Office Organizing

Welcome back to Simple in '16 where we are here to keep each other accountable for getting organized! This month we are working on our office spaces and filing cabinets. February is the perfect time to work on this project because I'm usually going through our files to get our tax paperwork ready to send to our accountant. It's super easy to go through everything since it's already out anyway. Double win. Yes!


First, lets talk filing. There are so many great ways to organize paperwork. There's not one right way...you have to do what makes sense to you. I'm a little bit old-fashioned and I love to keep it simple. Here's a peek into my filing cabinet.

Easy and simple, right? Go get yourself some snazzy file folders, a sharpie, and I promise you will feel more organized before you even begin sorting. We are lucky that almost everything is digital now because it really cuts down on paperwork that needs to be kept. Here's the general rule on how long to keep everything:

Monthly bills: 1 year
Insurance Policies: Keep most current policy on file
Explanation of Benefits : 2 years (I usually staple the doctor bill to the EOB)
Bank Statements: 2 years
Tax Forms: Forever (Tax receipts only need to be kept 7 years, but check with your accountant first)

The file that I need to work on is our Retirement/Investment Accounts file. That's where I slack because I don't understand what is essential to keep and what isn't. I usually have our financial planner go through it with me when we sit down with her throughout the year. Hooray for her expertise!

So it's ok to let go of that cable bill from 2010, lovelies. I promise, You don't need it. Oh, and I know we all love that beautiful office supply aisle...pens, post-its, and paperclips, oh my! But one last tip for having an organized office space: less is more. So, step away from the cute mechanical pencils and go use the ones you already have first. I say this because I love you. ;)


For some of my other favorite office organizing ideas, check out my Pinterest Board.

And a little birdie told me that some of you just can't wait until the 1st of each month to work on more organizing projects (you make this Simple Mama so proud!). I'm working on some extra credit for you so stay tuned!!!