How Typo saved my finances...

Considering that I bought the items mentioned in this post at the Typo sale and used them in a very clever way (I think!) to help organise my finances and other important documents, I think that this blog title is pretty apt. As someone who thrives on routine and organised surroundings, it's amazing how unorganised I can be at the best of times. I'm not sure whether there really is such a thing as an 'organised person', but in my experience, being organised often entails a lot of hard work. I find that being organised involves a multitude of daily tasks: placing your handbag in the same, designated spot when you walk into the door, storing your phone charger in the same place after every use (as opposed to leaving it lying on the floor next to the plug, as I so often do!), putting that lipstick back into it's drawer... failing to follow through with these seemingly insignificant habits can result in a huge, chaotic mess in no time. Which is exactly how I'd describe the state of my paperwork and important documents (you know, those all-important car registration papers, medical aid certificates, bank statements...) Before I moved in with my fiance I wouldn't have been able to find any one of these documents if my life depended on it, but after being witness to his system and realising that these documents are vital now that I'm a fully-fledged adult, I soon started placing all these documents into a designated box, like so...

My one box soon became two, and although not organised at all, they meant that my important documents were all safely stashed in one place where I could find them. Since becoming pregnant, however, I've often found myself frantically rifling through both boxes in an attempt to find this medical aid document or that bank statement, which became a rather long and frustrating process. "There has to be a better way," I thought and, with that, off I went to Typo in search of some sort of system. I found a pretty set of folders that were on sale for R60 (for a pack of 10, if I'm not mistaken) and a magazine holder on sale for R50 and promptly began sorting my important documents.

I've designated one folder for different 'sections': one for medical aid, one for our household and car insurance, one for my bank statements, one for my payslips and yet another for important maternity documents. I've found that this system works really well for me because it's both pretty and functional. My fiance likes to tease me about the fact that I would rather buy something that's pretty but useless as opposed to something that's actually functional but maybe not quite as aesthetically pleasing, and I must admit that's true. I'm much more likely to follow-through with a system if it makes my life easier and is pleasing to the eye. This holder and these files look good on my desk so I'm not afraid to display them (read: they don't risk becoming out-of-sight, out-of-mind), and the mere fact that they look good makes me actually want to do a spot of filing. (On that note - these folders work so much better than a file because you don't have to use a punch. You simply open the envelope, take out your document, smooth it down and pop it into the relevant folder. Easy!)

*For the record: I kept the boxes and use them as a temporary spot for any documents that I may receive on a day-to-day basis. I then set aside some time (theoretically once a week, but realistically? About once a month) to go through the box, throw out any documents I don't need and file the important ones in my swanky new system. As I mentioned earlier, habit is key when attempting to become more organised: I usually file any outstanding papers while watching a movie (usually the typical 'boy' movies my fiance enjoys, when I prefer not to pay too much attention!). You can also do a little bit of filing while waiting for your pasta to cook, and since you don't have to pay that much attention to what you're doing, you can even relegate documents to their relevant folders while chatting on the phone to your mom or other family members.