Declutter It!

File Drawer Storage for Warranty Information

by Jennifer on May 23rd, 2008

In Organize Your Warranty Information - What You Should Keep, I went over what to keep that’s warranty related, and readers added some good ideas in the comments too. Now we’re moving on to storage solutions for your warranty.

Of course the most obvious solution, or at least the one I’ve seen people use most is, the good old basic file cabinet. I’ve used a file cabinet drawer before for warranties, but I currently use something else. Back to file cabinets though.

To get started you should have all the items we discussed keeping in the last post gathered together. Some people suggest stapling all the info together , which works well; it helps you to not lose anything. However, often a manual may come in a fold out poster style, or be too thick for staples. That said, I like clipping items together with Bulldog Clips better.

Creating a basic warranty drawer is as easy as placing your filing folders in your filing cabinet, and making sure the tabs are labeled correctly. The only big choice is how to organize the files. I’ve seen people do this all sorts of ways.

You can file warranty info by…

• Room: kitchen appliances all together, and so fourth.
• Type: computer equipment, food related appliances, toys, electronic, and so on.
• Date: Date warranty expires.
• Alphabetically: blender first, video games last…

I like using type best. I don’t like using rooms, because items change spaces, and I don’t like alphabetically, because I might forget the exact brand name of an item. I’ve seen people use date, but think it’s a silly filing method, because you’ll still likely keep info on a product, like the manual, even if the warranty expires.

This method is great if your household has a lot of warranties and you don’t mind filing. It’s also an inexpensive storage solution, especially if you already have a file cabinet.

[Bulldog clips image via Did You Remember the Milk]

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POSTED IN: Filing Systems