TOP 5 PAPERWORK TIPS USING THE BISLEY MULTI-DRAWERS
If you have piles of paperwork around your home and don’t have a system that works for you then this may be the solution for you!
Often when systems don’t work, it’s because they are too complicated and the steps involved are too much.
I have been using the Bisley Multi-drawers in client’s homes for over ten years now as well as in my own home.
Naturally filing in chronological order when a drawer gets full you simply remove the contents, take away the bottom half and assess whether you need to archive it elsewhere or shred it because it’s no longer relevant.
- GATHER
Gather all of the paperwork from around your home and clear a space on the floor or your dining table (you may need both depending on how much paperwork you have!)
Tools needed:
- Recycling bags
- A bag for shredding
- Post-it notes
- A marker pen
- Coloured A4 thumb cut files
- START SORTING
Choose your first small pile and go through piece by piece, glancing at it, and making a quick decision on what it is. Lay it out in front of you neatly putting it into a relevant category as you go. Label these categories neatly and simply with a post-it note. e.g ‘BILLS, CAR, HEALTH’ rather than having many more specific piles. (Subcategories can be made later if needed)
- CATAGORISE
Keep adding to your piles and creating new ones as you go – there may be many. Anything you are unsure about, put in a miscellaneous pile.
Anything that needs actioning can go in a pile labelled ‘ACTION’.
Once you have been through all the piles, (this may take a while depending) you should be left with everything in categories nice and neatly in front of you.
Now go through each one and get rid of anything you no longer need, (shredding, recycling etc). If you’re unsure on how long you need to keep something, head to www.moneysavingexpert.com for advice.
If you have papers that you think you probably won’t need, but feel hesitant to throw away, then they should go into a separate pile called ‘ARCHIVE’. These can be put into a specific storage box, labeled clearly with the contents and stored away from your daily paperwork. It’s not needed in your every day living space.
- LABEL
Create your drawer titles from looking at the piles you are left with.
Collate your categories as much as possible as this keeps the method of filing extremely simple eg Bills rather than Gas, Electric, water etc..
If you want anything to stand out within the drawers because it’s an important piece of paperwork then put it in one of the coloured A4 files.
Each time a new piece of post comes in, it will go in the top of the correct folder, meaning the newest piece will always be at the top!
Ensure your labels are neat and clear.
TIPS:
*If you have large amounts do not overwhelm yourself by pulling everything out at once – this could take a while so you may need to work on it in small, manageable stages. Accept that this is a process and it may be out for a while until completed.
*Try not to concentrate on any particular document in detail as you go as this may slow you down.
*Keep your piles neat at all times – mess can make you feel overwhelmed.
Remember, you usually can’t put shredded paper into your household recycling bin because the fibres are too small, so check with your local authorities on the best way to dispose of it.
