Organize Your Office The Frugal Way

The home office, like any other organizational project, can end up being exorbitant!  In some cases even more so because of the specific role the home office must play.  I am thrilled to be able to share some creative idea on how to organize your office the frugal way!  In most cases, these ideas are totally FREE which by the way, is my favorite word!

Home offices don’t have to be a room in your house.  In fact, I have a repurposed dresser in the dining room that I call my “little office”.  It contains all I need for correspondence, paying bills and small school-related projects.  It makes my life easier to have all that I need on the first floor.  Our dedicated “official office” is a room on the second floor which contains a computer, printer, desk and filing cabinets.

Whether you have a whole room that serves as your home office or a table in one area of your house this daily challenge is for you.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

desk or table

chair

file cabinet or file box

computer and printer

someplace to store office supplies

lighting

FRUGAL TIP 

I want you to take a moment and look around your house to see what you might have that is not currently used, that you could repurpose into a desk or filing cabinet.  How about using a wood pallet to build a tabletop and then place it on two filing cabinets.  Voila, a charming farmhouse desk!  I have seen people use old doors and even picnic tables as desks.  No room for a full-size desk?  See if you can find a lap desk or just use your kitchen table.

If you don’t have a dedicated room for your office try placing all you need including your computer and a printer onto a rolling cart.  I love this idea!!!   Get creative and use what you have, shop the curb or your parents’ basement for any extra bookcase, tables, desks, chairs, lights or anything you think will be useful to the project.

“There was nothing medieval people liked better, or did better,

than sorting out and tidying up.

Of all our modern inventions I suspect that they would most

have admired the card index.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Discarded Image

DAILY TASKS

1. Before you start you should have some of the work already done because of previous days like organize your calendar, organize your computer and organize your finances. Yippee!
2. First, take everything out of the room except for furniture and sort and pitch.  It always starts here doesn’t it?  When sorting through the paperwork you need to know a few things.  Please shred all important documents you want to dispose of.  Don’t have a shredder.  Have a family bonfire and roast some marshmallows while burning the paperwork you no longer need.
3.  When replacing items back into your office space make sure to group like items together.  This will make your life so much simpler and save you time when you have to find the stapler or last months bills.

WHAT TO SAVE

Keep for 1–3 Months

• Utility bills
• Sales receipts for minor purchases
• ATM and bank deposit slips

Keep for 1 Year

• Checkbook ledgers
• Paycheck stubs
• Monthly mortgage statements
• Expired insurance records

Keep for 7 Years

• Bank statements
• W-2 and 1099 forms
• Receipts for tax purposes
• Cancelled checks
• Disability records
• Unemployment income stubs
• Medical bills/claims

Keep Indefinitely

• Annual tax returns
• Deeds, mortgages, and bills of sale
• Year-end statements for investments
• Legal documents (birth certificates, marriage license, divorce papers, passports)
• Home improvement documentation and receipts
• Receipts for major purchases—for warranty and insurance purposes
• Wills
• Living wills
• Power of attorney designation
• Medical and burial instructions
• Beneficiary directions
• Real estate certificates
• Automobile titles
• Current insurance policies
• Medical records
• Education records
• Pension plan records
• Retirement plan records

A BIG thank you to Dave Ramsey for this list!

YOUR TURN…

What techniques do you use to organize your office the frugal way?

Blessings,

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