Getting rid of the papers you no longer need can be difficult. It’s hard to know when it is okay to get rid of papers such as health explanation of benefits, utility bill statements, insurance statements, mortgage statements, bank statements, paycheck stubs, grocery receipts, retirement statements, obligations paid in past, information of cars you no longer have, school papers, etc. Finding a system that is easy for you can be difficult but can be achieved. Put time aside daily or weekly to go through the stacks so you can create a system you can stay on top of. Papers can be overwhelming when you are not sure when to get rid of them or not know what to do with them.
Check your mail daily
I know it may sound hard, but checking and putting your mail away each day will help avoid a mountain of unopened and often misplaced important documents. Make it a habit to check your mail. If you have a little one, let him or her get the mail. Assign a location for the collection of mail. Immediately toss junk mail and circulars into the recycle bin or trash can.
Recycle / Shred
Did you know recycling and shredding is not only environmentally friendly, it also helps you save money on your trash bags? That is a win-win. We bring in so many paper items in our home daily and don’t know what to do with them. Instead of filling our land fields with crumpled paper, recycle or shred those unwanted paper documents.
Unsubscribe to Paper Billing
Many people are opting to unsubscribe to paper billing. Consider saving your bank statements, credit card statements, and other important statements on a digital file on your computer. This will limit the amount of paper mail that comes into your home.
Active Files
Utilize an active file/tickler system to organize your upcoming activities. This is an easy and convenient way to keep track of concert tickets, wedding invitations, save the date cards, etc. Check out my You Tube Video and/or Blog Post on how I created this system. You can also purchase a ready-made system in my Easy shop. Use coupon code DIVINE10 for 10% off
Freedom Filer System
The complete FreedomFiler System is the ultimate filing system for your paper files. It organizes your bills, statements, insurance policies, medical records, upcoming appointments, and all other paper files. The Freedom Filer system is absolutely self purging. Once you create it, it is set up to purge itself. Click Here for additional information about the FreedomFiler system. All clients of Divine Elements of Design and the Decorator’s Voice receive a free 15 minute Skype call to assist them with setting up their Freedom Filer system. After purchasing your Freedom Filer system here, schedule your free call.
eBooks
Many people are opting for eBooks instead of physical paper books and magazines. You can purchase or rent eBooks from Amazon, your public library, and many other digital eBook sites. The world can be at your fingertips and your iPad/tablet.
Organize Your Inbox
I utilize the three box system on my desk. The boxes are “To File”, “Follow Up”, and “Current Projects.” Every piece of paper on my desk will go in either of those sections. If not, they are probably trash or need to be recycled.
I hope you found these tips helpful. I would love to hear ideas on how you manage your paper clutter. Feel free to leave any comments or questions below.
If you need help getting your home and life organized, register for my free “5 Days to an Organized Home & Life” email course. You’ll receive tips and suggestions for five days and a copy of my eBook. You can register for the free course at www.decoratorsvoice.com/free5daycourse.
For information about my Full Home & Life Organizational Strategies course, please visit www.decoratorsvoice.com/homestrategiescourse.
As always, thanks for stopping by. If you have any organizational or decorating questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I would love to hear from you. For information concerning our decorating services and products, please visit www.divineelementsofdesign.net
Great tips! Paper is the number one clutter problem in my house…especially since I’m a writer! I definitely agree that checking your mail every day makes a huge difference, yet somehow I’ve slipped on this lately.
These are great tips!! (I think I’ll print them out and put them by the door as a reminder – I constantly fight paper clutter!)
As organization enthusiast, this post is right up my alley. Loved it. Gotta check out your self-purging filing system for sure.
Paper clutter seems never ending, but you have some great tips for keeping it under control and limiting it! Thank you!
Great tips. I go through my mail as I’m walking up my driveway. Any junk mail goes into the recycling bin so I don’t bring it into the house. Bringing less things in the house is half the battle for me when it comes to cutting clutter.
You are right. We need to limit the things we bring into our homes.
Amazing tips! I totally agree with all of these. I hate clutter, especially paper clutter! Great post.
Ugh I definitely need to tackle this soon!
Paper clutter is such a pet peeve and yet it always seems to exist. I am definitely going to look into recycling. Never thought about how much room paper takes up in the garbage.
Wonderful list! I try to do as many things digital as I can as a teacher, we use SO MUCH paper.
erika || http://www.entirelyerika.com
Getting your bills online is a great way to get rid of clutter! I always hate receiving the bill in the mail, because it’s just clutter I am going to throw away. For important documents, my husband and I put them in an organized folder for safe keeping!
All the paper – ugh!!!! Great suggestions. It’s just a matter of keeping up with it. Thanks for the “nudge” to get going!
I swear I am a borderline paper hoarder lol! This post has great tips and I am looking in to the Freedom Filer to see if it will help me get my paper clutter under control! Thank you for all the great tips!
Me and paper have a never ceasing battle. Thanks for the great tips, like with most things, I think consistently practicing these tips is the key!
– Neelam
I will do your tip unsubscribing to paper billing.Thanks!