Over the past few years, we all have done a great deal of work to go paperless but as incredible as it may seem, the stacks of bills, tax forms, medical records, and all other sorts of documents on our tables are not getting any thinner. Many of us still have no idea where to look for a certain piece of paper we suddenly need, searching throughout the entire place and asking everyone around if they have seen that damn insurance policy or bank statement.
However, not all earthlings are messy – a great bulk of people have managed to find a solution that lets them keep things under control. Some do it the old way, some opt for space-age technologies, but the result is the same – they know how to store all their documents safely and have hassle-free and instant access to every single piece of info at any moment. If you want to follow their example and save yourself a huge headache, check out these 4 ways to ditch the paperwork and keep everything organized. Every single piece of paper.
Old Way vs New Way
To start with, you have to decide on the way you are going to organize your papers. Are you an “old-type” guy that enjoys endless rows of binders with carefully made and well-thought-out labels or one of the geeky dudes that can’t imagine life without a smartphone? Well, you can also take the best of both worlds and streamline your physical documents library alongside with the digital counterpart.
Frankly speaking, such a holistic approach does make sense because a wide range of documents including birth or marriage certificates should be kept in the original paper version no matter the advancement of modern technologies. Anyway, if you are still unsure which path to take, keep reading to find out more about available options and make a final decision on which one is your perfect fit. The bottom line is everyone should choose the way that caters directly to his or her needs. So, let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer.
1. Online Solutions
We feel appropriate to start with the “new” way because, to be honest, it is the mainstream right now and for a heck of a lot of good reasons. First of all, the majority of platforms designed to store documents and all kinds of sensitive files can brag off a high level of privacy protection and security. They use ground-breaking AES 256-bit encryption, just as your bank, to ensure complete safeness of the data while all your personal info is private by design, so you do not have to worry it could be shared with third parties or used in any other way.
The spectrum of services can vary greatly from one provider to another but the best in their class will offer you unlimited plans for different family members and huge flexibility in terms of customization of your dashboard. For instance, many people have chosen Pillar Life’s digital vault to organize financial paperwork because it ensures secure and convenient storage of bank accounts, life insurance policies, social security benefits, retirement accounts, and other financial information, which they can share with their family members or other trusted individuals whenever there is a need. The best thing of all is that users get unlimited space, meaning they can create as many folders and upload as many documents as they want.
2. File Cabinet
An old good file cabinet can be a real game-changer when it comes to keeping large quantities of differently-themed papers in perfect order. File cabinets come in various sizes and designs, therefore all chances are you won’t have any problem finding the one that fits your needs. You will be able to label your file folders to make it easier to keep track of the records and to use color code in order to facilitate an even more detailed separation of the items.
Depending on the size of your family and the number of papers you accumulate on a monthly basis, you may settle for a double-drawer cabinet or opt for a tall vertical variant with additional sections. These elegant furniture pieces can be lockable and generally, serve well the purpose. The only downside of the story is that quality file cabinets are expensive, so if you want the one built to last, be ready to pay for durability and longevity.
3. Find Alternatives to Printing
Let’s face it, we often print out papers that we actually do not need, they are just duplicates of what we already have in digital form. Try not to print out bills you receive regularly and every time you are requested to submit a certain document, just provide electronic access to it whenever possible. It is a great idea to stop duplicating your work because you save time and contribute to the protection of natural resources. In addition to that, you eliminate the odds of losing or damaging the physical document. Just stick to the simple rule: think twice before pressing the print button.
4. Take Advantage of Your Mobile
Smartphones are our life but many people often forget that they can be used for a plethora of other things apart from scrolling through endless pages of social media apps. Take advantage of the capacities of your mobile device to get instant access to all your documents stored either on the cloud or one of the online platforms we talked about before. If your phone has enough memory, consider saving some of the most frequently used papers in its file manager, which, again, will allow for quick and hassle-free access anytime and anywhere.
As you can see, eliminating paperwork and embracing sophisticated digital solutions at the same time can bring plenty of benefits, not only to businesses but also to individuals. In fact, everyone should strive to go paperless whenever possible not only because it provides for greater flexibility and eco-friendly, but also because it is a viable way to keep everything perfectly organized.