Defining Time & Space News

Paper has and will continue to be the center of many of our organizational challenges.  For that reason, we will discuss this subject on more than one occasion.  This week, I want to discuss how setting up systems now at the beginning of the year can make this time next year much easier and less expensive; especially for the dreaded tax preparation.  This applies to both those of us doing our own taxes as well as those who work with an accountant; since they will have less work to do.

 

Have you heard the expression Start with the End in mind?  The reason for this is that when we know where we are going, getting there is much easier.   So, identifying what we need now for both tax preparation and the visibility we would like into our financial/fiscal health is what we can use as our roadmap of how to collect the information though-out the coming year. 

 

Areas that readily come to mind for most of us is:

1.  Keeping records - business records should be separate from personal records.  When receiving a receipt from a merchant, quickly jot down initials on top that will identify which receipts are a business expense.

 

2.  Organize Receipts – Set up a file for 2009; and even more helpful is to create folders for each of the 12 months or by the category of business we are paying; i.e. utilities, office supplies, etc.    To get rid of paper, systems are available like Neat Receipts to scan info to keep electronically; it can be really helpful when you receive that now fade in several months time.

 

3.  Purging unneeded paper is often hindered because we do not know what year records are from.  Keep records by year so that when it comes time to purge files it is very easy to determine which years are outside the window for our record retention.  If a years worth of records is small enough we can use labeled hanging folders in a file or envelopes; larger amounts of records can be labeled and placed in bankers type boxes.

 

4.  Set up a system to record mileage and have that all in one place at the end of the year.  There are many ways to do this from recording info in a small mileage notebook to inputting them into software like Quickbooks.  Choose a system that works well for you to consistently use.

 

5.  Determine if the existing system is ideal for you.  This is a good time to determine if we want to set up a more automated system to collect our records; like Quicken or Quickbooks.  It can provide great visibility/history in analyzing history and planning for the future.  For those working with an accountant, discuss what approaches are compatible with their system.

 

Questions or comments, feel free to contact me!

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Filing by organizing atlanta
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Paper comes at us from all directions and deciding what we need to keep can become confusing.  First thing to think about is whether we will ever use it again.  It is estimated that 80% of what we file is never used again.   We must also think about how we dispose of sensitive documents.  Keep that shredder handy and in a convenient place.

 

Below are a few guidelines to help, but if you want to know more, the National Association of Professional Organizers – Georgia Chapter (NAPO-GA) is conducting a teleclass entitled, “Answers to the Age Old Question: How Long Should I Keep It?  The info is below to register.

Wednesday January 28, 2009

8:00-9:15pm ET/ 5:00-6:15pm PT

$19.00 - Find out more and register here:

http://www.e-junkie.com/NAPOGA/product/58756.php

 

Will we ever use it? -  is a good question -  When we are talking about newspaper and magazine articles and other reference info, think about whether the info is current , can we get the info somewhere else or do we need multiple copies?

 

Magazine and other subscriptions – Keep until we get the next issue and if we need info from an older issue; cut out the article, label it and put it in a subject file to have when we need it. 

 

When it comes to bank, financial and legal information it is always best to consult tax & legal advisors and ask how long documents are required for your specific case, but some general rules are listed below:

 

Automobile, Home & other major purchases – Documents such as deeds, titles, registrations, etc. should be kept as long as we own the item/property.

 

Tax records (tax return records, bank statements, cancelled checks, etc.) should be kept for the current year plus six prior years.  Actual tax return may need to be kept longer.

 

Paycheck stubs – keep until we get the end of year W-2 form and make sure all the information is correct. 

 

Receipts – same as tax records if tax related purchases, otherwise, until info is verified with receipt of annual interest statement.

 

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

 

Tags: Filing by organizing atlanta
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All of us are hopefully recycling in some small or large way in our homes and offices, but how many of us are precycling?  2009 is bringing new things to our focus and precycling is high on the list.  I became aware of the concept a few years ago but it is now coming to light in the media by those who let us know what the trends are for the New Year.  What is precycling and how is better?   How can pre-cycling cut down on our clutter? 

First let’s define precycling.  According to Wikipedia:  “Precycling is the practice of reducing waste by attempting to avoid bringing into the home or business items which will generate waste.”  It is the “prevention” of waste so that we do not have to spend a lot of time and energy , not to mention money, trying to get rid of  it whether it be recyclng or disposal.  We get to avoid it altogether.  This of course helps us with clutter since we have much less “stuff” to handle.

So then, what can we do to precycle? 

1. Use cloth shopping bags versus plastic ones.

2.  Look for alternatives to the bulky packaging materials or buy in bulk to avoid several smaller containers/packages? 

3.  Get information electronically versus printed & avoid the paper. 

4.  Get off of junk mail lists.  There is a new option, I just signed up for at www.greendimes.com, where they help you get off of those unwanted lists.

5.  Go to the library for magazines and books versus purchasing them.

6.  Use your own coffee mug versus styrofoam cups

7.  Choose glass or aluminum over plastic as they are easier to reuse and are both easier to recycle and they create less hazardous waste.

8.  Use rechargeable batteries

9.  Use cloth napkins and towels versus paper.

10.  Buy loose fruits and vegetables that do not use a lot of packaging materials.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green by organizing atlanta
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I am sure that most everyone has made a New Years resolution this year even if we haven’t formally written them down or even uttered them verbally to another human being.  Our success at achieving these goals is small without serious planning.  Just as common as New Years resolutions themselves, is fact that a few months or even weeks into the New Year, those resolutions are completely forgotten.  What can we do to increase our chances of making these important goals happen?

 

First, is to be sure they are written down.  There is something a bit more definite about writing things down.  We need to be as specific as possible.  If we want to lose weight, we need a plan to determine how much and by when?

 

Second, like any goals, we need to decide how we will make this happen.  Need to lose a few pounds, what is going to change?  Remember Albert Einstein’s, famous quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing but expecting a different result.”  Our plan should include change we can and will actually do.  In this example, we need to decide if we are going to add exercise and/or cut calories but it has to be one or the other or some combination.

 

Third, success can be greatly increased with an accountability partner.  Letting someone else know about our goals and plans can only make success easier to achieve.  We need to define though, the guidelines of our accountability.  We need to keep this experience positive, so make decisions up front about how often to get a status, and how much involvement is helpful but not too much.  We want to keep any support and feedback encouraging and not discouraging.

 

Fourth pictures are worth a thousand words.  This old saying can be helpful to us here.  In our example of losing weight, we can focus on a picture we would like to aspire to.  If we want to organize a room, we can focus on what we want it to look like, etc. 

 

Fifth and finally we cannot give up if we have a bad day or week.  We need to just reset our goal, make sure are plan is clear and continue on.  Remember New Years resolutions are made because we have decided to schedule something we already know is very important to us.  The fact that it is important is unlikely to change, so we must stay focused on our goal and why it is important.

 

Happy New Year,

 

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Time management by organizing atlanta
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