Paperwork is a big problem for many people and no one likes to file. And did you know that, in general, people only need to keep 20% of the paperwork they have? Paper can be manageable if you know what to keep and for how long. Just ask yourself these questions:

• Am I legally required to keep it? (i.e., vital records, tax documents)
• If so, for how long?
• Will I actually use it/refer to it/need it?
• Is the information still current?
• Can it easily be replicated if needed again (i.e. found on the web)?
• Is it a duplicate?
• What’s the worst that can happen if I toss it?

Now that you’ve decided if something’s worth keeping, here are some guidelines for how long to keep it:

• Permanently: Vital records including birth/death/marriage/divorce certificates, wills, military records, passports & social security cards should be kept in a safe deposit box. Diplomas, very special memoribilia, medical records (not bills) can be kept at home permanently.
• As long as you own it, then shred: Car title, house deeds, owner’s manuals, warranty receipts, household inventory list, stock certificates (in a safe deposit box)
• 7 years, then shred: Tax returns
• Until the next one comes (generally quarterly or annually), then shred: Investment statements, Insurance agreements & in-network directories, Social Security statements, school schedules
• 1 month: Monthly bills (unless it’s a tax deduction, then 7 years), receipts (once you’ve reconciled), magazines, coupons (until they expire), event announcements (once they pass)
• Daily/weekly: To Do lists, handwritten notes that are out of date, contact info (this should get entered into your address book whether paper or electronic), newsletters
• Never: Junk Mail, flyers, magazines you won’t read, coupons you won’t use, invitations for events you won’t go to. Toss these in the outdoor trash so they never enter your home.

TIP: Most banks have electronic statements and many now keep 3-6 years worth in archives so you don’t need to keep the paper bank statements once you’ve signed up. Also, investment companies can send electronic statements & you can sign up to view statements & prospectuses online so you can shred or toss these as well.

Now go blast through those piles and enjoy a clean desk!

Did you know that, in the U.S. alone, over 3.7 million trees are killed each year just to make receipts? Want to be eco-friendly and organized at the same time? We can help get your receipts and business cards scanned, categorized, and online for easy access.

Little Virgo is affiliated with Shoeboxed.com’s Receipt and Business Card Mail-In Program. You’ll receive a pre-paid envelope to stick your bundle of receipts and business cards into, then put in the mailbox! Your receipts and business cards will be scanned into your online account, automatically categorized, and sent back or recycled. You’ll also get a new envelope in the mail for your next batch of receipts and business cards. Think of it as NetFlix for your receipts!

Click here to sign up!

Choose one of our unlimited, monthly plans.
No long term contracts. Change your plan or cancel at any time.

All accounts come with:

• Unlimited Free Space
• Export to Quicken, Excel, PDF expense report, CSV
• Itemized tracking from receipts
• Spending charts and analytics
• An email address for online shopping

	Business $49.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!	Classic $19.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!	Lite $9.95/month Annual plans get 2 months free!
Receipts & Business Cards Scanned	500/mo	150/mo	50/mo
Free Catch-Up Scanning	1000 Receipts (with annual plan)	500 Receipts (with annual plan)	250 Receipts (with annual plan)
Turnaround Time	1-2 days	2-3 days	3-5 days
Use our Prepaid Envelopes	Yes	Yes	No
Receipts You Upload	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Email Receipts	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Backup CDs	Included, Quarterly	Optional	Optional

How long does it take to process the receipts and business cards I mail in?

Never more than two business days after receiving your envelope, unless your receipts are heavily wrinkled, folded or contain staples.

Can I download my receipts and business cards?

Yes, you can download your receipts to PDF (with receipt images), Excel, Quicken, and CSV formats. You can also download your business card contacts to CSV, which you can import to many places, including Outlook, Salesforce, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Apple Address Book, Act!, LinkedIn, and many other programs and websites that organize contact information.

Are my receipts secure?

Yes. Even though most receipts, by law, do not contain social security numbers or credit card numbers, we take security very seriously. Shoeboxed.com uses the same data encryption technology as major banks: 128-bit SSL. Online security and privacy are actively monitored by leading experts such as TrustE, McAfee and Thawte. We log all visits to the site and we maintain regular backups of all the data we store and backups are housed in a secure location. The physical receipts are kept under lock and key in a secured facility. All Shoeboxed employees must also pass criminal background checks.

Who is this service for?

The majority of our customers use Shoeboxed to track their personal expenses or expenses for their small business. Many of our customers are frequent business travelers too.

Why do people use Shoeboxed?

The number one use of Shoeboxed is to track paper receipts. Not only do our customers want to track their spending, they also want secure backups of their receipts. If you’ve ever lost a receipt, you know that Shoeboxed can help with book-keeping, tax returns, warranties and insurance claims.

Do I still have access to my receipts and business cards if I cancel my account?

If you cancel your Lite, Classic, or Business account you will still have access to the Shoeboxed.com tools and to your old receipts. If your account is canceled, we will not scan or process any new receipts for you.

It’s not your fault if you feel frustrated by filing! Most filing systems take too much time to file, hide the papers you often need, and require unnecessary maintenance. It’s no wonder many of us resort to paper piles! The problem is not with you; it’s the filing system you’re using. The solution is to eliminate all file maintenance, reduce your file time dramatically, and accelerate retrieval of papers needed for routine tasks.

My favorite filing system can be used for both personal and business and is called the FreedomFiler™.

FreedomFiler™ provides state-of-the-art, maintenance-free paper organizing solutions for the home and office. FreedomFiler™ is the first system to eliminate the need for conscientious purging entirely – and hence a quantum leap in simplicity and efficiency is achieved. FreedomFiler’s patent pending process guarantees that outdated documents are automatically replaced at the time of filing new ones. As a result, purging requires no conscious effort on the part of the user. There is never a need to set aside time for cleaning out files or to look up documents in a retention schedule.

Some of the Benefits:

• Free yourself from cleaning out your filing cabinet, for the rest of your life!
• Color-coded tab system is attractive and makes filing easy
• Eliminate the need to set up new folders and re-label files each year
• Have all your documents immediately available at tax time, year after year!
• Finish routine filing in 5 seconds or less!
• Instantly locate receipts for taxes, vendor disputes, audits, returns, and for resale
• Always have your current policies, agreements, legal and administrative files at your fingertips
• Keep a centralized place for family and property records
• Never have to decide when to throw away old papers!
• Ideal for any single person, family, or home business

Gorgeous ready-made system comes pre-assembled! Begin filing your papers immediately and start transfering files from your previous system whenever you’re ready. The starting system has common tab labels that are useful for nearly all household and small business needs. The system can be modified and expanded using the pre-printed label sheets provided with your kit. Extra folders and blank label sheets are provided for printing custom labels. Packages include attractive hanging file folders, a file holder, instructions, and plenty of additional labels, folders, and tabs in case you need to expand the system provided.

A pre-assembled Freedom Filer Quick Start set, with the 60 most commonly used labels already affixed to hanging files and stored in an attractive filing box. The set includes extra labels and file folders so you can customize it for your specific needs.

• 75 gray hanging file folders (60 pre-assembled)
• 25 extra clear file tabs
• Stackable file box with lid
• 2 guide clips help show you where to file
• 200+ additional pre-printed labels for specific household and small business needs
• 400+ blank color-coded labels for handwriting or printing using any word processor
• 5 Indexed “How To” cards to keep handy with your filing system
• Quick Start Guide, Label Index, and Q&A Booklets

Please allow 3 weeks for processing before shipment.

If you would like a little assistance getting started, this package includes:

• A pre-assembled FreedomFiler™ Quick Start System
• A half-hour phone call before you get started filing to explain the principles of the system and demonstrate the customizing of labels
• A half-hour follow up phone call to answer any questions that arise

After purchasing, please contact us to set up your first phone call. Please allow 3 weeks for processing before shipment.

Here are some tips for creating strong passwords:

• Use 8 characters or more; 14 is ideal.
• Combine both upper and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols such as a period, @, #, and $
• Pick letters from a phrase that’s meaningful to you to create a “pass phrase.” (“Do you know the way to San Jose?” could be D!Y!KtwTSJ?)
• Select a unique password and not one that you are using for some other purpose, such as your PIN at the bank or your password to another system.
• Change your passwords every 72 days or less.
• Avoid sequences or repeated characters like “12345678,” “222222,” “abcdefg.”
• Avoid sending your password over email.
• Test the strength of your passwords with a password checker lke the one below.

Test a password by typing into the text box below and watch as the Strength Checker instantly determines its strength as you type.

Need a place to store your passwords? If you like keeping things electronically, try the Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer. Prefer paper? The Internet Password Organizer Book is for you!

Need a centralized location to keep track of your usernames & passwords so they aren’t forgotten, lost, or stolen?

Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer
$14.95

Organize and protect your passwords with the Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer. This electronic file can be saved on your computer with password protection so only you can open it, and can be printed for travel or in case of emergency. No more keeping important information on scraps of paper which can be lost or stolen!

The electronic password organizer also comes with tips for creating secure passwords, and a link to our password strength checker. Works with Macs (MS Office 2003 and up) and PCs (Windows and Vista).

Please allow 2 business days for your item to be delivered via email.

And for “paper people” who don’t want to store their passwords electronically, this password book is a great way to organize passwords and home network info.
 

Password Organizer Book
$19.99

The quickest way to prevent clutter is to stop it at the door. Junk mail services like DMAchoice.org can help, and stopping at the recycling bin on your way in to toss any unwanted mail are a good start.

But once you step foot in the door, here are a few tips to create a “Drop Zone” to help keep items corralled so they don’t get strewn throughout your home as you walk in:

Before:

After:

1. Put a table, rolling cart, shelf or bench near the main door with baskets for: “Incoming” and “Outgoing.”
2. Create “Action Files” with an attractive file box and folders to pre-sort incoming mail into categories: Bills to Pay, To Do, To File, To Read, Contacts, and Coupons.
3. Look for multitaskers like a mirror with hooks on it to “check your look” and hang your keys and sunglasses.
4. Hang large hooks for purses, jackets, umbrellas, book bags, and dog leashes.
5. Shoes can get stored in large baskets, under a bench, or on stackable shoe shelves or cubbies.
6. Add a corkboard, whiteboard, calendar, or notepad by the door so family members can leave messages for each other. Have limited space for hanging? Try Idea Paint — it turns any surface into a whiteboard.
7. Install a purse rack or cap rack for multiple items.

Want help setting up your own “Drop Zone?” Contact us to set one up for you.

We all have our own ways to track our passwords, whether it’s by memory, on post-its, in a password book, or electronic password file. For some, it’s not to track them at all.

Well what happens to all those passwords when you or someone you love dies? All those email, bank, insurance & billpay accounts become inaccessible and companies won’t unlock those online accounts for anyone, even if you can prove you’re a relative.

One man was so frustrated after his Grandmother’s passing that he created Legacy Locker. It’s a website where people can securely store their usernames & passwords for a $300 one-time fee or small annual fee of $30/yr, then identify beneficiaries to essentially “will” the info to someone else in the event of their death. Users can also write letters they want passed on, and they describe their service as an “online safety deposit box”. Brilliant!

This would be great for estate planning, married couples, aging parents, and really anyone who wants to make sure their assests are taken care of.

Here’s a video clip from a news station in Boston if you’d like to learn more.

I had to write a blog about this product because my mind is absolutely REELING with possibilities for it, but Idea Paint is a great new product that turns any surface into a whiteboard! Think chalkboard paint, only better.

For about $99, you can cover a 25 sq ft area and the possibilities are endless – office & home office environments, restaurants, old chalkboards, storage containers, kid’s playroom walls, kindergartens, day care facilities, public libraries, hospitals, use it on doors, family “communication stations” and drop zones, furniture, dorm rooms, retail stores, artist studios, conference rooms, lobbies, artist studios, signage…..the list goes on. Apply some wall decals or stencils and get a funky and more decorative look like in this photo. Their new water-based product comes in 10 colors so you’re not tied to only white.

Just think of all the paper piles, scraps, post-it notes and backs of napkins that can be eliminated to keep spaces clear. Got a camera phone? Take a photo of your whiteboard notes so you can take the ideas with you.

Let me know if you try it out!

Procrastination is a nasty beast that can suck all our time away, and fill us with guilt and shame, and even prevent us from doing things we enjoy because we feel that unless we “finish our chores first” we can’t go play.

So here’s the good news: Procrastination is something totally under our control, and can do a lot about to see immediate results. Here are four things you can do right now to get you on the road to conquering procrastination:

1. Use the “2 minute rule.” If it takes less than 2 minutes to complete….do it now!
2. Use a timer. Here are 3 great ways to use it:
• Time yourself as you do a task and to see how long it actually takes (usually a lot less than you think, so it won’t be so overwhelming next time!)
• Set it for 15-20 minutes and stop when it dings. This will keep your “chores” to a manageable limit and prevent burnout.
• Race yourself. If a task seems daunting, set a timer for 15 minutes and “speed organize.” Basically race yourself to get through it quickly.
3. Enlist help:
• Get a “body double.” Call one of your friends and ask if they’ll sit with you while you sort mail, go through a box, etc. It makes the time go faster and you’ll feel like there’s someone holding you accountable. And if they bring over a craft or organzing project also, you’ll both get stuff done!
• Ask. This one can be difficult to get used to, but ask friends or family to help out with chores, or pitch in on a big project. My mom always said, “Many hands make light work.”
• Delegate. Sometimes it’s necessary to hand out chores to your family members, or ask a friend to pick something up for you if they’re already headed that way, or hire someone who specializes in it. Just because something needs to get done doesn’t mean YOU have to be the one to do it. Especially if it’s something you really don’t enjoy.

4. Reward yourself. After every task, do something small to celebrate (take a quick walk, call a friend, have some tea, watch your favorite TV show, hang a picture in your newly organized room, etc.) It’ll keep you movtivated for the next time!

Try these out and I’d love to hear which ones worked best for you!

So many of my clients have issues with too much paper in their homes and offices and would like to go paperless and be “green”, but they aren’t sure where to start and don’t want to spend a lot.

So here are some cheap and easy tips, with special thanks to Chris Nichols, owner of the Nichols Law Firm, who provided much content for this article. Chris consults with Attorneys interested in going paperless, so please contact him for an appointment if you’re interested or check out his blog.

1. Scan it.
   

   For do-it-yourselfers, Chris recommends the Xerox Documate and PaperPort software that comes with it. They allow for bulk scanning of multiple documents by inserting a blank sheet of paper in between them. Chris recommends that before puchasing equipment, decide how much scanning you'll be doing, then consider the document feeder capacity, speed, and the ease of use of the software that comes with it. He also recommends scanning at 200 dpi for faster scanning. His other tip is to purchase a 2nd monitor; one for the active work you're doing, and a second for document scanning.

   Don't have time to scan it yourself? Shoeboxed.com will do it for you -- everything from documents, to receipts, to business cards and will even pre-categorize receipts for you so you can immediately run reports to see where your money is going. Get 2 months free if you sign up for 1 year of service!

2. Rely on software.
   • OpenOffice.org has everything Microsoft Office has and then some, and it’s FREE! Instead of writing everything on paper that will get lost, use your computer and software to get more done.
   • Zoho.com is another free place to get email, spreadsheets, databases, etc. for free.
   • Cnet.com also has a lot of free software you can download that makes life easier.
3. Voice to Text & Virtual Assistants. By recording your notes to your computer instead of writing it on paper, you’ll never lose papers and you’ll never drown in piles. Inexpensively turn your computer into a dictaphone and save as a computer file with:
   • Express Dictate
   • IBM’s ViaVoice
   • Dragon’s Naturally Speaking

   Or use a Virtual Assistant software which will covert your voicemails into emails:

   • jott.com costs only $3.95/mo and you can call your voicemail number, leave a message, and Jott will convert it to a text message or email. They also have iPhone & Outlook apps to get your messages on the go.
4. Use Smart Phones. Having a phone with the ability to access your calendar, surf the web, send and receive email, and have GPS directions is a great way to eliminate a plethera of other papers/notebooks, etc.