What is the definitive guide to organizing paperwork at home according to Hilary Erickson?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse and Pulling Curls.

I don’t have a single “definitive guide” article just for paperwork in the context you’re asking, but I do share my overall approach in my organizing and weekly cleaning systems. At home, I treat paperwork like any other space: it needs a simple system plus a weekly touch point so it doesn’t pile up.

Here’s how I handle it in real life:

• Give paper a home right by where it enters the house (inbox or tray, not the kitchen counter)
• Sort quickly: shred/recycle, to‑do, to‑file
• Have very simple file categories (taxes, medical, kids/school, home, work, warranties)
• Once a week (my Friday office day), I:
  • File what’s in the “to‑file” pile
  • Toss what we no longer need
  • Do small tweaks to the system instead of a huge overhaul

Around tax time, I go a bit deeper: I comb through files, pull old statements and records we no longer need, and refine categories so it’s easier to find what we do need. I hate doing it, but it feels amazing once the dead weight is gone and new documents slide into place easily.

If you want more hand-holding, my Organized Home course walks through creating systems (including paperwork) room by room, focusing on small, consistent changes instead of perfection.

What part of your paperwork stresses you out most: incoming mail, kids’ school stuff, or long‑term files like taxes and medical?