Paper Organization (nerd alert!)

I've read a few blogs lately discussing how people do paper organization. I think everyone has a system that works for them, so I thought I'd put mine out there as well. Because I'm a nerd and this kind of thing excites me.

Before: When Bills/Receipts come in, before I pay or file them, they sit here, under my paperweight (not a very high tech system)

About 2x a month (or more if i'm feeling ocd) I sit down and pay my bills and file everything in the pile.

Bills/Statements go in this filing cabinet. First section: pay stubs, giving, 401k/IRA info; then credit cards; followed by car stuff; and finally house bills. Nothing goes into the filing cabinet until it is paid. (or I would never look at it again). Once a year (around tax season) I purge the previous year, always keeping at least 1 full year (ie- i just got rid of 2009 statements that I don't need to keep).
The bottom drawer has medical insurance info, manuals and warranty information, and a some files from my days of full time ministry that I still reference on occasion.

I have what might be a strange method for keeping my receipts, but I've been doing this literally since I've had a bank account (14 years?) and it's worked for me. I have an envelope that I jam all my receipts into. Once a month, after that month's bank statement has come, I organize the receipts in order of date and put them in for the month corresponding to the bank statement. The current year is in the drawer, and I keep these for a few years in a box in the basement.

If I ever need to find a receipt, I just have to remember the month I bought it in. I have a weird memory that associates purchases with other things, so that works for me (ex, I bought my digital camera the month my sister was married, or I bought my tv the month I started my new job, I got the dvd player for my birthday the summer I moved). I like having all my receipts with my bank statements, because I use my debit card for so much, it's like having all of my financial records together. Since taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University I spend cash for most minor purchases, so I have less receipts than I used to (like when I'd use my debit card for a pack of gum). I only keep cash receipts if it was something I might want to return.

When my filing cabinet or drawers become too full, I reference an article I saved from Real Simple Magazine that tells you how long you should keep different kinds of documents (which I cannot find online). If they don't tell me I need to keep it I shred it (or give it to my parents and they put it in their fireplace since I don't have a shredder), or I file it in a paper box in the basement.

What works for you??

i'm a little ocd

So, I know I have some OCD tendencies. Probably more than most around me know (there are days I spend convincing myself to do things that are out of the ordinary for me).

One way that I'm particularly OCD is with towels. Now, I know some people who are WAY worse than me (I promise), but I am particular about what kind of towel does what. Especially in the kitchen.

This came to fruition a few weeks ago when a friend was over and washed his hands at the kitchen sink and then used a paper towel. Always the environmentalist, I reminded him that I have regular towels so as not to waste paper. He said "I don't understand your towel system. It scares me." Yikes. Didn't know I was so frightening. Then he said "you should blog about this, because it's weird." So I am.

Here is my kitchen - towel system. Is it weird??

On the left is the hand towel. It is made of terry-cloth and that's how you know it's for your hands. It's more absorbent. Always use the terry towel on your hands. On the right we have the dish towel. It's a "tea-towel" material (I don't really know what else that's called). It is only for dishes. (these kind are better for dishes b/c they don't leave lint). Now, why the difference? Because even though you just washed your hands, they still aren't totally germ free, and I don't want someone's sloppy hand mess on my freshly cleaned dishes. They need to be kept separate.

In this photo you'll note the bonus "guest towel" in the center. They are only for holiday times. You may use it on your hands, but I would prefer that you don't because they're so small and when you use it it gets it all off center. See? I'm crazy.

I've had a lot of roommates over the years- most have adapted to my system, and for that I thank them! (worst tea towel experience - I went to clean some dishes and a roommate had wiped up spilled cake batter w/ the dish towel and hung it back up. it was gross).