Paper-Tamers' Challenge - Taming 2017

[Harriet]

Welcome! Here we chat about our struggles with PAPER and the difficulties it presents in so many ways. We especially hope to work toward a calm and collected tax time in April.

Please post with us as we all try to tame the Paper Tigers we face. If it's paper, we appreciate hearing ideas to corral it. Your advice and encouragement may help others more than you know, and it's good for us to realize many are in the same desk chair!

[blessedw2]

thank you d harriet!
Love the picture


because of last years desk set up my paper taming has been easier. I still have to stay on top of it or it takes hours to get back to square one.
we are starting to work on our taxes. I also have to figure out uncles taxes.

[Harriet]

Soon my big project for church will be out of the way and all these envelopes will be gone.

Next, I need to think about taxes, too. A project for that, too.

In between it all, still need to keep up all the bill paying all 'round, lol.

TaDas - called Town Hall and got info - nice person
called county and got info

county woman was either so dumb or so mean - I'm not sure. She would clip off my sentences and say things like "well, now you are confusing me, do you mean (this or that) and I would have to say "like I just said, (that)". lol. What a joy she and I will never hear each other's voices again. Isn't that nice? Other people can enjoy chatting with her.

So far I have forgotten to pick up my and dd's pharmacy print-outs twice while actually shopping there. Sigh.

But in fairness, a lot to think about while there. I have successfully shown pharmacist(s) that I am due a coupon discount on a prescription and will receive it every month for at least the next 6 months. Many people give up on things like that I'm sure, because it's a lot of trouble and waiting. I'm so happy it's now firmly "in the computer".

Bought on special 2 plastic expanding files with 7 pockets. I'm hoping to be able to pare 2 years of church files down so that 2 months at a time can fit in each pocket, plus a pocket for end-of-year papers. It may be too much to ask. If each year could be this compact, it would be wonderful for freeing space and simplifying storage.

[Harriet]

Potential problem with the expanding files... ... they are so wide they don't fit into a file cabinet, and ultimately the church storage IS a file cabinet. Hmmm ... ... would work here at my house so well, but as soon as it could be considered "history" and taken to church for storage, I'd have to switch again. Have to think about it.

1.5 hours spent on paper taming today in my office. Every possible type. Heaviest has been all the extra Angel Tree posters, inserts, forms, etc. They always send way too much of those things. As of now ALL is whittled down to one 9x12x4 box.

Although I can see part of my desk top, don't be too happy for me. It's still so overwhelming.

online-stopwatch.com's countdown timer helps. Every time I hit 15 minutes I am so grateful for a break and pencil in one of the bubbles in my Declutter/Focus card, walk out into the house for a while.

[ellyphant]

Remembering from DEE that "Begun is half done", I have paid bills and begun shredding. Desk should be reclaimed shortly!

[Harmony]

Great job everyone!

I have been adding things to my master folder all month. I still have to copy a few quarterly reports and 1st page of my bank statements. Those things go in the folder but until I hear from the latest audit people I won't know if I'll need any of that information. If the cpa/taxes and audit didn't overlap I wouldn't have to copy anything.

This year closing out the business was easier with just 1 W2 instead of 14 like last year. Using temp. help instead of having our own crew was easier in regards to the paperwork, though not easier for DH using untrained different folk all the time. I did appreciate all the time I did NOT have to spend with employee things this year. Technically, the only employee we have is DH. Even me, I'm a volunteer!

I also had a lot of time doing bookkeeping for the 2H project and I went through that crate of papers and got everything organized into manila envelopes in a 9 x 10 x 16 bin. I still have to copy closing papers from 2H to put in the master folder and then everything is done for 2016. My year-in-a-folder is almost ready to go to the cpa. What a year!

Thurs. editing to say I did get the last stuff done and folder is with cpa now. Most of my working folders at my desk (I have 2 file drawers where I sit) are empty ready for 2017.

[Harriet]

Had tax appt today. Actually, there will be another, but this makes me feel so much better to have gotten this info to her.

Over last week, I logged 4 paperwork hours that I actually recorded. I'm sure there was more.

Solved the problem of storage of church expenses files from past years with what the office stores call "wallets", thick paper files that open about 2 inches wide, with a fold-over flap. They store like books on a shelf. Later they will go into the church file cabinets taking up the least possible space.

[ellyphant]

Happy to report that the desk is staying clear. My new policy is pay it, file it, shred it, etc...just don't lay it down and forget it until there is a pile of paper to be dealt with. Can't believe how long I stressed myself out over this. For now, I am free of the dread that I felt.

[ellyphant]

Have shredded old bank statements and real estate papers. That felt good!

[ellyphant]

Just tamed a pile of paper recipes saved from magazines by dumping them in the trash! Recycling bin is full. Not letting that stop me. Onward!