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organizing | diy | frugal living

Do It On A Dime

HOW ORGANIZE YOUR FILES– and keep them organized!

by Filed Under: Organization

Desk organizer featured in this video!

File organization is tough.  I was there for years.  My system was out of control, I couldn’t streamline it (or keep up with it), and I kept having to create new folders.  And then more new folders.  And more new folders. And papers were literally busting at the seams of existing folders and breaking them.  I could not (for the life of me) figure out what I was doing wrong.  Plus my desk started to feel the effects since my filing cabinet was a disaster.  Overflow to the max.  Anyone else out there feel this way?  I asked on Instagram, and lots of you sent me pictures of your paper clutter that was driving you bananas.  I knew I wasn’t the only one.

The BEST filing system

And then I found the FreedomFiler Home Filing Kit.  It seriously changed the life of my paper clutter.  (This post is not sponsored by Freedom Filer, I purchased it with my own money in 2012).

What’s even cooler is that you get to see how it looks NOW, three years after installation.  This isn’t a system that I just put into place so it looks nice and pretty now, but becomes a disaster in a few months time.  This system works and I know it because I’ve lived it.  If I can do it, you can!

You can use the FreedomFiler in the traditional way that you’ve been using for your entire life.  Each item, store, car, person, whatever, has a folder.  And then you have a million folders that will eventually get out of control.   AGAIN.  It’s a glorified filing system that is color coded and will fail just as miserably as anything you have every done.

BUT–if you CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE YOUR FILES, AND BREAK THEM DOWN INTO 4 SEPARATE CATEGORIES, then this system will work it.

Here is what will drive your system:

1) Desk organizer for active files

2) Tax files

3) Vital Records and Warranties and Manuals

4) Remove/Replace

5) EVERYTHING ELSE–THIS WILL ACCOUNT FOR 95% OF YOUR FILES!  This is stored in monthly folders that are purged every two years.  THIS IS THE KEY TO IT ALL

 

 

Watch the video and it will make sense.  Yay for files that stay clutter free and work FOR you rather than against you!

Post contains affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. 1
    Libby Platt says:
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    Hi! Just started following do it on a dime! Love your ideas for sure! Great filing tips. Thank you.

    I do have a question though…what do you do with all the little jars, boxes, etc that you save for projects like the desk organization video? Do have a good storage solution for things like this? Let me know if you can! Thanks

    • 2
      doitonadimeblog says:
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      I have a closet that is a mailing station, craft storage, gift storage, box storage, etc. It wears many hats! I will show it one day!

      • 3
        Alicia woodward says:
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        I would love to see a video on that!

  2. 4
    Maggie ely says:
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    I am so interested in this because I feel the paper clutter is what stresses me out most! I don’t have much of a system for it, my husband handles paying all our bills but I’m always worried I won’t be able to find something we need when we need it. I don’t think I really understand the remove and replace category, but maybe there is more explained in the system when you buy it? Thanks for the motivation! I’ll feel so much better if I get this organized!

    • 5
      doitonadimeblog says:
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      Yes, everything is explained in detail with the system. It’s really helpful! You can do it, Maggie! 🙂

  3. 6
    Cynthia says:
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    Love you excitement. You have caused the dollar store and dollar tree to be my new best friends. Both these stores are in walking distance from me. I am also in NC. Thanks for all your tips.

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