Aug 26 2008
Organize - Filing System - Names
2008-08-26 20:20:36 File names are as important to the home office as they are to any corporate office. Why save the papers if later you are unable to put your hands on them within minutes? I am not here to tell you that your system is wrong. I am saying that you may find my system easy and efficient.
Filing all of those papers that you have been sorting for the last couple of days is upon us. Regardless of what you have in place right now I want to talk about what is now in the Desk/File Sorters. You may need to do some shopping before going much further so I will take this time to discuss the actual naming of files.
I mentioned before that I scan much of the paper that passes through my home office. Personally I do not like a lot of paper. Sure, there is some that I have to keep such as insurance policies, birth certificates and Real Estate documents. Once these documents are scanned they are filed in paper files. Paper such as common receipts and bank statements can be scanned and then shredded.
Speaking of shredding, this is something that I have not mentioned. Shred anything and everything that could possibly give an identity thief your personal information.
I name my computer files and my paper files exactly the same way. My #1 concern is the ease of finding a paper once it is filed. Repeat files drive me crazy! What is a repeat file? An example: One file is named vehicle and another is named car or auto.
I start a file name as the category. Next comes the actual name of the file. Sometimes I add a date but not always. Computer folders are named this same way. Computer files are easily searched and a file index serves the same purpose for a file drawer.
TIP: If you plan to store files away at the end of the year and set up new folders for the upcoming year add the dates for easier identification later.
File categories could include:
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Medical
- Credit Cards
Extended names:
- Utilities - Home
- Insurance - Vehicle
- Medical - James
- Credit Cards - CapitalOne
Dates:
- Utilities - Home 2008
- Insurance - Vehicle 2008-2009
- Medical - James 2008
- Credit Cards - CapitalOne 2008
Computer files can be even more specific (will be filed inside computer folders):
- Utilities - Home - Gas 01-08
- Insurance - Vehicle - Ford 2008 or Insurance - Vehicle - Ford 06-08
- Medical - James 2008
- Credit Cards - CapitalOne 10-08
TIP: As you name your computer files remember that if the names are the same at the beginning and change at the end they will display one after another and are easier to identify at a glance.
- Utilities - Gas - 01-08
- Utilities - Gas - 02-08
- Insurance - Vehicle - Ford 2007
- Insurance - Vehicle - Ford 2008
I also include dollar amounts at the end of some computer files:
- Utilities - Gas - 01-08 $150.56
My system for naming files is a down to earth - common sense and easy to search method. It takes some thought in the beginning but after that it is very simple. Bottom line - the file name is the most important element to a filing system
