Paper Organization and a New Journal!

I am horrible at organizing things. If you've read some of my previous posts, you will have seen that one of my New Year goals was to start getting myself more organized. I have done a few things which have made a big help in my daily life, but lately I have been trying to organize the bigger picture... namely all my paperwork.

I have a LOT of paperwork, from going to university to hairdressing school, all of my tax forms and various warranties and receipts... let's just say that I needed a better way to get everything into one place. My papers are always in various envelopes strewn between several rooms... it's not good. So, a few weeks ago I decided to try and collect up all of my paper work and put it into one super folder.

This is my super folder. I went to Staples and I found a 16 section accordion file folder. 16 sections might sound like a lot, but when you actually start to break down all the different sorts of paper you accumulate, you'll end up closer to 16 than you think! I love it because it's purple, firstly, and because it can expand quite large so I shouldn't have to upgrade to a bigger one for quite a while!

Inside, as you can see, I have everything divided up. I keep everything separate so that when I need that warranty receipt or phone bill, or when I cant remember when my next car insurance payment will come out, I have it all in a spot where I can find it without having to dig around hundreds of random things to find what I'm looking for!

This has already been useful and I only did it a couple of weeks ago! Not to mention how much tidier my room looks not having a bunch of envelopes and papers stacked up on my desk and dresser! It's awesome to know that everything in there is something I need too. I shredded everything that I knew wasn't important, so I actually got a little bit of spring cleaning done as well!

Along with my new super folder, I have also started a new special journal. Because I have decided that I need to be more organized, I have started to write things down more... and not in a fun blog/journal way, but in a personal way to try and keep myself on track and accountable to the goals I have set. Along with trying to get more organized, I've set some monetary goals to try and get myself out of debt. Going to school over the past 4 years basically non-stop has really given me a chunk of debt that I need to work on. So, I have started a debt journal!

I find it's the best way to keep myself accountable for my credit cards and my payments, and since I started it on January 1st, I'm happy to say that I have actually made HUGE progress on my debt. I write down every payment and charge made to my credit cards so that I can keep track of my spending habits, and know how much (or how little) I have paid down on my debt each month. It has been beyond helpful to write out a budget and set a goal to get that paid off. Every time I pay a little bit of money down onto my debt, I can breathe a little easier, and over the past few years that has been a very stressful part of my life. 

I hope that this new year has given you an opportunity to make some goals, and maybe you're starting to make some progress like I am! And if not, that's okay too. I don't believe in resolutions really, but in setting up a plan to make your life a little better day by day! It's so much easier to see the short term than the long term! =)

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh.