How do you handle paperwork? Are you organised? I hate it!!
By Andrew
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
United Kingdom
November 14, 2009 4:30am CST
I'm thinking about this one and I'm pretty sure that everyone hates paperwork, I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that's the case. I like to think of myself as being organised but when it comes to sorting out different documents and dealing with official letters and so forth, I fail miserably!
. In my flat I have my sideboard and whenever I receive a letter or an official bill or anything for that matter, it goes on this sideboard and the letters and documents start to pile up! When it gets to the end of the month only then do I decide to do something about it! In that sense I'm organsied as I keep different coloured folders and the different letters, bills and everything else are placed in these folders. The problem is I leave it so long and it creates a real mess! Anyway, do you have a system or method that you use for dealing with all those letters, bills etc? Paperwork, you either love it or hate it!
Andrew
. In my flat I have my sideboard and whenever I receive a letter or an official bill or anything for that matter, it goes on this sideboard and the letters and documents start to pile up! When it gets to the end of the month only then do I decide to do something about it! In that sense I'm organsied as I keep different coloured folders and the different letters, bills and everything else are placed in these folders. The problem is I leave it so long and it creates a real mess! Anyway, do you have a system or method that you use for dealing with all those letters, bills etc? Paperwork, you either love it or hate it! Andrew16 responses
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
14 Nov 09
I hate it and am very disorganised. I'll leave all paperwork until the last minute, then discover that I can't find the forms I have to fill in etc. I do try to have a sense of order about these things and keep papers in folders, but I tend to leave things lying around with an "I'll file it later" attitude - then something else takes my attention away from tidying up papers and I get in a real mess. Many attempts during my life to change have been fruitless.
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@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
14 Nov 09
LOL thanks for the reply. I certainly won't be changing as I see it as part of my individuality lol.
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
Well, there's no reason why you should change!. I guess the most important thing is, you are able to do what you have to do at the time! The papers tend to build up on my sideboard and I only ever deal with them at the end of the month, this seems to work for me at the present time and I have no plans on changing my methods either! I have one of those shredding machines as well which is very convenient. I only use this machine for very important documents like bank statements and things of that nature. Andrew
. I guess the most important thing is, you are able to do what you have to do at the time! The papers tend to build up on my sideboard and I only ever deal with them at the end of the month, this seems to work for me at the present time and I have no plans on changing my methods either! I have one of those shredding machines as well which is very convenient. I only use this machine for very important documents like bank statements and things of that nature. Andrew
@haiershen (1080)
• China
24 Nov 09
everyone need to handle paperwork,some one handle is well, but some one handle mess,it seems quite easy as we should be do every day, but if you want to do well, it is so difficult to do.as we should be considered more, how to put will make the desk clearn and all the thing in organised and both is quite to be find and using in our daily life.there is much knowledge in it.for this matter,it is always react somebody's character.do not means the manager will do well than clerk.good luck and have a nice day!
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
24 Nov 09
Some paperwork is so important that it just has to be dealt with. I do my best when it comes to tidying things up! I make sure that I get all the bills paid on time, I definitely don't need those kinds of problems! That's life. Life is about paperwork and how you deal with it! Andrew
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
18 Nov 09
I quite like paperwork...
. I have an office and a desk but I "work" at the dining room table with a trolley on wheels at my side. My "paperwork" piles up all around me then gets dealt with...paid or replied to as necessary. Then the finished with pile eventually gets moved to another pile in the office where it eventually makes it's way into my file. I'd love to say the file is organised; each section by date but sometimes I place stuff in the front and sometimes in the back. It works for me as I can still find things when and if I need them. My favourite part of this system is my shredder.
. I have an office and a desk but I "work" at the dining room table with a trolley on wheels at my side. My "paperwork" piles up all around me then gets dealt with...paid or replied to as necessary. Then the finished with pile eventually gets moved to another pile in the office where it eventually makes it's way into my file. I'd love to say the file is organised; each section by date but sometimes I place stuff in the front and sometimes in the back. It works for me as I can still find things when and if I need them. My favourite part of this system is my shredder.@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
18 Nov 09
I think that this is the most important thing, that something works for you! I have my own plan too although it would seem very disorganised at times but it certainly works for me! I love the shredder though, that is such a convenient gadget and I feel a lot safer in terms of protecting my confidential data. The problem is it makes such a horrendus noise when it's on! Well, it's nice to see how others organise themselves in certain ways. Thanks for your thoughts. Andrew
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
24 Nov 09
Hello Andrew. I have never liked paperwork. I think that it is very boring and brain-consuming. I don't usually write a paper unless I am forced to due to my work. I seem to be always the last one to do paperwork.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
24 Nov 09
Yes, paperwork is not my cup of tea! I would much rather be doing something else. It makes me tired when I see the huge pile on the side board and I just have to get rid of it. I go through all the paperwork at least once per month and this seems to work for me at the present time. Andrew
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
23 Nov 09
Ideally I would love to be organized, but, at this time in my life I'm not. My apartment is pretty small and storage space is rather limited. Being on Disability doesn't help because it seems that numerous times a week I get updates from the government and SSI regarding my Disability and it really gets tiresome. As a result I have thes stacks of letters from SSI laying around. Right now I'm in the process of getting a little more organized. I hate paper junk mail crap! LOL!
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
23 Nov 09
Those government letters are definitely important! I too have so called government letters and I tend to file them away in their own folder. The paperwork just builds up over time and it takes up a lot of space. Still, I'm trying to be more organised now, making a few slight changes as it were. Glad to see you are still posting everywhere catwoman! Andrew
@artistry (4151)
• United States
15 Nov 09
...Hi AndrewFreyne. I am anything but organized, but I function well. I call my system organized confusion. I understand Albert Einstein was a disorganized sort. No comparison of course.:o) But I used to work as a real estate agent and my desk had stuff piled up for days as they say. But when the secretary asked me for a contract. I was able to give it to her immediately, as I had it cataloged in my head. I blame it all on the fact that I am artistic and artists are strange, not your every day neat nicks. Although my sister doesn't fit that mold, she is an abstract artist, but her house is like a magazine picture, nothing is out of place. So there are all kinds I am happy to say. Take it easy.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 09
Hi artistry, yes I'm an admirer of Einstein, a real genious although I didn't know he suffered from lack of organisation!. I'm fairly organised myself but when it comes to paperwork then I do have difficulty at times. However, I am utilising a system that now works for me. I have all these different coloured folders and I can easily locate anything I need now. It's good to be artistic as that tells me that you are creative. I would love to be more creative myself. Thanks for your thoughts. Andrew
. I'm fairly organised myself but when it comes to paperwork then I do have difficulty at times. However, I am utilising a system that now works for me. I have all these different coloured folders and I can easily locate anything I need now. It's good to be artistic as that tells me that you are creative. I would love to be more creative myself. Thanks for your thoughts. Andrew
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
I am a keen traveler so I keep my passport where I know I can find it. I tend to pay household bills as soon after I receive them as possible. I panic if I mislay a bill and find it difficult to find. I have a filing cabinet with two drawers. I have files in it under different headings. I get an enormous amount of paperwork about my disabled toddler son. He frequently gets sent different appointments and I then get the reports from the professionals. I put new important paperwork in my top desk drawer. I file it in my filing cabinet when I can be bothered to do so. It is not a job I like doing all the time. Sometimes I lose important paperwork and then I feel worried. I have a box for magazines. I have folders and boxes to contain lovely paperwork. I wish I was more organized. I would like a place for everything and to have everything in its place.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
Hi maximax, I'm recognising you as the keen traveller now, you have created various discussions on that!. It sounds as though you are fairly organised anyhow! I would love to be more organised myself but it's not that easy at times. I think the biggest thing I do in relation to this is keep various folders and they are packed full of important documents and records. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Andrew
. It sounds as though you are fairly organised anyhow! I would love to be more organised myself but it's not that easy at times. I think the biggest thing I do in relation to this is keep various folders and they are packed full of important documents and records. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Andrew @Nagappan81 (13)
• India
15 Nov 09
I am pretty well organised with paperwork. I don't hate it. Its part of our daily activities.The thing is we should sort out all paperwork at the end of each day, thus by avoiding huge mess at the month end. If we are disciplined regarding paperwork its very easy to handle.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 09
Yes, discipline! That is the key word I suppose. Things are fine in relation to my paperwork although there are times when the stack builds up so high that I find myself not being able to locate anything that I need. Still, I'm pleased with the way things are going at the present time. Thanks for your thoughts. Andrew
@sweetie1026 (1718)
• Philippines
14 Nov 09
I can't say that i am that organized but i do have a seperate box for bills and another one for personal letters and others. I agree that when not dealt with immediately these papers could pile up and then it is more difficult sorting them out. I also have different folders for important papers and documents. Like birth certificates of the girls and their school records. I also have my own personal file of all my documents for work and the like. I never want to misplace or lose any of these important papers/documents because it is so hard and expensive here to acquire a replacement in case of a lost or damage.
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
Hi sweetie, that sounds like an appropriate method. Now that I come to think of it I must have fifty plus folders of different things and they all hold their proper place. I find it easy to find things like this. On my sideboard though that's where the real mess tends to take place! Sometimes it gets so bad that some of the documents start to fall off the sideboard! When this takes place I grind my teeth and get to work at organising everything. Otherwise, I'm very organised and I use windows calander that comes with windows vista and it's very convenient, I like the fact that you can set reminders so that you never forget, and it has a lovely alarm sound too!Andrew
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
14 Nov 09
You could be writing about me. I usually have a stack of letters some unopened in a special pile. eventually I get around to sorting them out.
I do however have a way around a lot of the bills, I get them automatically paid through my bank account with automatic withdraws. my pension check is also automatically deposited so that is one less thing to do as well.
Thus I only have to deal with the junk mail and a few letters every once in a while. Those that I do pay separately from the automatic withdrawal I am now able to pay online. I just set up the online bill paying a few months ago and I'm now getting used to it. Everyone who uses it that I have talked to loves the online bill paying and I think I too will soon become an online banking convert.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
I'm a strong believer in doing everything online including the paying of bills and banking etc. This makes life so much easier. Even now as I write this my sideboard is beginning to grow once more! There are times when you just look at the pile, this is definitely me, and I sigh, scratch my head, make a cup of tea and maybe, just maybe I will get around to doing something about it. I am organised as a general rule though. I love using windows calenda which comes built in with windows vista, it's very convenient. Andrew
@None49 (33)
• Brunei Darussalam
15 Nov 09
If I, I will keep different things like bills in different folders/boxes so it easy to deal with after the end of month or when needed.
The folders shouldn't be to specific, I will just need one folder for all things dealing with bills or for letters, one for official letters and one for non-official letters
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 09
Well, that sounds like a plan! I'm not overly organised myself but I do the neccessary things that I have to do and I leave it at that. Bills definitely have to come first and I tend to pay them immediately. All my folders on the floor are gathering dust now but they still seem to be doing the job I gave them of keeping things organised! Andrew
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
14 Nov 09
I hate all paper work as there always seems to be alot of it as well as you have to keep sorting out all the old paper work as well just to keep on top of it.I did at one stage have it all under control and then i started just stacking the paperwork up inside a drawer now i have a big job lot of paperwork to do.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
I'm not too keen on paperwork and I sometimes wish that I would use the shredding machine and shred everything. I think it's important to keep records though as you never know when you may need to refer to them. If it wasn't for this then I would get rid of everything and it would make things that much easier. That's life. When I receive bills they end up on the top of the pile and I tend to deal with them immediately. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Andrew
@rg0205 (2636)
• Hong Kong
15 Nov 09
I am organized. I have files/ folders designated for incoming mail and what not and whenever i get them, I just file away so they dont get stacked and they stay organized. I also put them in a convenient location so I don't mess things up whenever I need to get the file.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 09
Yes, I keep all my folders in one area and I find it easy to find things that I need. Some people even go so far as keeping computer records perhaps in a database or something but I won't go this far. I like being organised but there are days when I just cannot be bothered! Andrew
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
I love to be organised myself but I find it very difficult sometimes. I don't like to spend too much time when it comes to organising papers and so forth, there are far more interesting things that I could be doing but this chore has to be done otherwise there would be papers all over the place. I like the method that I am currently using. There are days when you don't feel like doing anything but I try to pick myself up often! Andrew
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
14 Nov 09
I am very well organized. I hate it when I am not. I make lists for everything. I make grocery lists, lists of bills that need to be paid, a list of presents I will be buying others for Christmas. When I got married two years ago I made out lists for my wedding. I had a budget list, a list of who was invited, an RSVP list, a list of people I had to call, and a list of things I needed for my wedding. I have folders for my bills as well. I also have a folder where I put my coupons and have it handy when I go grocery shopping.
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
Well, that definitely sounds like a lot of lists! If this works for you though then it's fine. I guess I'm fairly organised myself to a certain extent however I do tend to avoid putting all that paper away until I have accumulated a fair amount on my sideboard, not the best approach but it works for me. I like the fact that I use folders to put everything in, they're stacked along one wall of my living room on the floor, it certainly does help you to find what you need more easily. Thanks for your thoughts. Andrew
@carmelbg (519)
•
14 Nov 09
I don't like paperwork either but I am very organised with it so it doesn't become too much of a problem. I have a folder that I organise everything in and have a schedule to make sure I do everything when need, like yearly accounts etc. I have as much stuff on direct debit and online billing which means a lot less paper! Its never a fun jub because its something you have to do and there are many more things which are a lot more fun!
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@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
14 Nov 09
Well, in terms of dates and things I am quite organised. I use Windows Calenda in vista and I like the fact that you can set reminders and I have been placing all my direct debit dates in this calanda and I think that it's a very good idea, like you say, this helps to cut down on the paperwork! I'm very prompt when it comes to paying my bills but all the excess paper tends to build up on the sideboard and I will then make the plan to deal with it at the end of the month! There are far more interesting things to do than this, it's a chore I don't particularly like! Andrew
