same thing is true at home.

Contrast this to a scanner: Power up, oops fix the driver, update the computer, scan the document. Oops the shredder basket is full. Oops, I spilled the shredder basket. Get out the vacuum cleaner. Then spend an hour searching the hard drive for something you "know is in there somewhere". Then you are away (or dead) and someone needs to pull some of your information together. Forget it! Anyone can open a file drawer, but not anyone can get into your machine and find documents.

None of this is typical. My scanner is always on. To scan, I put the document on the scanner (ScanSnap ix 1500). I hit the correct profile on the front of the scanner. Document scans and there is a suggested name (which I usually accept. Scanner actually attempts to give it a name based upon date and vendor. It isn't perfect but is usually close.

Most docs don't need shredding. I empty the shredder maybe once a month during regular day that we empty trash.

Spending an hour searching the hard drive is ridiculous. First I have a system for how I name docs. But usually I just go in and type what I want in a search field and it is easy to find. This is in Windows. If I need a more sophisticated search I can search full text on all documents in Evernote because every doc has been OCR'd.

Honestly to find a receipt from years ago usually takes a few seconds. It is far quicker to do a search rather than look in a folder.

And, yes, I do find it handy at times to be able to find a receipt from years ago. The other day DH wondered when he had bought something. He thought it was only a couple of years ago. I found the receipt very quickly and it was something like 6 years ago. It was nice to be able to easily find something like that.

Also doing OCR on the text of all documents scanned in is very helpful. Sometimes you are looking for a specific thing and it isn't in the title of the document but a full text search will find it. If I had to read through a lot of documents to find the reference it would take hours.