I know, I know, they said by 2020 you would no longer need paper. Well, they lied. It’s gotten better for sure---you can ditch the old metal filing cabinets, but you’ll still need some home office storage. Here are a few inexpensive, easy ways to grab a little extra storage in your home office.

A trunk can double as a printer stand and storage for past years’ tax returns or other rarely accessed paperwork. I come across great looking vintage trunks often, but if you don’t have the time to check out second hand shops, IKEA, Wayfair and Overstock have some inexpensive options. The trunk shown in the photo is from IKEA.  A glass cutter can cut a top to fit for about $25. Store extra paper or photo paper in document boxes next to the printer. 

I use the Scanner Pro app on my phone to scan in a lot of paperwork, saving to my computer hard drive, and backing up to a cloud drive. Despite these electronic copies, there are some documents that I like to keep. Inside the wicker chest I store documents related to real-estate transactions, and seven years of tax returns. I have been audited, and was so very glad to have the hard copies and back-up documentation.

Another inexpensive storage option is a bookshelf. The trick to using a bookshelf for storage is good-looking baskets and bins. I keep office supplies in storage baskets. I use Magazine Files for small books or brochures that don’t stack well.  I use File or Document Boxes to temporarily store bills, receipts or medical records that I may need to reference.

My Monthly Bill Tracker (you'll find it in the printables section of the blog) and any bills that still come by mail (yes, I have tried to get them all electronically) are kept in a Financial Organizer, a Paperwork Organizer could also work.

The bottom line is this, get creative. Sometimes the best home office solutions weren't actually made for home offices. If this worked for you, share your workspace with us.  Tag @seejanework, #seemework.