O.K. I said it…loud and clear… I HATE PAPER CLUTTER…I am not alone it appears. I have started to work with three new clients in the last few weeks that suffer from the exact same illness – paper clutterosis…or paper clutter-itis. {I may have made up those words but you know what I mean}
Here are the genesis of that paper clutter:
1. Postal letter carriers delivers: mail, bills, flyers, brochures
2. Kids bring home: tests, newsletters, permission forms, ‘art’ (noticed I used air quotes?)
3. Husband subscribes to the paper
4. I accumulate: business cards, contact info, magazines
5. Dog: eats paper – (mental note: keep dog = purge paper).
How do we deal with paper clutter that you hate? The answer lies in how you handle the paper before it becomes a problem.
Simple solutions:
1. You should open your mail by a recycle container, an accordion file folder and a holding file folder. Recycle all flyers, envelopes and paper products; file any bills – right away don’t wait or place in a ‘to file’ folder. You’ve already set up the labeled accordion file folders so PUT THE BILLS IN THERE…right away.
2. Sign any permission slips and put them back into the school agenda where the teacher is going to look for them. Have the school newsletter sent to you electronically (its saves on paper – a good lesson for our tiny environmentalists) once in your in-box, read and delete. Put ‘art’ pieces up for a limited time – use one-in-one-out rule. Don’t accumulate multiple masterpieces.
3. Read the paper on-line (that is what I do) or get hubby to place in recycle bin as soon as he is finished reading the paper. Problem solved 🙂
4. Use a Neat Receipt scanner to scan cards you want to keep. Keeping electronic records make it easier to search and retrieve the information. No more sifting through a big pile of cards. Then, TOSS cards. Limit the amount of magazines that you subscribe to. DO NOT OVER SUBSCRIBE TO ELECTRONIC EDITIONS OF MAGAZINES. THAT is considered clutter just in a different format!
5. Avoid letting dog eat paper…Vet bill will cost you more than you care to know. Do the work: purge the paper properly, consistently and on a daily basis.
Hate Paper Clutter? DEAL WITH IT RIGHT AWAY BEFORE IT MULTIPLIES. O.K.?
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.
good job margarita on your newsletter.
Home offices are the worst for paper clutter. Keeping it all organized isn’t that hard if you stay on top of it. Some good points, thanks.