Filing household records question

[BikeBookBread]

I just set up my FreedomFiler files (WOO HOO!!!!!!) and have a basic question, and I think I know the answer, but just cuz I love THE HIVE I'll ask here anyway:

 

When you file your monthly bills/statements/etc., do you file according to the month they were received, the month that they are due, or the month that the payment is covering? For example, phone and internet bill is notification of payment for the month in advance (received the bill in July, payment made in August, covering expenses incurred in September). This bill is an extreme example, but I want to be consistent.

 

I *think* I'm going to file according to when the money comes out of the account, so the above example would be filed in August, as the payment was financially recorded in August...

 

WDYT?

[EmeraldGirl]

I have a file for my cell phone labeled Verizon, a file for my cable labeled Comcast. They are filed w/ the most recent month in the front. Then when I need to compare previous bills or find a specific one I can just go to that specific folder and find it very easily. It would seem difficult to file bills by month in one folder and then know which month to go looking or to compare. But most important is a filing system that works for you b/c you are going to use it. JMO.

[Tutor]

I have a 3-ring binder for each year where I keep all pertinent receipts, copies of letters, etc. in chronological order. In the "utilities" section of the binder, I have put some manila envelopes labeled with the bill type (one is "phone/ internet", one is "electricity/gas", etc). I just stick the bills (marked with amt. paid, date paid, and confirmation # or check #) in the appropriate envelope. Bills are filed in the year billed. In the case of medical bills, I make a note in the "medical" section of the binder that a bill from a previous year (if there is one) was paid. For example, the ped sends us a bill in Dec. 2008, and I pay it in Jan. 2009. The bill gets filed in the 2008 binder (on it is noted when I paid it, etc). In the medical section of the 2009 binder, there is a paper with the note "Paid $XX to Dr. Smith for ds8 stitch removal of 11/03/08." There may be a few such notes listed on the same paper. That way I have it marked in both places and can easily find the bill if I need it in the future.

[Ellie]

I use the "Action Notebook" in File--Don't Pile!, like this one:

It has 1-31 dividers, and behind those, January through December.

 

When I get a bill, I put it behind the appropriate month divider. When that month arrives, I move those bills to the 1-31 dividers. IOW, I'm getting bills now that are due in September (September?? How did that happen??) Since we're still in August, those bills go behind the September divider. On September 1, I will move those bills to the date closest to their due dates and my paydays, which happen to be Sept. 4 and 18; all bills will go behind one of those dividers.

 

I pay my bills on-line through my bank. On Sept. 4, I'll pay the bills and print out the on-line confirmation, staple all those bills to the print-out, and file them altogether in one place (which right now is in the back of the filer/sorter). I don't feel the need to file utilities or other bills in their own files.

 

At the end of the year I could go through the receipts I've stapled together and remove the ones which are tax deductable, although I've never needed to do that.

[Nestof3]

I just have one chart I made up in MS Word.

 

Column 1: company/service

Column 2: due date/draft date

Column 3: account #

Columns 4-15: One column per month of the year.

 

I have indicated on this form which bills are automatically drafted.

 

For fixed bills, like insurance, I type the amount in the column, for variable things like cell phone, I write in the current month's amount. When I pay the bill (or when I enter it in my checkbook in the case of drafts), I check the column.

 

In my desk drawer, I have three open standard long envelopes with the flaps removed. On the fronts are the names of the three most current months. Right now, I have September (since I paid all August already), October, and November. When Sept. is paid, I move it behind Nov. and write "Dec" on it.

 

I file bills due in these envelopes in order of date due. At the first of the month, I pay them all (usually) and mark them off. If I pay the bill online (which I do for all except medical bills and such), I throw away the envelope and shread anything I don't need to keep for myself. This keeps the envelope a manageable size.

 

I only save health insurance, credit card papers and such -- not utilities.