My Portable Office

Several years ago a great friend (Thanks Amy!) gave me a clear folder to use on vacation to keep all the important papers together. It worked great to keep them protected, available and all in one place. Recently, I picked up several more to use at home. I noticed I had papers on my counter that I wanted to have nearby or would need soon. I decided I would like those papers on my counter a lot more if they had a little more organization! 

I have about five that I am fully utilizing right now. The one I like the best and use the most has store coupons in it. If I get one in the mail I slide it right in. If I notice a similar one still in there, I check the date and recycle if expired. I try to check this folder about once a week, maybe every ten days. 

Recently, I had one folder will all of our eyeglass prescriptions. We were shopping numerous places for frames and I wanted the prescription with me when we found what we wanted. Since those have all been purchased I need to get them to the right folder in our filing cabinet. Another folder has some documents related to our upcoming home sale that I want to keep in one place.  And I think there is one for some college documents too. I have to go through that one very frequently, since those colleges send a lot of mail! 

Usually, I kept these folders propped up on my kitchen counter so they are readily accessible. However, with the house about to hit the market, I don't want those folders visible or available to potential buyers. I decided in the interim I will use my new Land's End tote bag to keep these folders in! When it's time to leave the house, I will just toss my computer in and take it all with me. No mess left.

Here is a peek inside. I have been taking this bag with me to flute lessons recently, so thus some reading material. I often throw in a spiral notebook for writing down meal plans and grocery lists while I wait. I often take this time to clean out those coupons if they are in the bag.

A peek lower in the bag shows you I have my receipts in there, a pad of sticky notes, and a little coin purse (which is really full of pennies and postage stamps...odd I know). Not pictured is some hand sanitizer. I don't really have a need for a portable office most of the time, but this bag in addition to the folders really works pretty well. I think I will add some more items to it in the coming weeks to make it even more functional, such as pens, a pair of scissors, my cell phone charger. I was thinking of adding tissues, but now it sounds like it is becoming a large purse!!

My goal is to keep things organized during the move. And I think this should do it. Do you have a portable office or action files? What would you put in an office bag like this for a move?