Reduce Paperwork and Stress in Your Home

Organizing home paperwork is not most people’s idea of a pleasant Saturday afternoon activity. Consequently paperwork tends to get out of control in our homes.  We make plans to file bills, recycle old magazines, and shred bank statements.  And we really did plan on doing it, yet some way we are once again faced with stacks of paper, and overflowing folders and drawers that won’t close.  Consider reducing the amount of paper coming in to your home as a place to begin your organizing mission.

1.  Your incoming paper mail is a good jumping off point for organizing home paperwork.  Stop dumping your mail in all different locations.  Designate a basket or specific place for your mail to go every day.  If you have a designated spot for the mail opening the door to demands of dinner and other household tasks needing attention won’t cause the mail to get lost in the shuffle.  When you are ready to open your mail collect it out of its’ basket and open it next to a recycling can and your shredder.  Put your junk mail and unwanted catalogs in the recycling immediately.  If you plan to pay a bill online recycle the return payment envelope enclosed with the bill.  Shred any credit card offers or statements that have any personal information that you will not need to file for down the road.

2.  Think about moving to paperless statements where possible.  Stop paper bills and statements being sent to when you can.  This will reduce the amount of paper coming in to your home, which will reduce the amount of paper that you have to sort and file.  This also saves natural resources!  You will still have access to the statements you had been receiving in the mail when you go paperless, and will be able to print them.  So rest assured online viewing and printing will be available.  Many companies offer a paperless bill delivery option; this is especially likely if you are already paying the bill online.  You may even be offered an incentive for going paperless.

3.  A scanner is a good investment when organizing home paperwork.  Save yourself file drawer space with a scanner while not giving up any information you want stored.  Paperless statements not available?   Scan the document into an electronic file and shred the statement.  If you won’t need the paper copy of a receipt for a return or any other reason, scan it.  You’ll be able to keep the information without keeping track of small slips of paper.

4.  Addicted to your morning newspapers and monthly magazines? Subscribe Online.   Back issues won’t build up since you are reading them online.  Your local library may have your favorite magazines.  Read what you enjoy and avoid collecting extra paper. Not to mention you also save yourself the cost of a subscription!

5.  Remember to print only what you need.  If a document is forty pages long, but only the few pages are need for your documentation don’t print the entire document.  Utilize your resources well, print on both sides of a piece of paper.  You can save paper and cut the number of pages you will need to file and track in half!

Organizing home paperwork will be a much easier job now that you have taken steps to lessen the amount of paper you are dealing with.  Still have piles of papers in your office that needed to be dealt with in order for you to have a fresh start?  Try this tip to make fast work of them.  Work from the bottom of the pile up.  The older papers on the bottom are more likely to be old news, expired, or otherwise ready to be sent directly to recycling.  You can clear large stacks at a fast rate. You’ll feel great and ready to get more done when you see how fast you’ve cleared your office!  Now that your home office is in order, don’t neglect it.  A little time every day will help maintain this great new life!