A few of my clients share a similar habit. When company is coming over they take all the papers that are lying around and shove them into a bag. Then they shove this bag into the nearest cupboard. Out of sight out of mind.
This does not solve the
paper clutter
problem long term. I have yet to meet a person that does not comment on the amount of paper they have in their home. Are you one of them?
“They” said that with the invention of the computer we would be paperless. Ya right, we have 20% more paper now than we ever had before. It looks like paper is here to stay so below I am going to share with you my 5 simple tips on paper clutter. How to organize it once and for all.
Tip#1 Trust.
There is a level of trust that comes with conquering your paper clutter. You need to believe that if you toss papers and then realize you need it later that you will be able to get the information from someplace else. A perfect example is the daily newspaper. Do you ever think you will re-read it?
Do you ever get around to reading it again? I bet you don’t. Recycle your newspapers daily or save them for your wood burning fireplace. If you EVER need any of that information it is ALL online.
Tip#2 Go Paperless.
Switch to online bill payments. This stops all those bills in your mailbox and stops another tree from getting cut down.
Tip#3 Systems.
Have one system for jotting down to-dos, notes to family members and phone messages. I see many homes with little pieces of paper all over the place. These little papers get lost.
My favorite thing is the 1-to-31 Organizing System. Every piece of paper I need to deal with goes in the binder. Phone messages, to-do’s, birthday invites, kids school notices, travel plans, etc.
Tip#4 Shred it.
Get yourself a small shredder. Make sure it crosscuts to protect your privacy. Get one that can shred about ten sheets of paper at once. You might not need that right now, however down the road it is one of the better shredders to have. Shred all unnecessary papers in your home that have any of your personal information on it. Recycle the rest. Kids love to shred.
Tip#5 Take 15.
Take 15 minutes each day. Take a small handfull of papers. Sit down. Handle each piece of paper ONCE. Deal with that piece of paper. Does it need to be tossed, shredded, or recycled? Is it a bill that needs to be paid? Set it up on automatic payment and go paperless while you are at it. Are there school notices, kids’ art work in those piles? Deal with each piece of paper ONCE.
Going through papers is not that much fun. Why not treat yourself to hands on organizing session with me. We can conquer your
paper clutter
once and for all. Before we book an appointment you get a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. In that consultation we will discuss your needs and concerns. I’ll give you some tips on how to move forward with clearing the paper clutter prior to us getting together.
Hi Rowena
I went to one of your presentations a while back at UBC. It got me started being more mindful of the stuff I accummulate. Thank you.
Quick question – I was just going through my filing cabinet last night to thin out financial files. What are the rules for how long you should keep:
– utility bills (can I shred once they are paid?)
– credit card statements (??)
– investments (7yrs?)
– tax information (7 yrs?)
Thank you!
Karen
Hi Karen, Great questions.Thank You for taking the time to ask.
First I would highly recommend you going paperless with all your bills unless you are self employed. You can see them online, review them and then file them on your computer or delete them.I say delete.
For the ones you have you can shred till yours heart content. If you are not self employed there is no reason to keep paid bills. Some people feel comfortable keeping this months bill until the next months one comes in.
It is wise to keep at least the last 3 years of tax information. if you need to go for a mortgage they will want to see at least 2-3 yrs. If the government decides to audit you they will want the last 2- 3 as well. If there is a marriage separation the lawyers might need to see the last 2-3 yrs as well.
Again, this information can be kept on your computer. If you work with an accountant they will keep a copy of your tax information as well.
Most of my file cabinet is used to store office supplies now.
Hope this helps. Please feel free to take advantage of your free session if you would like more details.
Rowena………….The only LIST you need