photo credit: Kai Hendry

I hope have you been able to take 15 minutes a day for yourself to be organized. I thought I would put together a list of the items in my office that I couldn’t do without. Office equipment don’t have to cost a fortune and one of the best ways to save money on office equipment and supplies is to sign up at online for free coupons. I get coupons several times a year that I can use in the store or on line that save me lots of money. Go to the Office Depot, Office Max and Staples websites and sign up for email notifications. Here are ten items I couldn’t be without.

1. File Cabinet – Everyone needs a place to keep important papers so they don’t get lost. I have two small two drawer file cabinets in my office that every piece of paper I must keep is in. You need a place to keep all of those appliance instructions, tax returns, children’s vaccination records, current receipts, etc.

2. Fireproof Safe – You need to keep items such as birth and marriage certificates, passports, social security number cards safe and inaccessible to those who don’t need the information. If you have space, a fireproof safe is an easy and convenient item to keep you important and hard to replace documents. Most banks offer safe deposit boxes for minimal rent so if you don’t mind going to the bank to retrieve your items, a safe deposit box is a space saving alternative to a safe.

3. Inbox – You need a place to put all of the incoming paperwork in to keep it all together. My desk has a pretty box on it that a birthday gift came in. You just need a central place to set the mail and receipts in so it doesn’t have to be fancy. You can get plastic and metal ones at most office supply stores for a couple of dollars.

4. Label Maker – I label everything and a label maker makes it look nice, plus it is fast. Whenever I get a new gadget like an mp3 player, a camera or cell phone I make a label for each accessory that comes with it. I put a label on the charger cord, recharging cradle and the computer cord that has the model or make of the item it goes with. This way I can store all of my electrical and computer cords in one place and the labels identify the item it is used with. I have a drawer in my office labeled gadgets and there must be ten different power cords in there. The labels make it really simple to match them up with their device.

5. Scanner – I use my scanner every day and couldn’t be without it. The scanner interfaces with the computer so you can scan documents to a digital file on your computer or to a file to be printed (thus eliminating the need for a copier). I recommend you purchase a scanner that comes with software that allows the scan to be saved as a pdf document or as a jpeg. The software is less expensive when it comes bundled with a scanner than if purchased alone.

6. Office Chair – You don’t want to skimp here if you spend more than an hour a week in your office. Office chairs have come a long way in comfort and you should be able to find one that fits your budget. Go to a large office supply and sit in all of the chairs to find one that fits you. Keep an eye on your local classified ads to find companies that are closing to get the best deal on a used chair.

7. Shredder – There is always something on the news about identity theft but there is something you can do to lessen your chances of it happening to you. Shred all of the incoming credit card applications, and anything with your signature or personal information on it.

This short list is that items I find the most important in my office.

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