Must-Read Tip: How to Organize Product Manuals and Warranties

It's the new year - time to organize! I'd like to share a QUICK organizing tip that’ll take 10 minutes of your time but will SAVE hours, headaches, and clutter down the road.
Instruction manuals, directions, and warranty sheets take up a bulk of my paper pile. What’s worse is that moment when something breaks or malfunctions and I need to search through a pile of old papers just to find information.
Once I figured out this organizing trick, I saved lots of time and aggravation by having every single manual at my fingertips in seconds.
Start with an expandable file folder. This one cost $3 at Family Dollar.
Label each section for a category. I love my label maker because it’s easy to use and the labels look professional, but handwriting the labels works just as well.
Adapt your categories as needed – for example, you could organize the manuals by the room where the item resides such as kitchen, living room, etc. Or be more specific, for example: Appliances, ComputersElectronics, Furniture, etc.
Then, simply add the labels to the file folder and now all your loose instruction manuals and warranty information has a nice new home!
Carrie MakingLemonade
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Sharon Fullen Sharon Fullen on Jan 15, 2014
    I found a faster and easier solution - Evernote. This cloud service (free or paid version) allows you to either scan the manuals and upload or locate a copy on the web (very easy) and save to Evernote. I can access the information from my Mac, my PC, my iPhone and my iPad. I got rid of 2 huge file drawers of manuals and warranties!
  • Jolene Bullock Jolene Bullock on Mar 05, 2015
    I keep a binder (or it could be a folder) in every room with the manuals to the things that are in that room. If I move something to another room, the manual goes to the binder in the that room. This way, when I'm in the a room and need to look up how to program the thermostat, for the umpteenth time, the manual is right there. If I need a copy in more than one place, I scan and print, or download and print, the manual from online.
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