There are two things my clients always tell me create the most issues for them in terms of messes and piles of things; clothing and organizing papers. If you’re looking for help with better organizing clothes, check out these posts. Today we’re going to focus on paper.
Organizing Papers Takes Some Intentionality.
Do you have a paper management system in place for papers to go? Is 2021 the year you try to reduce paper and move more digital? A scanner and shredder will help you get rid of paper.
- SCAN the items that you know need to be kept for tax purposes or other reasons and make the information digital. Not only does this conserve space and cut down on clutter, having digital copies makes it fast and easy to locate when the time comes. Everything stays organized in its respective digital space this way.
- Look for opportunities to get digital documents from your lending company, bank, insurance company, and restaurant/merchant receipts to come via email from the start. That way you don’t even receive a paper copy.
- Going forward, set up online accounts and access for new services you implement. Get in the habit of checking account balances and paying bills online to cut down on the paper piles in your home.
- SHRED everything you don’t need. Documents with confidential or sensitive information should be shredded and then recycled. Anything that doesn’t need to be shredded can be put immediately into your recycling.
- Don’t have a shredder? If it isn’t something you want to invest in, you could temporarily borrow one from a friend or neighbor. Ask if you can use the one at work, or look for community shred days. Many organizations like Boy Scouts will offer a free, volunteer mobile shredding truck as a community service or fundraising option.
Be as mindful as you can to what you subscribe for and give permission to be sent. Here are some helpful resources to help you eliminate so much paper mail arriving in your mailbox.
- Visit catalogchoice.org to eliminate catalogs coming in the mail
- Visit optoutprescreen.com to eliminate credit card offers in the mail
- Visit DMAChoice.org to subscribe to a fee-based ($2 per year) to check your name on marketing lists and dictate what you do and don’t want to receive.
- Remember to hit unsubscribe at the bottom (sometimes top) of emails to things you no longer wish to get in your email box so it’s not so overwhelming. All reputable email lists need to offer a way to unsubscribe. It may be small, and you may need to really look for it, but you can unsubscribe. Why keep getting pet supply emails when you haven’t owned one in five years?!
If you’re having trouble getting a handle on your paper and would like help from our professional organizing services, contact us today.