Easy Ways to Reduce Paper Clutter

If you are like many householders, you are probably drowning in paper clutter, from regular solicitations from charitable groups to the electricity bill that just arrived. Before long, these bills, fliers, solicitations and other papers can turn into paper clutter. But there are many easy ways to cut paper clutter.

How to Stop Junk Mail

Junk mail for pre-approved credit card applications, cable packages and more can become annoying, especially when you receive multiple solicitations from the same companies.

Fortunately, help is at hand thanks to the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference System. Once you register with this company, you will be able to opt out of junk mail for up to five years. Go to www.dmachoice.org to learn more about how to stop junk mail. Although registering with this company will not completely eliminate all sources of junk mail, you will find that the amount of junk mail you receive will go down considerably.

Sort Papers as Soon as They Arrive

An effective way to deal with paper clutter is to stop it from forming in the first place. As soon as letters, papers and other things arrive in the post, separate them into separate piles. Affix "recycle", "shred" and "keep" labels to cardboard boxes to make it easier to keep track of papers and to know what needs to be done with each pile.

Keep these boxes of papers stacked in your home office, garage or in some other location where they will not clutter up the home and take care of them quickly so that none of the piles grow out of control.

Online bill pay is quick and easy once you have set up an account with each company. It can also help you to avoid drowning in papers, or forgetting to pay a bill. If you still receive paper bills, request electronic statements instead so that you can stay on top of your bills and avoid filling drawers, counters and tables with unnecessary papers.

Many utility companies offer customers the ability to go back and check on previous electronic payments that have been made, which is an extra incentive to ask utility companies to stop sending out paper bills.

Store Important Papers

Important papers, such as tax returns and insurance policies, will need to be stored safely and kept for future reference. Find a system of storage that works best for you. This can include storing important papers in a filing cabinet, backup copies of these documents in an electronic file on your computer in case the hard copies are lost, or in a fireproof safe.

Paper clutter can easily build up and take over valuable counter, drawer and cupboard space. If you receive a lot of junk mail, register with the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference System in order to control what you receive. Other methods include sorting papers into separate piles as soon as they arrive, signing up for paperless bills and storing important papers in a secure location.

Source:

Federal Trade Commission, Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go to "Just Say No".