Home page

Health

• . A Gaggle of Gargles
• . Why You Should Eat Your Veggies
• . Heal Those Chapped Lips
• . The ABCs of Hand Washing

Food

• . Boons of Beer
• . The Feel-Good Power of Chocolate
• . Figs: Fresh and Fabulous
• . Feed Your Family for Under $10
• . Top Tips for Freezing Fresh Food
• . Fast Food: Eating on the Run

Home & Garden

• . Theft-Proof Your Home
• . 7 Fast Furniture Fixes
• . 6 Ways to Transform a Room with Fabric
• . Are Brand-Name Appliances Good Value?
• . The Rakes and Pains of Gardening
• . On-the-Spot Stain Solutions

Money

• . How to Save for Your Child's Education
• . Best Buys on Everyday Foods
• . Get the Most from Games Consoles
• . An Expert's Top Tips for Scoring Scholarships
• . Bottle Your Own Wine to Save
• . Energy-Saving Home Improvements
• . Building Blocks of Affordable Style
• . Make the Most of Your Wardrobe

KEEPING GOOD RECORDS
Everything's easier if you're organized.

THE PAPER CHASE

SMART MOVES Here are some simple but practical solutions to household chaos and disorganization: Open mail over the wastebasket and throw out envelopes. Immediately route all opened mail. File all your papers flat, not folded, to save space and make them easier to access. Keep plenty of stamps and address labels on hand for easy and efficient bill paying. Arrange automatic bill payment whenever possible to avoid extra paperwork and possible late charges. For every new piece of paper you put in your files, take something out. For instance, if you are filing a recently paid bill, throw out the oldest one in the sequence -- provided you don't need to save it to support your tax return. If you use this system, you never have to clean out your files. Use staples instead of paper clips to keep all your paperwork together. If you remove a file temporarily, use a place marker, such as a large index card or ruler, so that you put the file back in the right place and don't misfile it. Consider using vertical files, which keep paperwork upright and visible, for your filing system.

“Running a house is a lot like running a business,” says Stephanie Denton, a professional organizer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, who specializes in both residential and commercial paperwork and recordkeeping. To get a successful grip on organizing documents, bills, and other materials, Denton suggests the following tips:

Create a space in which you can always do your paperwork. This is perhaps the most important element of a successful system. If you can't devote an entire desk to the task, at least invest in a rolling file cart to store active paperwork and a two-drawer file cabinet for family records. Store the rolling file cart wherever it is most convenient and comfortable to do your work, whether that is the kitchen, office, or family room.

When in doubt, throw it out. The first step to implementing a workable filing system is to eliminate paper you don't use, don't need, or that you could easily access again elsewhere. Throw out duplicate statements, old catalogs, and all of the coupons, mailings, or offerings you'll never have an opportunity to use or even read.

Set aside two days a month to pay bills. If a monthly due date doesn't fit into your cycle, call up the creditor and suggest a more convenient date. Keep two manila folders at the front of your system for current bills -- one to correspond with each bill-paying day -- and file all incoming bills. Keep a list in the front of each folder of what needs to be paid in case the invoice never arrives or gets misplaced.

Think of your filing system not as a rigid tool, but as a living, breathing system that can accommodate your changing needs. A good filing system is both mentally and physically flexible. Everyone's needs are different, says Denton, but when devising a filing system, ask yourself: “Where would I look for this?” Create main headings for your filing system, such as Investments, Taxes, Children, and so forth, and file individual folders under the main headings. Never overstuff your files.

TAX RECORDS

QUICK TRICKS Some documents you will need to keep easily accessible for many years, even permanently, says Barbara Hemphill. Vital records, such as birth and marriage certificates, should be permanently stored in a safe-deposit box. Here's Hemphill's schedule: Duration of policy Disability insurance Health insurance Life insurance Personal property insurance Umbrella policy insurance Update regularly Household inventory Safe-deposit box inventory Letter of last instructions Statute of limitations Automobile insurance Homeowner's insurance Liability insurance As long as you own Automobile registrations Major purchases Automobile titles Warrantees Instructions Permanently Illness records Vaccination records Academic diplomas Birth and adoption certificates Citizenship papers Divorce decrees Marriage certificates Powers of attorney Social Security records

Revenue Canada can audit your tax return for four years after you filed, and without time limit if they think you've committed tax evasion or fraud. Here's what Revenue Canada says you can do to protect yourself if you're audited:

Tax returns and supporting documents. Although it is important to hang on to your tax returns, it is even more important to hang on to supporting documents, such as all tax information slips (T3, T4, T5), canceled checks, receipts for medical and professional expenses, and all other paperwork relating to your return. Revenue Canada advises all taxpayers to keep these records for four years. If you operate a business, you should keep your records for six years. You might also consider seeking permission from Revenue Canada to destroy these documents.

Housing records. Keep all records relating to home improvements, additions, repairs, and expenses incurred when buying or selling a home for as long as you own the home plus six years.

Investment records. Keep all purchase and reinvestment records for six years after the sale of the investment.

RRSP contributions. Records of nondeductible RRSP contributions should be kept indefinitely. When you make withdrawals in later years, you will be able to prove the tax has been paid on the money.

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
“In my experience, every piece of paper in your life can be managed effectively by putting the piece of paper, or the information on it, into one of seven places,” says Barbara Hemphill, author of Taming the Paper Tiger at Home, creator of The Paper Tiger file index software, and a professional organizing consultant in North Carolina.

1. To-sort tray. This should be a temporary place to keep all incoming paperwork you haven't yet had a chance to look at, such as the day's mail, or papers brought home from work. For this approach to work, you must empty the tray regularly and use it consistently.
2. Large recycling box and wastebasket. “These are some of the most important tools in your work area,” says Hemphill.
3. Calendar. Whether paper or electronic, a master calendar can help you eliminate a lot of clutter from your desktop. Get into the habit of entering important information, such as business and social engagements, deadlines, family outings, telephone appointments, and other commitments, as soon as possible, and dispose of the notice immediately.
4. To-do list. Create master to-do lists under headings, such as Birthdays, Books, Errands, Goals, Letters, and Projects. Enter commitments requiring attention in the near future on your master calendar.
5. Telephone and address book. A rotary card file or electronic card file on your computer that can be easily updated works best.
6. Action files. These are for papers that need your attention immediately or in the near future. Categories for action files depend on your personal needs and style, but might include Pay for bills, orders you need to place, and donations you wish to make, File for items to be filed in reference files you can't reach from your chair, and Computer Entry for information that needs to be filed on the computer and can then be thrown out or stored in your reference files.
7. Reference files. These are for papers you might need in the future, such as health and insurance records, bank statements, tax returns, and warranties. However you decide to organize your permanent files, always keep an up-to-date index in hard copy at the front of your filing system. Make changes in pencil and update the index as necessary.