Do you have a filing system?

Yes I do, and keep all sorts of bits of paper trails. I was the go to one in the office, if there was a query about something. DH is better now, he used to file most things under 'miscellaneous'

Yes, in theory
Mail to keep goes in letter rack, letter rack gets sorted when full. Filing goes upstairs to cabinet in spare room. Files for house, car, gas etc.

Cabinet currently has a pile sitting on top waiting to actually be filed inside

I have a filing cabinet where I keep files of important matters. But for bills, I pay for everything online and simply save them in my computer.

It’s a filing cabinet for me, I keep all bills for large purchases until the guarantee expires, all CC and all other bills for 7 years.
Plus, I have box files everywhere! Ive even got 30 years of wages slips in a box, methinks it’s time I have a clear out, although I don’t trust the ‘ it’s all on my computer’ train of thought just yet.

I blame the years and years of working in an office and being the only one who seemed to bother to file stuff away so that it could always be found.
Years ago I worked for a chap who always denied saying things to me about customers, jobs etc, so I started writing everything down in shorthand pads, when I left the Company ( 40 years ago) I kept them as he would often ring me up with an obscure question, I usually found the answer in one of the pads.
He died recently so I burned them, hope his son who has taken over the company doesn’t ring me up!
Having reread this I think I might have a problem......

I have an old metal filing cabinet that came from the bank where I used to work. When there was a refurbishment, the staff were allowed to take the old stuff. It lives out of the way in the utility room and I file things quite meticulously. I may be boring but when I pop my clogs it will be easier for everyone!

My bedroom also doubles up as my office so I have a filing cabinet next to my desk/dressing table; it has two drawers full of hanging files and is full to bursting. In addition I have several large boxes full of teaching materials and a separate filing system for church related paperwork. I know I need to have a major sort out, but I really don't have the time. I did a de-clutter of my files recently and shredded a large amount of paper - then yesterday was asked to return two of the letters I suspect I've shredded.

Yes, a set of folders lined up neatly and labelled so that in an emergency my son could find stuff. However, I have just spent ages looking for a missing letter. Apparently the system doesn't actually work that well!

I have everything filed and labelled as well. We had a massive clear out last year but it seems to be building up again.

I have very little paper to file as everything is online. My few important bits of paper are in a box file. Before the internet I used to use box files and quite liked filing my post.

I do, no room for a filing cabinet now so I have files in labelled boxes on a shelf in a cupboard next to the computer. Makes perfect sense to me, Mr C can never find anything. I suspect most filing systems make sense to the author but to no one else.

I keep receipts for big purchases, jewellery, watches, anything to do with IT and other things it seems sensible to retain forever attached to the instructions and/or warranty, or until the item is replaced. Receipts for clothes and insignificant items go after a year and are stored by month separately. My work records are kept for 7 years, a shredding session each April. I'm 5 years away from them all being gone which will be a good feeling. Any receipts for gifts are kept in an envelope (!) until I am sure the recipient is happy and any warranty has expired.

I accept its inevitable that the one vital document or receipt will be the one that has been mis-filed. Life eh?

corner I may have to go and have a lie down having read what you do because you are so organised. God help whoever has to go through my papers and stuff when I pop my clogs.

I do not know why I am so chaotic in real life when my brain does not work like that. Drawers and carrier bags are my filing systems.

DH very systematic and files everything i have a messy intray on my desk which is piled high -but I do try to file important stuff. We have a filing cabinet and a safe, plus desk drawers -his neat, mine a mess!

I would like to have a filing cabinet, I was used to that system in the past. But no room at the moment.
I've also heard of the online system, but haven't got the skills to do it. You've still got to transfer new paper bills etc.

Oh dear i dont have time to be so organised. I do keep Bank statements, credit card bill and household bills, each is in a large brown envelope, plus car docs and prepaid funeral are in a folder for each .Nothing is in any order though it is just pushed in until one day I can't get anything else in then i go through it and shred or burn old stuff. All this is stored in the bottom of my 'haunted chest of drawers' but that is another story!!!

I have one large ring binder which holds everything for the current tax year, including utilities, credit card and bank statements. And I have seven A4 wallets, one for each of the previous seven tax years.

When all the paperwork is finally in for the tax year, P60s, interest statements etc, it's transferred from the binder to a plastic wallet and labelled, for example, "Tax year 2017/18, scrap 4/2025. So each year, it's easy to scrap the oldest documents without having to think too much and reuse the wallet for the newly completed tax year paperwork.

Someone mentioned throwing away old receipts when the guarantee has expired - BAD IDEA!!! We had to claim for a carpet once and had ditched the paperwork. It was the first thing the insurance company wanted, to help judge how much to pay out. Keep receipts until you no longer have the goods.

? saying nothing

I am another filing cabinet and list person. We have a tray on top of the cabinet for anything needing filing and that is usually done every few weeks.

I keep most invoices for 6 years so that if the Inland Revenue come to call we have all our documentation. DH is classified as self-employed, although as each year goes by he does less and less.

Every January I work my way round the files sorting, chucking and shredding before putting all the paper on the compost heap.

It makes life so much easier, we know exactly where everything is. No rushing round trying to find things. Utility bills are all done online, but again, I know where to go if I need them.

Having just turned my bedroom upside down looking for my credit card statement only to find it in the bottom of my handbag. I obviously need to learn from all you lovely ladies and organise my paperwork.

I was fine whilst working as all papers were kept in file by my desk (own business) but as I no longer go into the office and my desk has a new occupant, I may just have to get myself sorted!!!

Ours is only a small filing cabinet. But a drawer with labelled folders would be almost as good. As long as you keep remembering to put stuff in the folders and don't just put it on a pile as I do!

I keep receipts for large purchases etc but have no paper trail for bills as everything is online so stored on the laptop. Anyone bothered about computer failure and lack of paper trail should simply back up their files to a usb stick or external hard drive. I shred as much paper as possible and don't have files for anything why would I?

* Springychicken* I throw away our receipts after the guarantee has expired as our Insurance is ‘new for old’ so they don’t need to know how much anything cost us years ago. I guess we each have our own systems.

I have three drawers of files, and I keep them fairly up to date.

I have a box with a dozen hanging files for paperwork and statements etc. Some stuff is only on line but I manage to keep it up to date and file letters once a month so it doesn’t accumulate in a drawer.

Same for us contrarym. We’ve claimed for a carpet a few times in 50 years and each time an assessor has checked the carpet make up rather than rely on the receipt, which we have always been able to provide. The last time the carpet was less than a year old, oh dear, my fault. Again little interest in the receipt, they sent a carpet person who knew what it was by looking. In the times when we stayed with an insurer for years I used to check their requirements about receipts and act accordingly, now market forces seem to trigger a change every year that one doesn’t work. Insurance claims can be a nightmare.