Organizing Finances

No one likes when money leaves. It's worse, though, when money leaves and we don't know where it went!

To avoid this problem, I have decided to organize the one area of my life I wish didn't need to be organized- my finances. When I got married I realized that combining bank accounts, credit, student loans, and bills meant that it was going to be confusing for a while. And it was. Which account has direct deposit? Did we file for joint taxes? We have investments? All questions that should be knowledge shared between a couple... not questions. So, to answer our questions, I have decided to keep an organized, easily navigable system for our finances.
Now, I do realize that we will outgrow this system soon. Very soon. In fact, by the time I have to add "2013 Finances", I will have run out of room. (P.S. that's in 19 days.) Luckily, I have a general plan for how this will look in the future... though I haven't bought the supplies yet.
So, without further ado, our Organized Finances! (Be excited, people. You all know deep down this is as exciting as the new Hobbit movie coming out).

I update my finances every month, when I "do my finances". That's what I call it. It's not cheesy. This usually falls within the first week of the month, where I organize everything from the past month. It's usually on a day that I'm not working so that I don't have a time limit. It's important that I devote time to this so that they stay organized. Which is the point.
We will start with my laptop. On my laptop, I have 3 Excel spreadsheets for each year: Bills, Checks, and Earnings. On each I keep track of the date, amount, and details of... everything! It's quite easy to set up a simple spread sheet, and I organized it by date and item for the most part. I can find details on my ban website, my check book record keeping thing, and pay stubs. When I have this information here I don't need to worry about missing multiple payments on bills- I catch it at the end of the month, unknown checks getting cashed- I have who it was to, what it was for, how much, when I wrote it, and when it was cashed, or not knowing how much money we made- that's all on earnings. The most important thing is to make it easily navigable for you- everyone is different! That's why I won't post them. Also, they have personal information.
Now, onto my desk!



First, I have my supplies. I keep them all in the same cup, so I can take it with me if I choose to update my finances in another room (like while watching Ellen). In here I have a black pen, a pencil, a "pen" sharpie, a regular sharpie, a fat sharpie, 2 different colored highlighters, a letter opener, bank deposit slips, mini post-its, paper clips, and mini binder clips. All of these things I use regularly with my finances... except for the regular sharpie. I just felt like I should have a complete set.

Here I have the "out of use" set up. It's on my desk in the "office" (read: spare room that I call different names depending on the use. When people come over it's the guest room, when I'm working it's the office, when I do Pinterest things it's my craft room, and for all other purposes it's the spare room).
I have a magazine holder to house the finances. It's ripping on the left side, and is totally out of room... 2013 will yield new things to solve this problem. Inside I have, from left to right, spare 5x7 manila envelopes (I'm out of 8x12 ones- more will be bought in January), Investment booklets (too large to fit in envelopes), and 4 8x12 manila envelopes. They aren't reinforced; I bought cheap ones. I just tape them when they rip. In front I have a calculator (it's hidden in the picture) and my unsorted receipts envelope. To the right of the magazine holder I have a manila envelope for manuals and directions,  a folder for "current" finance things, and our Family binder. Looking at this picture I realize the finance folder should be next to the finances and the manuals should be next to the family binder. I just switched them.


Let's take a closer look, shall we?




 This is the "current" finances folder. Could you tell? Inside I have coupons I have yet to cut, financial mail that I have yet to deal with, papers I have yet to file, receipts I don't want to file yet (for now, it's Christmas present receipts), and anything related to jobs that I don't know where to put or that we are still looking into. I try to go through this every other day or so.


 
 
























These are the manila envelopes on the right side of the magazine holder. I also have one for 2010, but they all look the same, so you get the point. As you can see I write on the front with the big sharpie so it's clear. (Yes, I write my 2's two different ways. I don't know why and I have trouble controlling it.) I leave room at the bottom for the date I file taxes so that I can easily look back and see when I did. Mostly I want to see a date on there that is prior to 4/15. Last year I succeeded. By 4 days.

What's inside? I'm glad you asked.




First, or should I say largest (I'm going to go by size this time) I have our loose papers. I have labeled them with mini post-its, and each group is held together with paper clips. They are separated exclusively by what they are. From top to bottom: Jake 401K, Jake Loans SM/CB, Jake Loans GL, Sybra Loans WF, and Sybra Loans FL. I found it easier to not combine, say, all of Jake's loans because we have separate bills and payments for each one. Jake's 401K might move to the "Investments" envelope; I haven't decided.







 Here we have a 5x7 envelope that I hope doesn't rip, because I reuse it. It moves from year to year to the new and current envelope. Hence, it is in "2012" right now. I keep specific tax things in here for the calendar year. When I recieve our W-2s, they will be kept in here until filed. When I do file taxes, I print all the papers I need, like confirmation of filing, and unfold everything in this envelope, label it with a post-it (there are two- federal and state), paper clip the two stacks, and put it on top of everything in the calendar year envelope. I close it, write the date filed on the front, and rarely ever open it again. I move the envelope below to the new year and start all over.
Yeah, our names are on there. You could find those on Facebook though.

This one is pretty self explanatory. I put bills in this 5x7 envelope. Of course, I do it after they are paid. They are loosely in there, since I only get one of each per month, and since not every bill comes in the mail. I sort them by type (cox, utilities, etc) but I don't bother to paper clip the piles. I try to write directly on the bill when I paid it, but I keep track of that on an Excel sheet so it's not as important to write it.

I put pay stubs in these legal size envelopes. Since direct deposit is so popular these days, I make sure to print all of mine, and I ask Jake to print his on payday, because you never know when I will have to check back when I file taxes, or when a new apartment will ask for recent pay stubs. I tri-fold the paper to fit, so they are a bit buldgy by this time of year. They do, however, fit a year's worth of stubs in there (every two weeks= 36 stubs).

 This legal size envelope is for receipts that I have sorted, highlighted, and labeled. I save all of our receipts, and at the end of the month I go through them and look for anything tax deductible (work uniforms, gifts, health care, etc.). I use an orange highlighter for tax receipts (easy to sort through in case I save others) and write in pen at the top what category it goes to. This is the only thing I semi- consistently did in 2011 (without the highlights though). It helped SO much when I filed the 2011 taxes! This year I could on it being even easier. 

This legal envelope is for anything I feel should be kept for financial records but for which I don't have a category. I keep deposit and gas receipts in here, some auto receipts, and checks that I have deposited from my iPhone (bank apps are amazing!) For the checks I deposit via mobile app, I make sure to write on the check once it has processed. That way, I don't accidentally try to deposit it again and look like I'm trying to steal! I write the date processed, and "via mobile" at the top of the check. Aren't smart phones cool?? Anyways, it's always good to have a "MISC" folder because something will always pop up that doesn't have a home.

Well, that's what I keep inside the large envelopes. Surprisingly, it all fits. They rip a little bit, but tape fixes that right up.

This little envelope takes quite a beating. I have gone through 2, and I try to be careful. This one is taped up a bit. It's the smaller size envelope- size 6 3/4, so they are cheap. I don't mind going through and using a new one each year. I put all my receipts in here as I get them. Doesn't matter what it is, I'll stick it in here and think about it when I sit down and do my finances. It also helps corral receipts I keep "just in case"- like expensive items or electronics. They can stay in here all year- if I've had it that long I probably won't return it. At the end of the month I sort through them and transfer some, and rip up the others. It also helps me look through the money I have spent for the month- and always encourages me to stop shopping. Thanks envelope!






I'm sure you figured this one without a picture, but I took a picture... so it would feel like a waste not to use it. If we get it in the mail and it has to do with investments, and it fits, I put it in here. I'm sure I will eventually start labeling them with years, and when we retire (don't worry, we will look at them before that!) we will have everything we have ever invested in on file.







Obviously, this won't hold everything we get for the next 50 years.
In fact, much of this won't even last through next year. But fear not! I have a plan.
Eventually, when I have a house and kids who ruin everything that can touch, I will have these:

I can see it now... The desk has a roll top that hides everything...

















...the filing cabinet locks...















  ...the computer is big for Excel spreadsheets...





 












...and the paper shredder is efficient AND fun!









But these are a bit expensive... and take up space... and are a little unnecessary for my 3 years of finances. 50 years form now? This will all be FULL! Well hopefully I will have a bit more room- I plan on spending money longer than that.

For now, however, 2013 looks a little like this:

It's a start! This will be for everything already filed, and for now I can keep current things in the magazine holder on my desk top.
For the new year I am also making new and improved Excel spreadsheets- this time they add up the rows and columns for me! High-tech, I know.
I think that's all for now! I hope you have gotten inspired in some way to organize your finances- or another applicable area of your life! I am looking forward to finding new ways for organize in 2013... you can never be too organized!