Note to self

Putting off taxes and quarterly reports should be avoided.

I think next year we'll use a tax preparer. I say this every year but what end up holding me back is not so great record keeping and finding the time. It's a bit like going to the hairdresser. Once I'm there I love it, but scheduling, getting my hair in hairdresser shape* and driving there are just too much. So I end up doing my hair on the couch with a tv marathon ever couple of weeks.

This weekend my husband and I are going to have a conversation about record keeping. We need a system beyond "this is a household thing hon, here you go." I happily do the household finances, but maintaining a filing system on my own is not something I'm up for. The summer I worked at a credit union relabeling and moving 2 walls of file cabinets killed that.

I have a couple of ideas/options.

• File folders that we just drop things in by category
• Expandable file with categories
• The baggie system- putting all receipts for a month in a sandwhich bag and dealing with them at the end of the year. This is from a coworker.

Do you have any super easy ways to keep all of the documents from taking over or flying away?

*My hair and combs don't get along. I break around 2/year. My hair is usually twisted so hairdresser prep involves un twisting and detangling (2-3 hours), then (without retangling) getting my hair to do something that's acceptable for leaving the house. It's a process.