Spring Cleaning Your Office: Don’t Let It Lead to Identity Theft!

Have you started getting the itch to dust, organize and declutter your home? When the crocuses and tulips start peeking their heads out of the ground, I know it is close to spring! Along with the nice weather comes the open windows, the gardening, and the spring cleaning. Each room of the house has its own set of ‘chores’ that I try and do once a year. Spring cleaning your office is is a great way to prepare for tax time. If you want to join me on my spring cleaning journey, I will include a few affiliate links for things that might come in handy.

Spring Cleaning Your Office:

Don’t Let It Lead to Identity Theft!

I admit it, I HATE cleaning out the filing cabinet and never know what I should keep and what I can toss in the trash. Then I worry…well, maybe that particular item shouldn’t go into the trash at all? Who knows what types of people are sorting through my garbage just looking for a bill with an account number on it! Do they want my electric company account number? Who knows in this day in age!

I have a system…sort of. If t is financial (credit card bills) or medical, I keep it in a large brown grocery bag in the storage area. (I have a LOT of bags there right now!). If it is anything else, it goes in the fire pit. We can enjoy a glass of wine while burning electric bills! Of course, there are better options out there than a fire pit, right? And that is why I have just bought myself a paper shredder! This is the number one easiest way to prevent crooks from getting their hands on your private information. Just recycle or compost your shredded paper and you have protected your identity while reducing your carbon footprint! Good job!

Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Office:

Begin with the Basics: Sort through the piles of paperwork on your desk and in your office drawers. Place them into two categories: ‘save’ and ‘shred.’
Proper Storage: Organize the “save” pile into labeled folders and be sure to put anything confidential into a fire-proof lock box. The “shred” pile should be properly disposed of with a shredder.
Get a Digital Makeover: Refresh your home office computer by deleting files you no longer use and backing-up important data onto an external hard drive. Clean out your inbox and change all passwords. Computer maintenance is a good practice to follow throughout the year as well.
Make Life Easier: Plan ahead by purchasing organizational tools for your desks, such as computer risers or file folder holders. This will help clear clutter from your desktop while keeping things within arms reach.
Freshen Up: Get rid of dust and germs that easily build up on office equipment such as keyboards, telephones, and cabinets. You’ll feel instantly more productive with a clean workspace.

Spring cleaning your office is a task that you really should tackle once a year. I find that tax time is a good time to get started but you might have a different cleaning schedule than I do. No matter when you choose to do it, though, make sure your spring cleaning doesn’t lead to identity theft!

Have you started spring cleaning the office yet?

Like this post? Try this one, too!

10 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Home

The post Spring Cleaning Your Office: Don’t Let It Lead to Identity Theft! appeared first on Turning the Clock Back.

Spring Cleaning Your Office: Don’t Let It Lead to Identity Theft!