How I Finally Organized My Papers with a Paper Management System That Lasts! NO more paper piles!

[@charonnortrup6770]

I noticed you using a Scan Snap for your papers. I have one but I don't quite understand how to use it. Could you make a tutorial for the Scan Snap? I would sure appreciate it. Thank you so much for your videos. Charon

[@bitrudder3792]

So great that you knew you wanted to go paperless and could design your plan of attack accordingly. The preparation is just as important as the work. It’s good to think about just how much paper you’re dealing with before you sit down and do this job. When I had 20 to 30 years of backlog to deal with, it really helped me to think in terms of Freedom Filer method. Being able to sort files into dated archived folders without having to make immediate decisions about them, along with the other categories of active, remove/replace, permanent, Current tax related, current financial, projects and reference… That was really helpful having sections set up for all of that. It was a lot easier to tackle what absolutely needed to be done first and then go through and shred a lot of the rest of it. Because they were things that were not immediately identifiable as shreddable…And I didn’t realize that until after I shredded some things I should not have shredded. I do love shredding😅.

[@kimbartholomew8129]

I once shredded my Birth certificate I had to pay for a new one.

[@bitrudder3792]

@@kimbartholomew8129 - uh oh! When it comes to things like birth certificates, passports, voter ID, professional licenses… They get their own dedicated folder… Sometimes with a stick-on pocket inside of the folder to make sure The most important things don’t slide out the side!

[@cherylgonzales4146]

Thanks for responding to my question and allow me to congratulate you on your decision and commitment. You gave up your free time until the project was completed. My problem is I start off well but easily get distracted and allow other things and people to take up my time. You're an inspiration!

[@amykehoe2078]

I like the tip about getting your family involved, especially the kids so you can work on it more. Giving them simple jobs like shredding the paper makes them feel important and is also helping you at the same time. Your youngest one even looked like he enjoyed watching the shredder in action.

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Yes totally - the shredder had a window on the front and he loved watching it fill up.

[@kristijones1496]

I put the super important documents (like birth certificates) in a fire-proof safe, which also prevents them from getting mixed in with any ordinary papers. Loved your video--great work! I also like how you have your pens, markers, etc. in jars and it looks so colorful and easily accessible. I might copy that in our kitchen, where the kids often do their crafting.

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Yes, great idea to put them in a fire proof safe. Yes I love having all the colorful markers and pens out.

[@meganm4877]

Check on them regularly; I bought a fire proof safe and only put documents in it; opened a year later to add more docs and the ones that were already in there had gone mildewy.

[@michellewood9646]

This is the biggest job I so need to tackle it’s been building for 10 yrs as we have moved so much and had many serious medical situations. But this is next on the list a massive job but I can’t wait to do it. As I burn and shrewd the papers they seem to be multiplying behind me lol

[@youandmeandmultiplescleros402]

Scanning and shredding changed the way I manage paper. Now that I'm caught up, I deal with papers as they come in. I also have small files for the few papers that need to be in hard copy, plus a memory box for sentimental items. Such a satisfying place to be!

[@karenlebeter4196]

Make sure all digital files are duplicated/backed up. When I moved, I lost important files and my laptop. My house was robbed between 2 trips back to the house. I moved over 100 miles and money was tight for gas (my son was changing jobs and I was moving in with him).

[@karenschroeder8419]

Thank you for showing us the reality of your life instead of the polished and finished result as a starting point for your fans.

[@elizabeththomson2579]

The scanning idea is brilliant, had never thought of that one. I am currently renting whilst our new house is being built and this is a great time to go through our papers. Thank you so much for the inspiration.

[@julietannOsfan1972]

Well done on sorting & organsing your paper clutter. I plan to start doing this. I prefer lever arch files/ring binders rather than boxes etc. For special items I put them in archival page protectors in yearly ring binders. To me, special greeting cards & letters etc are too precious to just throw away. I have greeting cards from when I was born. I'm now 63 & will never throw these away. Your children were great helpers & so cute. x

[@mariannelins184]

I made a scrapbook/album for my sentimental things, so I can visit them. I use 3 hole punched clear sleeves and put them in a binder.

[@ile002]

I loooooove this idea!!!! I have them in boxes and this would definitely be much more enjoyable 😃

[@cynthiamayer6506]

My shelfie is really helping me organize my paper. Thank you!!!

[@karenlehmeier6215]

The little ones are such cuties! Thank you so much for your ideas.

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

You are so welcome!

[@Flatability]

I love those storage boxes on the shelves behind you. I might steal your idea. Thanks for giving me some inspiration. Great edit by the way.

[@georgiajohnson4091]

Would you please comment on the brand and type of scanner you use? Also, I would like to see the process on how you organize your scanned paperwork. Thanks!

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

The scanner I like is this one: amzn.to/35KuSQU I use Evernote to organize my papers, which I describe in detail in the course!

[@georgiajohnson4091]

@@GetOrganizedHQ Thank you! I appreciate the information.

[@kendracarver7243]

Yes, I would love to know what system you use after scanning your papers. I have recipes in notebooks plus piles of loose paper recipes. Don't want to throw them away but not really using them.

[@MsButterflyJan1976]

Your little helpers did such a great job!…Can I borrow them to tackle my paperwork???…😂😂😂

[@juliemelder4584]

I love watching your videos, I always learn something awesome! You’re really inspiring! ❤

[@emilygarland4882]

My boys are 17 & 20 and I still have their baby shower cards! I believe the ones from when *I* was born are in my attic, too! I love looking at the cards.

[@Mommypalooza]

What is your important documents binder? Would love more on that for my kids!

[@emilyhokanson4587]

Super helpful! Thank you ☺️

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

So glad!

[@SuzyTaylorOakley]

Laura, I always love when you include your sweet babies in your videos. 😊 Also, I decided to pull out my shredder and get busy while I watched. LOL

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

That is awesome!

[@AsaTorell]

So the ScanSnap absolutely saved me from drowning in paper clutter. You recommended it somewhere and I was able to snag a used one for super cheap (no way could I afford them new). Life. Changer. No joke. So much quicker and easier than the flat bed scanners. I hate to sound like a commercial LOL but this thing changed the game. I finally got my paper clutter sorted and gone and now all I've left to deal with little by little is the sentimental stuff. It's so nice tho to have that all contained to one big box, instead of piles here, there, and everywhere, haha. Now whatever comes in gets scanned, shredded, and digitally filed. I feel so light and airy! 😂😂

[@AsaTorell]

Oh and I bought a cute, bright colored decorative box for the important papers. It's easy to spot and locate. Once money allows I do want to get a safe though, but they're not really mainstream where I live, so they're quite hard to get and not cheap. All of the documents are also in cloud storage though and could be replaced with not too much effort.

[@maddyrichards5695]

Hey Laura, you are inspiring me so much! This is exactly the organisation system I’m up to in my life. What do you do with old notebooks or things you’ve written on? I’ve got my notebook from last year where I planned heaps and it allowed me to finally start saving money. I’m not sure if I should go through and pull out important pages or just disregard the whole book? Any suggestions would be so helpful :)

[@ArleneAdkinsZell]

Thank you!

[@cinnie2543]

Good presentation. I wish I had mine under control but the computer just seems like a black hole to me.

[@Isabel_fit]

Same here. I prefer physical paper clutter because I have a finite amount of space to keep it in (container concept). However, with the computer, space is basically indefinite so I tend to keep things I don’t need and feel the need to over organize with folders and file names

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

So true - it's just as important to not save what you don't on the computer as it would be with physical paper. I always say that digital clutter is still clutter.

[@bitrudder3792]

I’ve had trouble transferring scanned files from the past into the present. The new technology doesn’t always talk to the old technology. And I just learned that the little thumb drives are known to be wonky and unreliable. So if you decide to go more paperless, the tips I just read about recently include: Use a big reliable external drive and possibly even a optical disc like a DVD sort of thing. Update your old files into new versions so you don’t lose them. If you think of naming conventions for your files, it’s a lot easier to find them if they go astray, and it can help alphabetize similar things in different categories much better. And if you want to find things by the year, stick the year date in there. And of course people are putting stuff in the cloud now. Personally, I don’t want all my beeswax up there. But that’s what a lot of people are doing. I would prefer to have a back up at home.

[@elainefleming91]

Hi Laura, Thank you so much! How do you find your scanned papers? Can you give examples?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

I use Evernote to store my scanned papers in such a way that I can easily find them.

[@venieappleby6134]

Where did you get the cart the chicken broth was on? It looks nice and sturdy! Great video, paper is my issue too!

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

That's an Elfa cart from The Container Store.

[@jessicaquiroz7178]

Can you go more into depth about the binder?

[@brendaproffitt6293]

What type of naming conventions did you use on the scanned files in order to find specific documents in the future?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

I found it was best for me not spend a lot of time naming files. That's what always made it take forever in my attempts. I went with a simpler approach relying on Evernote's search features. I share the details of the whole system here: getorganizedhq.com/6zjb

[@amandasackfield8999]

@@GetOrganizedHQ I love this idea! I'm terrible with paper clutter so this would really help :)

[@christinecortese9973]

I don’t dare scan. My computer is a hot mess that desperately needs organizing. I’m more organized with paper than I am digitally.

[@sandrafisher2280]

I love the idea of getting rid of filing cabinets full of paper. Is there an app I could use from my phone for scanning? Would I lose quality of scanning by using it instead of a scanner like yours? Btw… I love your office helpers😀

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Yes, I scan right from Evernote, and I've been happy with the quality.

[@lindawoodfill503]

Aww so cute! I need to do this !

[@xiomara360]

Hello. Thank you for sharing. Where are your white and bins from? And gusseted (spelling) file? What papers to keep and what to get rid off?

[@janettechumley6121]

What scanner did you use? What program did you scan them into??

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Here's a link to the one I use: amzn.to/35KuSQU

[@connieryals1930]

I'm interested in all the white boxes - are they plastic, do they have lids, where did you get them?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

They are Kuggis Bins - I love them!

[@cherylgonzales4146]

How long did it take to handle, scan, shred or file all the paperwork?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Now that I'm caught up on backlog, it takes just a few minutes a week at most. To get all caught up I worked on it for about 2-3 weeks using a lot of my free time on it.

[@conniemenglish]

What kind of scanner was that?

[@NoreenNAstin]

What kind of scanner do you use?

[@delainecroonenborgh5904]

How far in depth do you go in teaching the use of Evernote? I would like to be able to walk away from the class feeling confident in my knowledge of the app.

[@jessicaquiroz7178]

What label maker do have?

[@helen2276]

What actual date and time is the class? I don't know what time zone you're in. Also, is there a cost to the class?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

It is actually a course - you get lifetime access if you purchase it. You can find out all about it here: getorganizedhq.com/6zjb

[@khrystiewhidden6122]

Papers are the worst. I always make a mess with the shredder

[@blades2277]

What font do you use on your storage boxes? Looks fab....

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

I like Sacramento and Bebas Neue

[@juliemelder4584]

What kind of scanner is that and where can I get it??

[@lavenderm]

What scanner do you use? Is it double sided?

[@elainefleming91]

Laura, can you recommend a shredder?

[@bitrudder3792]

I have been super happy with my Fellowes shredder, it has been a workhorse. I definitely got the one that takes more paper than the lowest level. I like that it can also shred credit cards (but obviously you wouldn’t want to recycle paper with plastic in it). It stops running if fingers are close to the top. It can reverse if it gets a bit choked up with too much. (Obviously, don’t try to make it choke with too much paper). The only downside may be common to other shredders, I don’t know. But I never seem to manage to empty it without getting some of the shreds on the floor which is a pain to clean up. Other than that, 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I got mine at Sam’s but it’s a pretty common brand.

[@susanhabeler3908]

What scanner are you using in video?

[@Bless-m1z]

What if u don’t have anyone??

[@bitrudder3792]

Lol. You can still get things done, but call a friend from time to time for emotional support!

[@delainecroonenborgh5904]

Hello Laura, I posted the following comment a year ago, have not yet received a reply. I am interested in your course but need an answer regarding Evernote. How far in depth do you go in teaching the use of Evernote? I would like to be able to walk away from the class feeling confident in my knowledge of the app.

[@jamiegasaway3605]

I do not see any links below.

[@jessicaquiroz7178]

Where did you get your scanner? And, about how much was it?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

I like the Fujitsu ScanSnap!

[@jessicaquiroz7178]

Where did you get your scanner? And what series is it?

[@debrajones7349]

Ewww I’m so jealous!

[@jenson8931]

What type scanner do you have?

[@GetOrganizedHQ]

Here's a link to the one I use: amzn.to/35KuSQU