Meet Your Goals with a Practical Home Office

Making sense of a year’s worth of paperwork and clutter can take some serious time, but getting organized can help you tackle home management tasks more efficiently. Here are five tips to help you get started.

1Make sure you have furniture that can adequately store your stuff, including plenty of space for files, reference books and computer equipment. Consider file racks, plastic drawer carts or even labeled boxes for inexpensive yet functional furniture options.

2Arrange the space with your own work style in mind. For example, if you don’t need ample space to spread out over a large, flat work area, eliminate that space. It’s simply an invitation for clutter.

3Place items you rely on, such as a calculator or ruler, within arm’s reach so they can easily be put away between uses. Capture these items in containers and bins to keep the space looking neat and free of clutter.

4Whether you alphabetize, color code or use some other method, establish a filing system and group paperwork into segments for categories such as bills, banking, health care, auto, insurance and so on for easy access in the future.

5Get control of your cords by storing devices you don’t use regularly and securing the remaining cords with twist ties or clips. Remember to use a surge-protected power strip to minimize the chance of damage should a power surge occur.

Find more tips to make your workspace tidy and organized at eLivingToday.com.

—Family Features