Paper Management – How Do You Deal?
Do you live with a creative type? Are you unsuccessfully swimming in a house full of papers + bills that threatens to take you into the deep depths of it’s rip tide?
Well I feel your pain. Jeff is most definitely one of those creative types. “Numbers? Oh yes! Let me crazy mad scientist scribble some calculations that I added up in 5 seconds of some concise measurements + calculations!!!!”
“Great!!!! Help me with these banks statements!” I say. “Oh, waaaaait…..you said numbers???? Hmmmm, no. What? I conveniently have no idea what you’re saying to me right now at this exact moment.” is his response. His brain literally shuts off. Aha. A selective understanding of numbers. I get it. I see how it’s going down in this house…..
My first experience with Jeff’s paperwork organizing mastery, was this method:
Receipts in a weird, old plastic index card recipe box, y’all!!!!
Damn straight, George Clooney. It literally made my skin crawl.
Oh yeah + his files were shoved in a weird old beat up leather briefcase, but I don’t have a picture of that because I pretty much wanted to throw it out the window. I can’t live like this, people. I NEED ORDER!!!!!
Like the wise poet Janet Jackson once said, “I’m in control, never gonna stop. Control, to get what I want. Control, I got to have a lot. Control, now I’m all grown up.”
That’s right – I’m gonna tame the beast. This has been my reality for the past week:
A still life panorama I titled, “A Whole Lot of No Fun”. If you notice in the picture there is a glass of red wine amongst the papers. And the globe is dejectedly lying on it’s side because I think I may have knocked it over at some point during one of my fits of rage. I have sorted through stacks + stacks of neglected paperwork + I’m in the process of categorizing + filing them. Yes, that’s right – IN A PROPER FILING CABINET. The upside to all this torture is the fact that I’ve found a couple gift certificates in the piles! Yay!
If you are experiencing this same type of unfortunate situation, check out The ABCs of Household Paper Management.
Or click on the link to watch a video from the Grande Dame herself, Martha Stewart on how to Manage Paper in Your Office. It’ll make you weep with it’s beautiful anal retentiveness.
Oh, Martha you rascally little minx, you.
But I never get too uptight because it’s really fun + never a dull moment being married to a Muppet!
So when I’m surrounded by papers + screaming, “CURSES!!!!!” to no one in particular, I have to remind myself that we are a team. I have my strengths + Jeff has his. Together we’re going to figure it all out little by little! Or shall I say stack of paper by stack of paper?
How do you keep your bills + paperwork organized??? I always love hearing from you guys + if you have any handy tips on how to keep on top of the paperwork monster, I’d love to hear it!
how's it going, eh? 
Do you remember when the Tax time came, mommy went crazy that no body in the house could talk to me ? Now you understand to marry an independent movie industries man,like your husband and your daddy, camera man.
Mommy pulled it so can you. As matter fact you will do a way better than I did.
Cheer up,love you so much and miss you,
mommy,
Thanks mom! I definitely learned from you – DON’T BOTHER ME WHEN I’M WORKING!!!!!!!!!! I say “go away” a lot to Jeff when I’m doing paperwork!
HOLLA, Nan, keep the faith, eh’,…maybe U need
your mumsie 2 come up and help, huh, she’s great
at paper work,..anyway, suck it up, i know paper stuff
is mind numbing but luckily ur home and nobody is
looking over ur shoulder, huh, thank goodness, take
care, luv U and miss U, best 2 Jeffrey, cheers, Dad’s
Yup! Keep the faith!!!! Nose to the grindstone!!!! Git ‘er done!!!!
At tax time my mom went incommunicado for days as well. You went into the office only if the house was burning down… Now she’s got a job as a tax consultant though, so I guess all that work paid off!
We have a spreadsheet that Trevor keeps track of everything in. He tries to do it as stuff comes in, although that doesn’t always work, but at least that way when the tax deadline comes most of the numbers are in the computer already, and then they just need to be copied and pasted into the tax software. My advice would definitely be to keep on top of the 2013 stuff as it happens rather than waiting until this time next year to organize it all! 🙂
You could also keep track of how many hours you spend in agony, and then get Jeff to reward you with that much time doing something fun, to keep you motivated. 😉
GOOD ONE!!!! Hours spent = SHELLI TIME!!!!! Nice one!!!!! You’re so smart, Michelle. Yes, my goal for 2013 to be on top of all of it so that this hell never happens again!
Quicken, yo. I download quicken updates from our bank every few days and then code each debit or deposit with the right category that the accountant needs. Come tax time, it’s not so painful!
Oh Adi-san. Such a good girl. Is Quickbooks the same thing? I have that but haven’t started playing with it yet.