How to Organize and Control Paper Clutter

Paper is the sneakiest of all clutter culprits. You can easily bring in several pieces of mail every day. This mail could include magazines, bills, and newspapers. Bringing in the mail seems normal. After a few days, unaddressed mail will accumulate, which can create stress and disorder in your home. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of paper clutter.

Presort
While you are checking the mail, quickly glance through each and every piece of mail. Pieces that are junk mail need to be immediately thrown out. Do not bring these pieces into your home. A recycling can, outside your home is a good solution. If you prefer an indoor recycling container, keep a smaller bin for paper recyclables close to the doorway. This can be an attractive bin. You can pick up a covered box in decorative fabrics, and simply add it to your larger recycle bin weekly on trash day. Share this new mail procedure with everyone in your household who checks the mail.

Open
Immediately address all bills and personal mail. Create a set area where you will place all current bills. Quickly open and place bills in a file folder or other designated place you have for bills. Personal letters, books, and magazines need to be opened, taken out of shrink wrap, and any put away. Create a file for personal letters that you would like to keep.

Shred
Shred all junk mail credit card pre approved offers. Destroy all letters with sensitive personal information that you do not need to keep. Always immediately recycle the paper that has been shred. Do not let sensitive documents that do not need to be kept just sit there.

Outdated
If you subscribe to the daily paper, take time each day to read the news that interests you. Take the outdated paper to the recycle bin after reading it. Be sure to take out any coupons, or clip our any news stories that you would like to refer back to later. Keep the clippings and coupons in ad folder for easy reference at a later time. When new magazines arrive, recycle outdated versions of the same magazine. Clip out and file all articles that you find of importance.

Staying on top of the paper clutter on a daily basis is important. Spending three to five minutes sorting, opening, and throwing out mail that you do not need can help you to keep paper clutter under control. Use these tips when checking your mail, to banish piles of paper clutter from y our living space.