Years ago a friend shared a strategy with me that has helped tremendously when it comes to dealing with the never-ending flow of paper we encounter in our home.
It’s a fairly simple system {else it wouldn’t have stuck with me for so long!} that requires a small box or basket and a little time each day.
When I first used this idea, we were students and had next to no income, so I covered a thin cardboard box in contact paper and that worked just fine. I’ve gone through several versions of containers through the years and most recently bought this one at a thrift store. It is my favorite!
Inside the container is a file folder for each member of the family and whatever else you need, such as:
A folder for wedding announcements, or coupons, or receipts, or things “to file” elsewhere, or bills to pay, or whatever you feel fits your needs.
At present, mine contains a file folder for my husband, my son and one for me; one is labeled Lioness; another is Young Women; and one is for information on creating a trust.
This basket serves as a temporary way-station for items that I need to act on or that I want to save for later for some reason, which means that they won’t get lost in a pile on the kitchen counter or get thrown away. That’s it.
The time factor is a few minutes a day, sorting mail and putting most of it in a recycling bin {which is a clean garbage bin right next to the “mail counter” that is by the back door}; putting important items in the files; acting on any items that are timely and then putting them in their permanent spot or throwing them away when they have served their purpose.
So, the point is, paper is coming in and there are decisions being made quickly and as stress-free as possible, and then it is put in one of a few places for later reference or for recycling.
For longer-term paper organization, there are more decisions to be made. Such as, how many of the children’s school papers will we keep and for how long and where? {Oftentimes taking a picture of the artwork or project will suffice quite well! We kept what we thought was noteworthy and then later sorted further and kept just a few items from each school year that then went into a scrap book or a bag with folders for each year. Later, we sorted more and kept what we wanted and our kids have made decisions about the rest.}
Also, where and how and how long to store bill and bank statements; where bills will go until they are paid, etc. {Until they are paid we have a slot for bills in our laundry room under a cabinet. For bill statements that need to be filed, we have chosen to use a plastic box, about 12″x15″, one labeled for each year, and we keep them for seven years, rotating the oldest out for the latest records. These storage bins are stacked in a closet and pulled out at bill-paying time. Wish I could say they are never left out and making a paper mess, but at times they surely do! Eventually, they are put away and for the most part this has been a great system for us.}
I hope these ideas are helpful.
Be well and run and be free– without clutter taking you down!
Love,
Jacque
P.S. This basket is my favorite because it has deep compartments that hold things I want to have at my fingertips, such as my iPad, keyboard, a few manuals and my phone when it is charging. I want them close but not lying on the counter in piles. And yes, those are time-blocking cards on the front!