Saving Time in the Home Office
Keep a home information binder with contact information for all creditors, insurance information as well as passwords for any websites you use. It's also a good idea to keep a record of all account numbers as well in case you're ever a victim of identity theft (so that you can cancel accounts immediately). Remember, though, to keep this binder in a very safe place!
Sit down to pay bills once a month. Don't have the $$$ to pay the bills all at once? That doesn't mean you can't save time by writing them out all at once. Gather your bills and checkbook. Figure out when each bill should be mailed to reach it's destination before the due date. Write this date on the back of the envelope (so that it's visible when sealed). Write the checks, seal and stamp the envelopes and then put the envelopes in date order. Keep the envelopes visible and as each date comes, mail the envelopes accordingly.
If you choose to pay electronically using a bill pay program, you can often schedule the payment/deduction for whatever day you choose.
To make doing this even easier, download my monthly budget sheet - MS Excel required. (It's already programmed to calculate the amounts for you. Just type over my examples and enter your amounts and Excel will automatically do all the addition for you! Print it out and use it as a checklist each month or note the dates due in the boxes.)
Tired of wasting time and energy writing your return address over and over again? Print your address onto labels or directly onto envelopes using your printer and MS Word. (In MS Word, go to Tools > Letters and Mailings > Envelopes and Labels.)
Become a master of digital data management! Organize your computer files and website bookmarks as well as you would a paper trail. Name files in ways that make them easy to identify. Create folders to organize individual files in meaningful ways. Your website bookmarks or "favorites" can also be organized into folders.
Use large manila envelopes to store important documents. Their easy to label - write right on the envelope - and when filed in a folder or a drawer, they keep papers from getting lost. (This is a particularly great strategy when collecting various receipts throughout the year for tax time!)