This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using one of these links at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products that I actually use or have thoroughly researched and believe in.
It’s time to step up your home office organization game! Many of us have been stuck working out of our homes for the last year. If you didn’t already have a good permanent setup you may have thrown something temporary together thinking that you wouldn’t need it for very long. Here are some items to help you clean up your existing office or start the journey to building a permanent one.
Go Paperless!!
The biggest hurdle of office organization is always PAPER! Breeze through your mountain of papers with a high-speed ScanSnap scanner. The iX1500 version will scan tons of receipts, bills, and documents in just a minute or two. I do a lot of bookkeeping work and this is by far my best investment I’ve made other than my computer itself. Buying used on Amazon has saved me about $100 on this item. I’ve had it for about five years since I got it and it has moved across the country and the Pacific Ocean with me. It is still scanning quickly and easily.
The software that comes with it allows you to scan either long documents or you can separate each page or receipt in the scan. You can get a smaller portable version for around $100 to $150, but it doesn’t do as many pages at once if you have a huge backlog of paper. The scan quality is clear and easy to read on all of ScanSnap’s scanners.
You can never go wrong with an external hard drive (for all those files you just scanned).
I use mine for:
- backups
- bootable drives
- old photos and videos
The profile and price of the Toshiba linked below are great. It comes in several storage sizes, so it’s suitable no matter the amount of data you need to back up.
For the papers you can’t get rid of.
This next one may seem odd, but I have a reason. Many of us have small homes and apartments. My office space is in my living room. For all of you out there that need furniture to do double duty check out this coffee table from Ashley. It has two lateral file drawers and a lift-top so you can use the top as a desk if you like as well or extra dining if you are in a small apartment. There is also a coordinating chairside table that I have linked right below it as well. The chairside table has a really narrow profile with cleverly designed power access as well as MORE STORAGE.
Here is the matching Media End Table
You will need some lovely new folders for the inside of your new file drawer/coffee table. I prefer Pendaflex or Smead brand folders. I have done A LOT of filing over the last 8 years and have tested them all). These brands hold up well to heavy use and slide on the rails in the drawer without sticking and snagging.
Try reusing the hanging folders every year and only put the inner folders into long-term storage in bankers’ boxes for small businesses that need hard copies. Personally, I prefer Legal size, but I’ve linked Letter size since it is the most common. I pay a little extra and get colors that compliment my decor (yes I know they are in a drawer, but it “sparks joy”). Yes, I have an unhealthy love of office supplies, and I have no intentions of doing anything about it)
Go Wireless
Getting rid of wires on your desktop is one of the easiest ways to make your desk space look and function better. My favorite wireless keyboard and mouse EVER are about $30 cheaper than the last time I bought them. I have had it at 3 different jobs and at my home too. It’s the Logitech K350 keyboard and M510 mouse. They are both super comfy to use. Ergonomic without having to relearn how to type on a weird keyboard. The mouse works with both Windows and Mac, but I’ve never been able to get the keyboard to connect to my Mac. It DOES work on Windows operating system on Bootcamp partition on a Mac though!!
I prefer Apple keyboards for wireless keyboards for Mac users instead of third-party keyboards. I personally need a number keypad since I do a lot of bookkeeping. As another bonus, Apple’s keyboards are now rechargeable. Now you don’t need to constantly replace batteries!
Streamline your tech
If you need to replace your computer I recommend going to Apple, even if you need to run Windows. I know not everybody is a fan, but my Apple computers have always lasted about 3 TIMES longer than my PCs. I’m very good about maintaining my machines too. I’m weird; I like both Mac OS and Windows and can use either one just as easily. My Macbook Pro has both systems and I don’t have to sacrifice speed or performance. I use Apple’s built-in Bootcamp to create a partition and run Windows without running my Mac OS in the background at the same time. Other third-party programs used to run both systems simultaneously, making it super slow and buggy.
I manage our family devices (all Apple) and tend to do most of my computer “playing” on my Mac side. For my video editing and most other creative stuff, I use this side as well.
For my bookkeeping sidework I use Quickbooks Desktop and the versions I use only work on Windows so I primarily use this as my “work” side of the computer. I also love Microsoft Office products such as Outlook and Excel (I have an unhealthy love of spreadsheets). The office suite is on my Mac side as well, but I tend to use Apple’s products more than these when I’m on it. As a bonus, having a work side and play side of the computer helps keep me from being distracted as easily.
Don’t Be Afraid to Buy Used
I’ve bought one open box Apple from Best Buy back in 2012 (it’s an early 2011 model) and it still works great! Recently, I bought a used Macbook Pro 2017 model from an Apple reseller store employee who wanted to upgrade to something shinier and newer. Both machines have exceeded my expectations.
Put it all together
These are just a few of my favorite things that have helped me condense and clean up my home office space. This is really essential when you don’t have a dedicated room just for work. It’s awkward having office clutter out when your invite your friends and family over for dinner, or even when it’s just you and your family at home trying to relax. Put the work away and enjoy your off time!
Aloha Y’all,
Brandy
