Organizing for Financial Success

Do you ever look at your watch at 8PM and think “Where did the time go?” With our busy schedules, it is easy to let time escape you which can cause a bit of disorganization in your home life, often leading to more stress.

Often our day-to-day lives are so hectic that staying organized might pose a challenge. Mail starts to pile up with statements, invoices, and advertisements. Organizing your mail and bills can be vital to decreasing stress and making sure that you aren’t missing any important documents that may require immediate attention. The best way to stay organized is to adopt an organization routine and stick to it. Check out these organization tactics that are low cost, and possibly free if you already have the supplies.

STEP ONE: PICK YOUR AREA

Find a spot in your house that you will see every day to set up an organization area. It can be a part of your desk, a home office, a small corner in the kitchen or a nook in the entryway of your home. Wherever the spot is that you chose, make that your designated area for organizing your mail and bills and make sure you pay it a visit every single day after you pick up the mail.

STEP TWO: GATHER YOUR PREFERRED SUPPLIES

There are many different ways to keep important documents organized that are low cost and even free.

Folders: Make a trip to the dollar store and pick up a few folders of your choice. Label each folder with the categories that you would like to sort by or the categories of mail that you are likely to receive. (Labeling Examples: Urgent Attention, Statements, Bills, To File, To Shred, Coupons, Century Program, etc.) This will help you keep track of where everything is, but can also ensure that you take time to open and read everything before you file it.

Another low cost option if you want to stay more compartmentalized would be to buy an accordion folder. This will centralize all of your folders into one tool. On the tabs of the accordion folder, label them as you see fit and store your papers that way. You can even create a tab for Century, that way you never miss an important communication from us regarding a settlement on your account.

Paper Clips & Binder Clips: These items can be found at your local dollar store for a few bucks. Assign each category to a specific color. Use those colors to organize based off of your system. For example, statements can be clipped together with a blue clip. Bills can be clipped with a red clip, etc. This can make it fun and add a little personalization. Also, if your designated area is out in the open, this method can eliminate big labels on your documents if you want to keep things a little more discrete.

STEP THREE: USE YOUR SYSTEM EVERYDAY

Once you lock down a system that works for you, it’s important to use the system. Creating a habit takes about 21 days for a human to adopt so stay motivated and keep this in mind. Once you get organized, you may notice you are feeling less overwhelmed. In addition to the paperwork, it also helps to organize your time.

Schedule Time for Tasks. Plan out your days, scheduling time specifically for certain task, whether it's cleaning, tending to a project or reviewing your finances. For example, schedule 15 minutes each week to log into your Century portal; this will keep you updated on your program's progress, including settlement alerts, creditor communications, and changes that you may need to review.

Century Alert System. Sign up for our Century Alert System. Having the text alert feature activated will get settlement offers texted directly to your phone for immediate attention.

When we are organized in the home and in our habits our minds are better able to focus on the important things. Start implementing some of these tips and tools one by one into your daily routine and make sure that you are committing to the decision to be organized. You may be surprised at the weight that is lifted off your shoulders as you embrace organization.