Setting up a home filing system is no easy task. Each household is unique so don't just follow someone else's methods. Assess your family's needs and habits then develop your own system. Follow the most logical and practical routine that you will most likely stick to.
Here are some questions that may help you devise your own system.
- What documents do I need to keep and for how long you should keep them? There are some documents that the law requires you to keep forever or for a certain number of years. (Ex. deed and titles; tax and insurance records) Other than that, feel free to decide what else you want to file.
- How will I file them? Will I use folders or clear books? Legal-size or Letter-size? This is a matter of preference. However, you must take note that most legal documents are legal-size. I usually file our documents in legal-size folders but I use clear books for important documents that I do not want to and/or cannot be punched. (Ex. birth certificates and passports) My friend "MM" uses expandable folders.
- Where will I store them? Will I store them in a box, drawer or filing cabinet? Again, this is a matter of preference. It will also depend on your available storage space. In our case, we have no space for a filing cabinet so we keep our folders in file drawers and boxes. As for the clear books, some I store in drawers while some I display in our bookshelf. Just make sure you keep your important documents in a safe place. Rent a bank safety deposit box if you need to.
- How will I arrange them? You can arrange your folders alphabetically or by categories (car, home, work, utilities, etc.). You can even arrange them by year or by color although I do not recommend the last one.
Remember, as long as your system makes sense to you, it will work.
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