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Post by ohblondie on Jan 5, 2024 12:55:36 GMT -5
Diane - yes. I will have a pension that I am relying on. This is such a big step. and yes - I have pursued a small PT job with the local food coop or the local library or both there is a local not for profit that is waiting for me to retire but I think she wants me to volunteer
I am weighing in on paperwork. My mom has a file for each month. In that file she places every bill she paid for that month. At the end of the year she takes a worksheet and tallies up what she has spent in each category. The 12 file folders gat placed in a box and she can usually fit two years in a box.
OK - we are still getting flurries. I need to check projections again. It is supposed to start saturday night and go to Sunday night. And it is gray out - our sun was yesterday. At least it isnt pitch black at 5pm
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 13:13:10 GMT -5
Next:
Take dog out and feed her Remove items from back porch Clean toilet and sink downstairs bathroom Delete 10 hard emails
Diane
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 13:24:28 GMT -5
Danny, I keep hearing the forecast for the storm is changing, I don't think they know what will happen until it happens. It's south of us right now and we're missing all of the snow. I just know this winter will be like the last one--we only got two 2-inch snows and a bunch of flurries that melted right away. I don't want a huge snow every week but I really would like more than last year.
Ohblondie, I'm sure there are a lot of people hoping you'll volunteer! I file my paid bills for an entire year, putting the newest one in the front of the file. It's rare for me to have to go find a paid bill so this saves a lot of filing time. After 2 years I discard the paid bills except for real estate tax, insurance, and credit card--those I keep longer. Of course, I have an uncomplicated life with not that much paperwork coming in, so I don't need an elaborate system.
Diane
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Post by ohblondie on Jan 5, 2024 14:02:58 GMT -5
We are on the cusp of the snow. A few miles west of us and a few miles south of us are due for significantly more snow than us. But if the jet stream moves an inch either way and those winds shift course - well - we could get slammed or get nothing. And DH cant use his arm so it is up to me...... But I have leftover chili so I am going to curl up and eat chili and watch the snow fall. And then deal with it
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 14:32:00 GMT -5
Ohblondie, tell your son to come shovel for you in exchange for all the clean laundry you're bringing him!
I'm eating lunch now but already have my next list planned.
Next:
10 minutes on plants 10 minutes on book data entry Check credit card sites for problems Delete 10 hard emails
Diane
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Post by bree on Jan 5, 2024 15:01:01 GMT -5
danny15 , ohblondie and Diane thanks for your ideas on paperwork filing. All different but all working well for the individual. I am aiming for a category system with boxes for retirement accounts, taxes, insurance, health related, etc. I just want as few as possible. Diane I see that (if I understood correctly) you put one year's worth of paper into a banker's box and do not file it in separate categories? I kind of wish I had done that for the past 20 years, though I'd still be going for categories now. I am excited to be tackling paper clutter! It is important to me to have things as orderly as possible w out DD at some point wading through useless piles of paper. So for me, this is the right clutter to tackle. I went to the bank for a quick errand to deposit an important check otherwise i have been doing work and letting boycat in and out and in and out and in and out... the meeting that i had to attend was pretty awkward - with people saying stressed out things - but i was mostly just an observer. My other work "ugh" today is an email war that another dept initiated. I am leading a project that they wanted to lead...so they are sending emails, raising tiny detailed points, copying in lots of people, and just trying to make things as difficult as possible. This is the norm for them, so I expected it but it just wears me down. It is so political that i am very cautious in my replies as i know everything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law!!! I just reviewed one document, about a dozen to go. ohblondie can you meet with a financial planner to help you create a retirement budget?
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Post by ohblondie on Jan 5, 2024 15:55:55 GMT -5
Bree - I have been working on a budget this afternoon I listed the monthly expenses, I divided the yearly expenses by 12 and included that amount into the monthly expenses I am listing what we should both chip in on and what we are each individually responsible for.
OK - time to head out
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 16:00:30 GMT -5
Sorry about the work aggravation bree!
As for my file system, I have all my important paper in my file cabinet, I don't keep anything long enough to require putting away in a box. Note I said "important" paper--I do have some paper in boxes, but it's not the financial record type paper--mostly my old animal shelter paper which I refuse to get rid of yet. In my cabinet I have just one file for all paid bills for the year. I used to keep about 5 years worth, but in my new, less hoardy system I only keep 2 full years of all paid bills. So now that 2023 is over, I will start a new file for 2024, and I will take the file for 2021 and remove all the utility bills and shred them. The 2021 credit card bills go into that credit card's permanent file, and there I keep about 5 years worth, just in case I want to check a large purchase--when I bought something or how much I paid. The real estate tax bills and house insurance bills from 2021 will go into the "house" file. I have only lived here 3 years so I have only 3 years of house paper, I will keep the house paper indefinitely. My sister threw every piece of paper that came into the house away, even things she SHOULD have kept. I did find a few older tax bills when cleaning out her stuff, but only my 3 years worth are complete house records.
Then I have a file for each of my two banks, I put statements in there, newest in front, like the utility bills. Each year I get rid of the oldest year in the back, keeping about 2 years worth.
There was a time I kept bank statements too, but honestly, there's no need. If the bank still shows you have the account open and the amount is correct today, you will not ever need a 3 year old statement to prove you have the account.
Now--if I were young and just starting out, I would need to save however many year's worth of financial documents in case I wanted to buy a house, or do anything else that needed financial records. But there are limits to that, so if anyone is concerned about that, they can look up how many years worth of documents that should be kept for this purpose.
For income taxes, it's 7 years, so I keep 7 years of tax records and shred the oldest one in the file when I file my newest year.
Important paper has never been a big problem for me, I've somehow always managed to keep it organized, although as I said, I used to keep a lot more years of it. Just the hoarding mentality, thinking there might some day be some bizarre reason that I wanted some piece of paper from, say, 1987...but with my new, more realistic attitude, I am accepting the fact that there will be no important reason to suddenly want to see a paper from 1987. And if it's an unimportant reason, I'll get over it!
Keep in mind that I do have a simple life, no family records to keep track of, not a lot of money in banks or investments, etc. Even my health records are slim because I avoid doctors so much. I do have a health records file but that one only started collecting paper a couple of years ago and has very little to keep permanently. I'm only keeping insurance company EOBs for a year, after checking to make sure they're accurate.
It's hard to let go of records if you're a person who feels record keeping is important, so if someone has tons of files that are already organized, you can always get rid of just one year at a time until you feel comfortable with only the number of years you think you should save. Old records might be interesting to look through occasionally, but is it worth taking up so much space in your home to keep them, to just glance at them once every few years?
If you have many years of records and they're not organized, it would be good to figure out how many years to keep ahead of time, that way when you run across older things you can just get rid of them right away without sorting and filing.
Diane
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 16:14:31 GMT -5
Oh, and speaking of banks, I just had an annoying experience with one of mine. After checking my credit card sites to be sure there were no errors, I figured I'd do the same for my bank sites--it's probably just as important as checking on the credit cards but I rarely do that since there's no activity at the banks. The bank has completely changed their website so that I had to look and look to find the proper log-in option. I don't know why they have to keep changing things, when the changes make things HARDER instead of easier. I did make sure I was on the right website, I've become hyper-aware of where I am when online and also of real addresses on emails, every since I started getting all the spam, plus people trying to get into my Comcast account. I finally got where I wanted to be, but I had to see a million ads first asking me to open more accounts.
Next:
10 minutes PEEPing 10 minutes on taxes Clean upstairs bathroom sink and toilet
Delete 50 emails
Diane
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 17:03:13 GMT -5
My dog meds came! I had planned to wait until Monday to call the pharmacy so didn't do it earlier, but then I thought--if they have to replace the order better to do it today than Monday, so I did call them. I got through to the message that offers a callback so I said yes to that, and literally 5 minutes after that I looked out the window and there was a UPS truck. Sure enough, it was my order. So now when they call back I can tell them, "never mind!"
Next I will feed the dog and see if she wants to go out.
Diane
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 17:28:17 GMT -5
The dog didn't want to go out yet--so she will either need to go in the next 20 minutes, or else she will wait all the way until 8:00.
One more list before dinner.
Next:
10 minutes on paper Prepare a check to mail in for deposit Wash some dishes Delete 10 hard emails
Diane
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Post by desposito on Jan 5, 2024 18:25:30 GMT -5
Next I have to steam a couple of kinds of veggies since I have none left in the fridge, then I can eat.
I can't believe another week is almost over. If I don't come back, good night, see you tomorrow in the weekend thread!
Diane
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Post by catcats on Jan 5, 2024 20:27:05 GMT -5
The TV is finally set up and all the channels are programmed in and I am so glad !!
Before he came, I had vac'd all through and emptied the vac. Changed out a cat scratch pad. Done laundry which was folded, hung up, and put away, one load before and one load after he left. Done daily things. Etc. Etc.
I may be able to start stripping down the Christmas decor tomorrow. And I can watch TV while doing it !!!
My best to all !!!
catcats
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Post by reve on Jan 5, 2024 22:24:01 GMT -5
Diane, I so hear you on the ancient paperwork!
Done: Load of laundry Laundry from machine to dryer Load of laundry 2 Laundry from machine to dryer 2 Handled mail Watered plants Achieved dining table zero Achieved coffee table zero Achieved floor clothes zero Achieved laundry zero Assembled bathroom door storage Sorted makeup into baskets Transferred contents of bathroom tray storage to new over door organiser Brought out storage cubes for Christmas decorations
Tomorrow: Take down and pack away Christmas decorations and tree Assemble tension rod and curtains in bedroom alcove Strip bed Make up bed Load of laundry
I got away from work earlier than planned today so that was nice. Was feeling a little sorry for myself for a bit, but some time snuggling on the couch with a blanket perked me back up. My new overdoor bathroom storage shelves arrived and I love them already. Already thinking of a couple of other places in the house to use them. The idea is that this will replace the current floorstanding tray storage in the bathroom to give some clear floor space and it looks like they are going to fulfill that task brilliantly. My other plot at the moment is to buy some cable labels, because we have so many electronic cables lying around that I fear putting away because if I move them away from their object, I'll forget what they are.
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Post by bree on Jan 5, 2024 23:08:56 GMT -5
Diane glad the dog meds came! I am actually pretty ruthless now with paper but I have past years to clean up. I shred bills as soon as payment is confirmed. In the past it was "easier" to just file it for me than make decisions. My biggest are financial documents - i have worked over my career at several different companies so I have retirements at a bunch of places. I am going through now saving the yearly summaries not the quarterlies (this is from the old days before it went paperless).
I also get rid of credit card statements pretty quickly after checking them over and like you just keep if a big item on it.
My most important documents are in a fireproof safe.
so I worked the afternoon away, picked up puppy. DD and I ate from the frozen dinner stash!
I just dealt with the day's mail (shredded some, recycled some, put some in a file for bills to pay...) just did the dishes
next I will sweep all the floors!
I have this list of daily chores at the moment: go to bed to an empty shiny sink sweep floors deal with mail as in shred, recycle or put in file/box. No stacks languishing. wipe up cat feeding area (girl cat is a messy eater!) put any recycling in bin make bed wipe bathroom sink clean litter fold couch blanket, arrange throws
The mystery of my bird that I posted about earlier is solved! Bird has reappeared in the corner of my outdoor porch. Showed up after dark! I guess he/she sleeps there. The corner is tucked away, it does not seem warm and cozy to me.....I am glad he/she is alive!
gnite all!
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