Happy New Year!
Is getting organized your New Years resolution? Congratulations.
Following my e-mail organizing tips through out the year will help you keep it.
January has been labeled "Get Organized" month by The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) which I am a member, so I thought I would go with that theme for our January tip. Of course this could entail many areas of your life, which in the coming year we will address.
I am going to start this year's organizing tip with the updating of your files.
The week between Christmas and New Years is typically the time I take to remove my previous year's papers to make room for the upcoming year.
I work from my files removing the paid bills and receipts and place them in a separate folder. I have seven years of such folders in case of an IRS audit.
This is a good time to collect any papers you may need for Tax purposes placing them in a separate folder marked "TAXES". By law you will receive W-2's and year end reports by the end of January.
Some of the papers I keep are: mortgage receipts, old checks and or bank statements, any house improvement receipts, (the government is now offering rebates check with your tax preparer), medical papers, any loan papers, and proof of insurance receipts.
I keep though out the year three months of investment reports so that at the end of the year I have Oct., Nov., & Dec,.
If you work from your home and claim this, phone, home heating and electric bill should also be kept.
To have your files cleaned out by January 1, is such a great way to start out the new year.
Live Simply,
Joan
