Welcome to Part 4 of the DeCluttering the Paperwork Series! In case you missed them, you can read Part 1: Organizing Important Documents, Part 2: Organizing Handbooks & Manuals, and Part 3: Purging Files You No Longer Need.
Now onto Part 4, stopping the flood of papers that continue to clutter your home. Well, maybe not completely stop it, but I have some suggestions for slowing it down to small drip.
Open the mail by the recycle & shred bins.
This way you can immediately throw out what you don’t need.
Unsubscribe from junk mail.
Set aside some time to call and get your name off the list for all the spammy mail.
Unsubscribe from things you don’t read.
Or at least don’t renew your subscription if you hardly ever end up reading that magazine anyway.
Sign up for e-statements.
You can look over them on your computer, print if needed, and store in a special inbox folder for reference.
File right away.
Or once a week. Just don’t let the pile get too big. Then it’s even harder to file because you’re dreading that massive pile of disorganized paper… (I’ve been there, trust me.)
The less paper coming in, the less overwhelming it is to organize! Even getting rid of a little bit at a time will help a lot in the long run.
What are your methods to keep the paper clutter under control?
BEST ADVICE EVER: “Open the mail by the recycle & shred bins.” So glad you posted! 🙂
So glad you found it helpful! I find that if I don’t do this, I have paper sitting on the table for several days. Thanks for stopping by!
I learned years ago that my husband feels COMPELLED to open every single piece of mail. Advertisements, credit card offers, EVERYTHING. Then it all sits around while he “thinks” about what to do with it. So I cut him out of the mail sorting process. Unless it is a bill or important document all mail at my house goes straight from the mailbox to the trashcan-recycle bin-shredder. Good-bye piles of useless paper! 🙂 Thanks for sharing via Family Fun Friday.
In my own way to declutter papers is to sale them in a junk shop. Aside from cleaning I also earn from those papers.