A guide for filing bills & paper
Establishing a simplified filing system will ensure you don’t feel consumed by paper or forget to pay bills, respond to or attend events or an array of other things. First, you have to commit to some type of method and be consistent with it!! If not, you will drown in being disorganized and the pile of papers will go untouched. Once you prioritize what bothers you the most, here’s a few guidelines for “paper management” and eliminating paper clutter:
Create a “paper station” in your home! This does not have to be anything fancy, just a CONSISTENT place you leave mail, packages, or other items you need to go through. It can be an area on your kitchen counter or a fancy Pottery Barn office organizer system. It’s all the same until you sort through it. Establish a place for your children’s school papers and art work too. My kids have separate folders we temporarily place their drawings until we file them for keepsakes or recycle. (And of course, most of them are hung up and displayed around the home.) Once you go through it, put it where it will stay NOT back on the counter for days, weeks or months! Example: I pick up my mail and walk in my home, then I sit the mail down on the counter. When I have time, I go through it and recycle the junk mail, open bills and only keep what I need to file or pay. I will then set the pile of “to be filed/paid” on my office desk in a desk organizer, which I go through weekly or as needed. See notes on “One Touch Method” below!
Since nearly everything can be done on-line these days, GO PAPERLESS (call your bank or creditors and request this)! With this option, be sure to set up a spread sheet with usernames and passwords so you have easy access to login and save the dates when the bills need to be paid or if it’s on auto-bill.
Establish a filling system (either electronically or paper). For the items you can’t go paperless on you will need some sort of filing system. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. A small filing cabinet or decorative box with a few file folders for documents you have to keep will do. There are a lot of scanner APPS out there too that work great from your phone or desktop (ex: Genius Scan is an app). Once you scan, file on your computer and shred the hard copy. I also recommend a fire safe box for personal documents (birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license, credit cards, jewelry, guns, etc.).
Shred it or recycle it! If you have a shredder, it works best to have a small basket set aside for “to be shredded papers” and have a shredding party once a month or as necessary. You can also try local office supply stores to use their shredders (some charge depending on the volume). Or toss it immediately in your paper recycle bin, don’t let it sit under a pile of papers adding to the clutter.
Recycle your newspapers & magazines. I like to give old magazines to local libraries, schools or friends/family for sharing. Just be sure to black out your name and address if you donate them to an unknown party. Magazines are also good décor accent items, but ONLY a few, so go ahead and display them in areas you’ll read them.
Invitations!?!? What to do with wedding/birthday/shower and other random event or party invitations? (Most are electronic invites but there’s a few paper lovers still kicking around, I’m one!) After you open it, send the response card or RSVP as quickly as you can so you don’t forget. I love the idea of displaying these invitations, if possible, on a magnetic board, bulletin board or side of the fridge. Create a designated area, where you plan to store the invitations so you don’t misplace them. Recycle it after the event, unless it holds a sentimental value worth keeping.
“ONE TOUCH METHOD”.... this means once you pick up the mail either shred it, recycle it, or file it (or put in a to-be filled bin you go through once a week). Try to keep this routine daily and I promise it will come like second nature after a few weeks or so. Example: You receive a coupon in the mail from one of your favorite stores. Don’t leave it sitting in a pile of papers where you’ll forget about it. The first time you touch it, put it in your purse or coupon book in your car (yes, I have a coupon book in my car otherwise my purse would be massive).