Tax season is long gone, spring is here, and summer plans are already in the works. It’s nearly half-way through the year and your paper management system is probably out of control. If so, create a tickler file – an effective system that takes the stress out of finding important papers all year long.
What is a tickler file? It’s a simple filing system made up of 43 folders—one folder for each day of the month (numbered 1 through 31), plus one folder for each month of the year, each labeled with the name of one month.
How does it work? A tickler file gives you control over paper you want or need to take action on at a date in the future, but not today. So, if you’re going out of town on the 20th, you can file your travel itinerary, directions and confirmation numbers in the folder labeled 20. If your child’s birthday is in October, you can collect party ideas through the year and file them in the September folder—giving you plenty of time to plan. Having a spot for these future actions means they no longer pile up on the counter waiting for you to take action. Simply check your tickler file daily, and your actionable papers are ready for you.
Where to get one? You can make your own tickler file using plain manila file folders or decorated file folders and a labeler. Or, you can simplify things a bit and purchase a pre-made tickler file on Amazon.
These forty-three folders will simplify your life – give it a try!
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
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