I'd be lost without a file cabinet!

Yep, file cabinet. Office Depot has some nice looking wooden cabinets if you don't want to spend a lot. Of course, when you buy cheap, you have to assemble. The short, two-drawer cabinet makes a nice flat surfact for you printer, freeing up desk space. On the other hand, the four-drawer takes if no more floor space than the short ones, if floor space is an issue, giving you more storage room. If you don't need 4 file drawers, extra drawers can be used for many other types of household storage.

We actually use those expandable folders that shut and have a handle. I would like a filing cabinet but really we don't have anywhere to put it right now.

We have a 2-drawer file cabinet in the office. One of the printers sits on top of it. The top drawer is full of files, the bottom full of maps and stationary.

Shee, where's your computer and printer? Perfect location for a file cabinet.

Check you local office liquidators ....

Thanks for the responses. Been there, done that with the file cabinets, too much of a space taker, but I'll have to check out the liquidators. :c)

Here's an idea. You can buy a large stationery box and put them in it, along with your envelopes and stamps, and keep it sitting out as a decorative touch to your room.

I used the file cabinets at one time, but I prefer my bills to be where I can see them.

I pay mine twice a month. I have a large coffee table and a white wooden tray on top. On one side are my bills, and I lay something on top, maybe a magazine where they aren't exposed. The other side I have a lot of neat writing pads and pens. In my drawer I keep address labels, scizzors, everything I need so I don't have to get off the sofa. lol.

I have a runner under the tray and the whole set up looks nice, IMO, and the bills are right there so I don't forget to pay them! :)

Here's an idea. You can buy a large stationery box and put them in it, along with your envelopes and stamps, and keep it sitting out as a decorative touch to your room.

I forgot to delete the last paragraph after I moved it. The coffee hasn't kicked in yet. :)

I've taken to scanning all sorts of things I want to save into my computer (unless lengthy or paper is necessary for some reason). Since bills can be downloaded and saved, too, I guess you're not really interested in offline computer storage/access either. But, maybe someone else is! : ) I love ditching the paper files for most things.

thank you Oakleyok and Squirrelheaven, love the decorative box idea, they have so many nice ones at HomeGoods.

I've never really considered the scan idea, saw that on a post I received from Pammyfaye in the organizing forum too. I don't actually mind off line storage so much, my reasoning behind the online statements thing is that I think that eventually once people become hooked on the idea of not having them mailed out, companies will only make 3-6 months worth available and charge for older copies. That's basically what happened with ATM cards too free for everything in the beginning but eventually we got charged any way possible. If I'm going to print a copy so I have it anyways, why not just have them send it to me?

I've actually noticed an extending of the timeframe of available statements online, from the past, which was kind of a short time period, imo. You can also save them to disk when online, but have to make it a habit. But you're right, some companies will charge for the service of providing an old statement if you need it.

I scan all sorts of things now. Receipts, instructions, packaging info, vet bills, whatever, so I don't have to keep the paper but have a record. Easier to find, too. Especially since I don't like to file! lol

Just be sure to keep backups of your disk files in case your drive crashes.

>I've actually noticed an extending of the timeframe of available statements online, from the past, which was kind of a short time period, imo.

For personal accounts, yes, but as someone with a small business, when my big bank got consolidated into a bigger one, the amount of stuff I could get online went way, way down. I can't access anything older than 90 days online now.

I have a fancy expanding file folder for the current year and everything goes into that by month. At the end of the year they don't take up all that much space and it's amazing what all you can get into one. Just be sure it has a good quality band to keep it together.

Scanning is too time consuming for me. I find it easier when reconciling to sort through paper, and I know that if I get audited the IRS is mostly kind of backwards thinking, too.

If you don't have a huge number of receipts, Homegoods often has very attractive monthly expanding files.