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Are
stacks of papers, mail, newspapers, and growing “to do” lists cluttering
your home? Has it been months since you’ve seen your countertops or have you
completely forgotten what your countertops look like? Paper clutter includes
bills, warranties, cards, mail, memos, sticky notes, lists, letters,
advertising flyers, school papers, etc. If any or all of these items are
cluttering your home and countertops, follow the simple ideas below to
organize your papers and gain control over the clutter.
Mail: the general and well known rule
for reducing stacks of mail is to handle it only once.
• Choose an area for sorting mail and sort through it as soon as it arrives.
Immediately throw away junk mail and separate the rest into several piles:
bills, reading material, and mail to be shredded. Sometimes a fourth pile
may be needed to separate your mail from your spouse’s mail.
• Place reading material, such as magazines or catalogs into your inbox or
magazine holder to be read later.
• Shred all mail containing personal information. This will help to protect
yourself from identity theft by safely disposing of mail that contains your
Social Security number, bank account numbers, or credit card numbers. Be
sure to shred all unwanted credit card applications and home refinancing
offers.
• Place your bills in your in box or wherever you pay your bills in order of
the date they are due. Create a 13-pocket accordion file with tabs for each
month and the last tab for income tax receipts. As you pay bills, write the
check number and date on your copy and file accordingly. Also, add bank
statements and credit card receipts in the correct months. At the end of the
year, add your tax returns and store the entire accordion file.
• Another bill paying method is to purchase a portable filing box or a
filing cabinet. Create a filing system of bills paid by labeling manila
folders for each company that you pay a bill to. After paying a bill, make a
note of your check number and date paid on your copy and file in the
appropriate file. At the end of the year, clean out the files that you don’t
need anymore to make room for the upcoming year.
Permanent Papers:
• Create a tabbed filing system for papers you need to keep long term, such
as car insurance, life insurance, homeowner’s insurance, medical insurance,
children’s records, animal records, etc.
Receipts: use an accordion file, a large envelope, a plastic divided
envelope, or a coupon wallet to organize your receipts.
• Sort through your receipt file every 60-90 days and throw out receipts
that have an expired return date. Be sure to shred receipts that have your
credit card number printed on them.
• Save gift receipts. A good rule to follow is to save the receipt for three
months after giving the gift. You can also give a gift receipt with the gift
for easier return or exchanging.
• Toss out receipts that are not tax-deductible such as groceries, pet
grooming, and dry cleaning.
• Staple the receipts of major purchases to their warranty cards or with the
instruction manual. For example, if you purchase a vacuum cleaner, staple
the receipt to the instruction manual and file it in a labeled folder.
Income Tax Receipts:
• Create a large envelope or a file folder for the current year’s income tax
receipts. Place all receipts for the year that pertain to income tax in the
envelope or folder. This will make it much easier when it’s time to figure
out your taxes because all your receipts and statements will be in one
location.
Manuals, Booklets, and Warranties:
• Create a folder for each major appliance and store manuals, warranties,
receipts, and any other important information to be saved. Label the folder
for quick and easy reference.
• It’s also helpful to keep the receipts, instructions, and warranties of
children’s products in case a product receives a recall notice or it stops
working. This applies more to the larger products such as car seats, bouncy
seats, swings, high chairs, electronic toys, etc. Create a folder for each
product and label the folders for quick and easy reference.
Magazines and Catalogs:
• Place them in decorative magazine holders next to your couch or wherever
you read magazines.
• Store the magazines and catalogs upright so it is easy for you to thumb
through them and see what issues you have. As new magazines and catalogs
come in, discard the oldest ones.
Books:
• After you have read a book, donate it to a library or sell it if you don’t
plan to read it again.
• Once your children outgrow their books, have them donate their books to a
charity, kid’s book store, or library.
Coupons:
• File the coupons in a coupon wallet or an envelope and carry them in your
purse or car.
• Be sure to go through your coupons on a regular basis and throw away the
expired ones.
Business Cards and Contacts:
• Store all business cards in a business card holder or a Rolodex.
• Keep all addresses and phone numbers in one location such as an address
book or a spreadsheet on your computer.
Children’s Artwork:
• Purchase a colorful three-ring binder and include favorite artwork. To
protect the artwork, place the papers in plastic sleeves made for three-ring
binders.
• Turn children’s artwork into cards that can be mailed to friends and
family.
• Create a file folder for saved artwork.
• Purchase a portable file storage box with hanging file folders. Help your
child to decorate the box and label the folders. For example, you might want
one folder for kindergarten artwork, one folder for first grade artwork, and
so on. This will keep all artwork organized and together in one place.
• Hang up a bulletin board in your child’s room where he or she can display
their favorite artwork. They can change out the artwork as often as they
like and they will enjoy seeing their artwork hanging up in their room.
• Let your child choose a few favorite pieces of his or her artwork and
frame it to match their room decor. Then hang the framed artwork in a
special place in their room.
Whether you have a built-in desk filing system or you use portable file
boxes, the important thing is to label your folders and boxes the way it
works best for you. There are many attractive binders and file boxes
available on the market today to help you organize your papers. You can
purchase portable file boxes in all shapes and sizes. They come in natural
fibers, pretty pastels, shabby chic, contemporary, and even see-thru.
Three-ring binders and file folders come in different sizes and all the
colors of the rainbow, while in boxes made of fabric or linen can be
purchased to match your home decor.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s often easy to toss papers on your desk or
countertop and deal with them at another time. By doing this, you create
more work for yourself and more countertop clutter. So, take the steps to
get rid of paper clutter for good and you will be more organized, you will
take pleasure in seeing your countertops again, and most of all you will
enjoy a more comfortable and peaceful home.
About the Author: Lesley Dietschy is a
freelance writer and the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange and the
Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Decor Exchange is a popular home and garden
website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, free projects,
and a shopping marketplace. The Home & Garden Exchange website is a link
exchange program and directory dedicated to the home and garden industry, as
well as offering free website content and promotional ideas. Please visit
both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.
http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com
http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com |