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Almost more than any other issue, understanding how to handle paperwork in your
home will bring greater order and more time to your life. Let's start at the
beginning, work through several different possibilities, and then conquer this
problem once and for all.
All papers which come into your home will need a place to stay
temporarily. This is best addressed by stacking "in/out" boxes,
one per family member, in a convenient place on a kitchen or family room
counter. Each box is to be labeled with the name of the family
member. Use whatever method works for you to systemize the movement of
papers, but have a system. For instance, mom's box might go on top because
she usually handles the most paperwork. Other family member's boxes are
below hers. Homework, mail, magazines, phone messages go where they belong
as soon as they enter the home. When a family member is done with their
homework and it needs Mom's review/correction, it goes in her box. When she is
done checking the homework, the papers go back in the child's box.
Spouse's mail goes in his box. When it is time for filing or reading by
the homemaker, the mail is transferred to her box. As she is able, the homemaker takes paperwork from
her "in/out" box and puts it in the four "working" file folders
she keeps in her desk. The folders are
labeled: TO DO, PENDING, BILLS TO PAY, and TO FILE. All paperwork
for which she has stewardship can be kept in one of these files while she works
through them. Mail
which need addressing later can be put in the "TO DO" file. Any
bills can be put in the "BILLS TO PAY" file for paying on bill-paying
day. Any paperwork which is in transition, such as wedding announcements,
items for which you need an answer, or other unresolved matters can be put in
the "PENDING" file. Any paperwork which you feel has enough
merit to be filed permanently should be put in the "TO FILE"
folder. The papers in this folder sit dormant for a month. This
gives the homemaker enough time and space to really understand the importance of
these papers in her life. Usually, on the monthly "filing"
day,
she will find that most of what was important at the time might NOT be so
important to file away and keep. Some paperwork will be essential to the everyday working of the
family for a considerable period of time. These papers include soccer
schedules, school class schedules, and work personnel information. These
papers should be 3-hold punched as soon as possible and put behind the
appropriate dividers in the Information Binder
for easy retrieval at a moment's notice. Paperwork that the children bring home and which seems valuable to put away
permanently might be kept systematically in journals
which you have set up for each of your family members. Photos which you have had
printed should also have a systematic for storage until you have time to put
them into photo albums. Even then, the albums should be such that you
can keep the stored pictures in order. Monthly publications, like magazines and newspapers
need their own special spot, probably in your family room. The run of
thumb for keeping them organized is to discard last month's (read or unread)
when this month's publication arrives. It is most unlikely that you will
have time to review past unread issues. Toss them! After two or
three months of doing this, you may want to consider canceling the
subscription. It is probably causing you more trouble than it is worth. Some magazines, like "National Geographic",
are classical and worth keeping in your personal library. When this
month's magazine comes, remove last month's magazine from your family room for
storage on your bookshelves. Find more helpful ideas in
the "House
of Order" Handbook. Also see:
Files, Journals,
and Photo Albums, and
Home Office.
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