Cut back on paper piles

In preparation for a client appointment later this week, I came across this great info on how long to keep certain paperwork, bills, receipts, etc. I found it very helpful! I know I'm guilty of keeping things much longer than I need to...

What are the time limits for keeping old paperwork and files?

Here are some broad and fairly conservative guidelines that you may find helpful in managing your bills and financial records. Before making any decision on paperwork, however, you should definitely check with an accountant or financial advisor in your state to verify that this information is accurate, as sometimes legislation varies from state to state.

Toss out EACH MONTH:

• ATM, bank-deposit slips and credit card receipts after you have checked them against your bank or credit card statements.
• Receipts for minor purchases - unless there is a warranty or refund involved.

Toss out after ONE YEAR:

• Your monthly bank and credit-card statements (unless you require proof of deductions for taxation purposes).
• Monthly mortgage statements provided you receive a year-end summary of your account.
• Pay stubs after they are checked against your W-2 or 1099.
  

Toss out after SEVEN YEARS:

• Your W-2 and 1099 forms
• Cancelled checks and receipts or statements for mortgage interest, property taxes, deductible business expenses or other tax-deductible expenses.
  

Keep indefinitely:

• Annual tax returns
• Year-end summary statements from financial institutions.
• Receipts for the purchase of any investments you own.
• Receipts for home-improvement costs or major purchases that may be needed for insurance claims or similar.

It may be helpful to download one of the publications of the IRS about what paperwork to keep. Go to www.irs.gov and search for Publication No. 552 - that has much of the information you are seeking.

Good luck taming your piles and files!
-amy

A Place for Everything...

And everything in its place! That is one of my favorite organizing-related cliches. It has a nice ring to it, and serves as a great reminder every time I set something down where it doesn't belong. (Apparently the voices in my head are also obsessed with organizing!)

But we all have those things that don't have "a place" -- look around at your clutter and you will find that this is the majority of the problem. A magazine someone gave you to read, the cap to a pen you can't find, a screw you found while vacuuming...and the list goes on.

What do you do with this random stuff? This stuff is the inspiration of the "junk drawer" which can certainly serve it's purpose. But beyond that, I encourage you to look at your random clutter and group it by similar items. You may just find a new category and a new "place" you need to create to house these items.

For example, I am always admiring pictures in magazines for ideas. And then the magazine and/or ripped out pages would clutter my desk, the dining table, the kitchen counter, the coffee table... To remedy my paper explosion, I have set up a file folder on my desk labeled "Home Renovation Ideas." Every time I see something inspirational, I rip it out and put it in the folder. The magazine then gets recycled (or filed; I do have back issues of certain ones in date order on my bookshelves) and I can quickly and easily find the inspiration photo/article by opening my folder. And I have now set up additional folders for my design and organizing business, and for our rental houses. It's working great so far!

Do you have a fun or unique way you handle the random clutter in your house?

Keeping it together in the kitchen

So I think we all know of the "chip clips" you can buy at kitchen stores, to help keep already-opened bags of chips, crackers, flour, etc. from going stale. They are overpriced in my opinion and most of the time don't do the job. They're either not tight enough to keep the bag closed all the way, or they break.

Instead of using chip clips, my hubsand and I have started using "binder clips" you can find at office supply stores. Not only are they cheaper, they're usually made of metal and stand up longer to use in the kitchen (or office, for that matter). I like having multi-purpose gadgets as that means I need fewer of them!

In a quick online search, it's $2.99 for a 6-pack of Large binder clips or a 12-pack of Medium binder clips (at Staples) vs. $6.99 for a set of 10 assorted plastic chip clips (at Bed, Bath, and Beyond). In other words, I can get 18 binder clips for the price of 10 chip clips, and I can use the binder clips for more things, including their actual purpose of holding papers together!

And speaking of, I also use binder clips to hold my coupons together, organized in date order of when they expire, soonest on top. You can even super glue a magnet to the back of the binder clip, if you like the idea of mounting to the refrigerator (which is what some chip clips have, but the magnets are never strong enough).

While there are some really cool kitchen gadgets out there, always think through other options before splurging. There are often other ways you can accomplish the same task without having to purchase yet another gadget that you then have to find a home for in your home. Less stuff = less clutter!

Happy clipping,
-amy

Update on bedroom update

These projects always take longer than you anticipate...don't they? :)

I'm nearly done painting...will finish up this afternoon (ran out of paint and had to get more!). Since I decided to go with two shades of a cool green, the painting has been more laborious than I thought because I have to do a lot of "cutting in" by hand (painting the trim, corners, and other places the roller can't get to). It takes a lot of patience and a steady hand, and I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to projects like this, so it's taking longer that I thought...and I lost some steam there for a bit. But I'm back at it today!

I've already learned, or been reminded of, some valuable lessons with this project and I thought I'd share with y'all:

(1) Prep work is never time wasted. My husband, the contractor, calls this "the 5% most people don't bother to do." But it makes a big difference in quality later, as I've just witnessed first hand. If you take the time to patch and fill any and all small holes, it makes painting go more quickly later because you're not trying to get it to soak into holes in the drywall. And caulking around windows and all the trim helps your paint lines look more clean and crisp (it can even help with cutting in at times, as it gives you a smooth surface).

(2) Write down your paint calculations in terms of square footage so that you purchase the right amount, and don't forget to include the ceiling and your second coat. And yes, using high quality paint means you use less...but you will almost always have to do a second coat. (Sometimes a third, if you're doing a really dark/rich color.)

(3) Wash your paintbrushes often. Even in the middle of a project. Because it really sucks and takes a lot of time and water to get them clean if you wait a few days...!

(4) If you're running low on paint and don't think you have enough to finish the project, STOP in a place that makes sense and will be easy to blend, such as a corner or a the end of a coat. And SAVE some of the paint from the original can. That way when you buy a second can, you can mix them together and ensure you have a close match. (Even though they mix the paint by computer, there can be some slight color variance from can to can.)

I'm hoping by the end of this week that not only will the paint be done and dry, but we'll have all the furniture and lighting in as well, so I can take a great "after" photo to show you. Wish me luck!

-amy

Bedroom revamp on a budget

So we've decided to spruce up our bedroom. Okay, not entirely honest. I decided I wanted to fix it up and then convinced my husband it was a great idea! Not only do we get a nicer space, but it's a great practice project for me and I get to blog about it :)

We already moved our bed into the smallest bedroom a few months ago. As they recommend in Feng Shui, we prefer having a room solely for sleeping and lovemaking; our dressers are in another room (my office actually). This helps keep our bedroom a calm, comfortable, uncluttered space. If you have the space/ability to do this, I strongly encourage it! At the very least try not to have any work-related stuff in your sleeping room - it's not good for you to see everything you "should be" doing as soon as you wake up. Makes it harder to shut off your brain and truly relax.

But back to the bedroom revamp. Above are some before pictures of our small, simple room. Blank canvas you might say! Later this week I will post on my progress: first step is to develop my "concept" - I'm envisioning a calm, comfortable, zen-like space with a cool, monochromatic color scheme (pale blues, greens, and grays) and modern, dark wood furniture. And very thick curtains to help block out sound - we're rather close to railroad tracks that can be disturbing.

Stay tuned for updates later this week...my goal is to finish the room by the end of the month, and to do so for under $600. Wish me luck!
-amy