Getting January Off To an Organized Start

Now is a good time to assess your home record keeping systems to determine if they are effective or not.  If not, January is the perfect time to make a change.

1. Start with your address book.  Do you need a new one?  Are the addresses difficult to read or outdated?  Once you have a good “book”, whether on paper or in computer/smart phone form, it is time to make necessary corrections.
2. Update your addresses using the information from holiday greeting cards.  Highlight any address that is no longer valid. Add an item to your “to do” list to remind you to find the correct one.
3. Double check any phone number that might have changed, and consider adding the email address to the listing to consolidate information.
4. Add the number for any person, service, restaurant, etc. that you find yourself repeatedly looking up in the phone book. You will save time in the coming year.
5. Once your address book is complete, turn your attention to your filing system, especially as it relates to finances and taxes.  Purchase tax prep and/or financial software now.  You will then be ready to set up the financial system when you receive your bank and other financial statements.
6. Create a new storage and filing system for this year’s information.
7. Write the new year in the date line of your next 30 checks.  By the time to you get to the end of these dated checks; you’ll be in the habit of writing in the correct year.
8. Purchase a planner if you haven’t already.  Now is a good time to try something new if your previous system is no longer effective.
9. Transfer important dates, such as birth dates, from your current calendar to the calendar for the coming year.  Change the location of the calendar, or the system you used to keep track of each family member’s activities, if needed.
10. Create a holding file or area for all the documents that will relate to your 2011 Income Tax Preparation.  If you receive your documents electronically create a folder for them on your computer as well so you will have all the necessary documents at tax time.  If you have a college student these documents will also be needed for the preparation of the FAFSA, (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  The deadlines vary from state to state so be sure you complete them by the required date:  http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before003a.htm#federal_aid