Decluttering : Busting the Paper Clutter

We all deal with different kinds of clutter in our lives every day. Some people don't mind it; others are always striving for organization solutions that will stick. Household paper is one of the biggest culprits of clutter around the house. Getting rid of unnecessary paper clutter and streamlining what is left is a chore that is often overwhelming to many. Where to start? What to toss away? What to keep? How to organize?

Paper clutter in the home comes in many shapes, colors and forms. Bills, coupons, receipts, instruction manuals, printouts of recipes, and the clutter list goes on. Here are a few tips for not only taming that clutter but for keeping it under control as well.

First of all, gather all the things you'll need for the great paper clutter endeavor in one place. Gathering them all together at once will save you time, energy and will keep the clutter sorting flowing. Supplies such as garbage bags for both tossing and recycling clutter piles, a paper shredder, fresh folders for filing, post it notes for flagging or making notes, ink pens for labeling and whatever other reason you might come up across. This clutter control supply list is one that you add and subtract from according to your specific needs, but it'll get you started at least.

After you've gathered your clutter busting supplies all in one place, decide where you're going to be working. Establish a central paper clutter command. The table, the floor--someplace where you can spread out all these papers and sort through them. Once you have your command place set up and ready, it is time to push up the sleeves, crank up the music or TV show and get to work paper clutter busting.

To start with, first toss in the trash or recycle bag everything that is obviously going out of the house. Instruction manuals for equipment that is long broken or given away, coupons that have expired, duplicate copies of bills, or bill copies that are very old and/or no longer needed on file'"these kinds of paper clutter are out of there.

Once you have tossed all the unnecessary paper clutter, it's time to set up an organization system for the papers you need to keep on file. Divide the paper clutter that is left into groups such as 1) bills to pay'"time sensitive items to be dealt with 2) statements to keep on file'"bank statements and insurance paperwork 3) vital records such as birth certificates, account numbers and information, social security information and lastly 4) filing archives for memorabilia, tax returns, legal paperwork and the like. File each sorted pile in clearly labeled file folders in an easily accessible filing cabinet or desk drawer and you're set.

To keep the paper clutter under control, toss those unnecessary items and file the keepers on a regular basis. Easier said than done, true, but often getting a handle on the paper clutter is inspiring in keeping it busted!