e-filing for dummies

I came across a product on the Sympatico homepage today that I'd never heard of before: Organize My Electronic Filing Cabinet for Dummies. Right now they're offering the basic package as a free download, and for $29.99 you can upgrade to the professional version.

I don't own this product, nor am I necessarily endorsing it, but I can imagine that it might be helpful for people who are overwhelmed by their electronic files.

It looks like the Dummies program offers a basic template of file categories, into which you can sort all your personal, household, and business electronic files. It also claims to be customizable, which in my eyes is a good thing. I have never met anyone who could get along with a "standard" organizing template.

How can you create something like this for yourself?

Start by browsing through your electronic documents. Write a list of all the document categories you can think of. My list would include the following:

• Alexander technique
• downloaded program updates
• financial
• images
• music
• POC
• Word documents

Within each of these categories I may have several sub-categories, with documents from a variety of applications (Word, Excel, Finale) in each folder. Under "financial," for example, I have separate folders for all my different businesses, a folder for my personal finances, a folder for resumes and CVs, etc.

Under "personal finances" I have more sub-folders, including bank accounts, budgets, correspondence, gifts, income, income tax, and research on big-ticket items I'd like to purchase.

You can see why it's imperative that a filing system be customizable. No two people are the same, and we all have unique organizing needs.

Once you've come up with your own list of the types of documents you store, divide them into broad categories (like my first list), and subdivide them as necessary. You can choose to keep your lists alphabetical, or in any order that makes sense to you.

When I was reorganizing my e-mail folders in Outlook Express this past winter, for example, I tried a few different categorization systems before settling on something that actually corresponded to the way my mind filed all the categories inside my head.

I started with an alphabetical filing system - in fact, I still use that for my online e-mail accounts. I can quickly transfer new e-mails from my inbox, or access old e-mails by finding and clicking on the alphabetically-filed name.

For Outlook Express, however, I wanted something more structured. I spend most of my e-mailing time in OE, and I refer back to old e-mails all the time. I chose several broad categories:

• Alexander technique
• business
• church stuff
• clients
• computer
• e-newsletters
• friends
• POC
• volunteering

Within each folder (which I always keep in the expanded or "open" position) I have an alphabetical list of the different recipients, and I store all their e-mails (and my responses to them) under the recipients' names. Filing new e-mails is quick and easy - I just drag and drop.

The hard part comes when you have to actually transfer files to the new filing system - especially if they're scattered all over your hard drive. Yes, it can be time-consuming to put everything where it belongs. But the end result will be a filing system that works much more efficiently, and hopefully makes your life easier in the long run.

My biggest challenge as far as e-filing goes is choosing good names for my document files in the first place. Back in the days of DOS, it was a lot trickier - nowadays file names can be much longer, and the file extensions (.doc, .jpg, .xls) are tacked on automatically.

Should you file by date or alphabetically, though? Or a combination of both? I need to do a major sort of my own Word files - I have too many documents mis-labelled with the date before the subject (i.e. letter.20070721.mom, rather than letter.mom.20070721). In this case, it's more important for me to have similar files grouped together by subject rather than date.

I can't emphasize enough: Organize your files in a way that makes sense to you. Only you know how your mind works. Only you can decide the best system for your own needs.

paying bills

On Tuesday night I attended the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) Toronto chapter meeting, where the speaker was Tammy Laframboise from the North York branch of The Berkshire Group, an investment and financial planning company.

Tammy's subject was surviving the ups and downs of the "feast or famine" nature of self-employment. She had a lot of valuable information to share, but in this post I want to talk about her advice on bill-paying.

According to Tammy, when it comes to bills you have three options:

• make a date
• do it now
• pay it early

Make a date.
Pay all your bills at one time every month. Pros: You don't have to deal with the bills when they arrive - just stash them in a central location and pay them all at once at an assigned date and time. Cons: If you break your "date," your bills might not get paid. Not a good choice if you're a known procrastinator, or you hate the structure of doing something at the same time every month.

Do it now.
Pay the bill when it first enters your hand. You're going to have to pay it eventually - why wait? Keep your chequebook near your favorite mail-opening spot (or open your mail at your computer, if you pay bills online), and fire off the payments right then and there. Pros: If you're a procrastinator, this breaks down the bill-paying into small, manageable bites. Cons: You might not have enough money in the bank when you receive each bill.

Pay it early.
Paying your bills before they come due may not seem very appealing. I mean, why give away your money when you don't have to? But it might be a smart idea if you receive large chunks of cash a few times a year, and then little-or-nothing for weeks at a time in between (think: real estate agents, or artists and craftspeople who sell their work at shows). Pros: Your bills get paid when you have the money; when you don't have the money, your bills are already paid. Cons: You lose the potential interest you might have earned if you had hung onto your money.

To Tammy's list I would add:

Sign up for automatic withdrawals.
Many bills can be paid through automatic withdrawal from your bank account or credit card. Pros: You don't have to remember to pay your bills. Cons: You do have to remember to keep enough money in your account to cover the withdrawals. NSF is always a danger.

Whatever you decide, make a choice that fits your personality, your financial circumstances, and your lifestyle. Don't be afraid to try out a few alternatives before you settle on one strategy that seems to fit best. And try to make it fun. If bill-paying is a chore, find ways to enjoy it. Play your favorite music. Sip a glass of wine. Treat yourself afterwards.

But do pay your bills. It's good for your peace of mind, and a powerful antidote for insomnia...

copyright 2007, Michelle Lynne Goodfellow