Get Your Home Office Organized: My Filing System

By Kelli Miller of 3 Boys and a Dog

We are going to start the Home Office Organization Series with me giving you a sneak peek at my filing system.

I have a vast number of files for everything from warrantees, to instruction books, to EF papers, to homeschooling, to personal stuff. The files are not touched on a regular basis, but are needed. I keep them in the top drawer of my 4 drawer filing cabinet. You know, things like:
• Warrantees
• Home Info
• Insurance Papers
• Receipts needed for taxes
• Birth Certificates

Then, I have my second drawer that gets opened 9-million times a day. My daily paperwork gets stuffed in it. In is the perfect level for me to access comfortably while sitting in my chair. In fact, that drawer is usually open because I have something sitting on it that I am currently working on.
In that drawer I have the following files:

1. Hot File – the stuff that I need to handle but couldn’t right away for what ever reason. Maybe I am awaiting a response from someone before I can continue with it. I go through this file weekly to update my To DO list or file anything no longer needed.

2. School – This is where I keep Tripp’s printed school schedule, to do lists, print outs we will be using, etc.

3. Blog – If I come across something that I want to reference in a blog post, or something that give me a blogging idea, it goes in this file.

4. EF – If I am working with a student or a family, the pertinent info goes here.

Drawer three is currently housing all the Product Slicks and Press Kits that I collected while at the 2010 International Home and Housewares Show. I am planning to put these to use really soon when I do my Kitchen Series. 🙂 Then, that drawer will be empty!

Drawer four holds all the books I have listed at Paperback Swap as well as packing tape, business cards, and envelopes.

Do you have a paperwork system that works well for you? If not, maybe you can adopt mine to help you out. 🙂

Kelli writes tips and tricks to being a fit, stay at home blogger who parents (or parent who blogs? LOL!) at 3 Boys and a Dog. You can find a huge amount of tips and goodies from homeschooling to housekeeping at her blog! Be sure to visit Kelli’s site for the rest of her Home Office Organization Series (and Buttoned Up giveaway!)