How do you keep your (hard copies/ paper documents) files organized?

]

 

Freedom Filer filing system:
http://freedomfiler.com/

Good quality scanner. I have the previous version, Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500. It's very fast, scans both sides, and creates PDF files easily. Expensive, but worth it for me.
http://amzn.to/1KSTiEP

Then all the PDF files are synced to Google Drive. My computer is configured to do this automatically, without intervention from me.
https://drive.google.com/

I use a lateral file cabinet to hold the physical mail/receipts/papers. I keep two years worth of most things, tax returns I plan to keep forever. Freedom Filer system organizes based on month of the year, so you don't have to do too much thinking. The PDFs and Google Drive combination are searchable, so you don't really need to manually organize them much either. With Google Drive, I can access all my stuff from my smartphone. I pretty much scan everything I can, that I plan on keeping.

I also have a shredder for when it's time to dispose of documents with sensitive information. This system has worked well for me for the last 5 years. The scanner is one of the best purchases I have ever made.

The one big weakness I have is that most of my statements are now electronic delivery. I haven't been manually downloading them and adding them to Google Drive, because I'm lazy. So far I haven't needed any of these.

Oh, I still use plastic shoe boxes to keep my past mail and receipts, until I get around to scanning everything. I only scan when the boxes start getting full. I only file paper in my lateral file cabinet once I've scanned the documents.

 

Jokes aside, I do shred most paper documents.

The only items I really keep paper copies are:
1) Tax returns (I also keep the digital copies).
2) Social Security Statements
3) Automotive receipts with the descriptions of work done
4) Lease information

These all I keep in a water proof file box.

The only receipts I keep are receipts that would apply in insurance claim purposes, most of which I digitize and store in an Home Inventory program.

I don't get paper paystubs, so I don't keep them.

The only things I keep locked up are the SS card, birth certificate, or any deeds/titles, which I need so rarely I leave in a safety deposit box.

Anything the various vendors will store online for me I leave there.

Most of the rest I shred.

 

It is in two places. On my desktop computer (needed for the scanner), and also on Google Drive. Plus, I have the original physical paperwork from the last two years in my lateral file. So really, that's triple redundancy for 2 years. And double redundancy for longer than that. That's enough for me. I used to keep all my PDFs on a secure USB drive, but haven't done that in a long time. Too lazy.

 

Go to Office Depot and get hanging folders that fit in either your desk drawers or bankers boxes, some pocket folders that fit in the the hanging folders and some thin mailing labels.

Place three sheets of the mailing labels in your printer. The mailing labels have a code on them. Pull up MS Word then go to "Mailings", "Labels" then "Options"; "Label Vendors" to type the brand, "Product Code" and type in the code, then you can type up labels: first list/page for the boxes, second list/page for hanging folder and third list/page for pocket folders, and print them out to put on the folders.

 

Everything goes on the CLOUD! I came to this country with no papers. Still have no papers.