This article discusses situations where is necessary to go back through your files to retrieve certain information. It talks about the importance of keeping track of things by filing receipts and work orders.
If you have ever had contractors or repairmen come out to your house to do some work it is critical to a) keep all the paperwork and receipt and b) know where to find them fast. Stuff tends to break, sometimes sooner than later. Or sometimes the repairmen did a lousy job and you have a) get them back out again to fix it and b) you might have to prove that the work was done before or within a certain time frame.
Here is an example: Last week I had a Heating & Plumbing company out here doing the yearly maintenance on the furnace. They also inspected the central humidifier and found a problem with the valve. I did have them fix and things seem to be OK until this morning when I went downstairs into my basement to grab something. The floor was wet. I started looking around and it like the water came from the water heater. So, I called the company who had put in the water heater about a year ago (different company). They needed the order number for when the work was done. At first I struggled – where did I put that paperwork, but then I just looked in the logical place – our folder for repairs and anything related to our house. There it was and within one minute when being asked for the receipt I was able to provide the information to the lady on the phone.
Later that morning it turned out not to be the water heater, but the valve for the central humidifer. The company who had installed the water heater was nice enough not to charge me for coming out – even though this was not their problem that triggered the call. So, I called the other company and again was asked for paperwork and information. And again, I knew where to look and I was able to “nail” them down on the repair date.
Another issue I had was with my home service plan that covers the AC and furnace. I had renewed the plan in May and in September the company said my plan was expired. I had to go back through my paperwork to prove them wrong – with success. They had forgotten to put it into their system.
So, these are just a few examples where you can see how important it is to keep your paperwork handy. I usually scan in all my receipts and then destroy the original by sending it through a paper shredder, but sometimes you actually need to keep the original to show it as a proof of (example) some work that was done. A good filing system or paper organizer is worth the money you spent on it. Make sure to use it.
It is important to use the right tools for organizing stuff. As an example you can use
Media Management Software to stay organized. A
Closet Organizer is another good way to stay organized.
