| ||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
Order Your Copy | ||||||||||
• Home Organization • Paper/Filing Systems • Time Management | ||||||||||
ARTICLE The Postman Cometh... Mail is one of the greatest contributors to paper clutter in our homes. A few facts about ‘the mail:’ Fact #1: It comes almost every day. Unless we’d like to live in a cave for the rest of our lives, facts #1 and #2 are unavoidable. We have much more control over facts # 3 and #4. But what to do with the daily deluge of paper that comes our way? Let’s examine what a typical stack of mail looks like and discuss the various ways of managing it. Junk Mail This can be any solicitation, credit card offer, or sales letter that you won’t or can’t use. The best thing to do with junk mail is to toss it in the nearest garbage receptacle. If it has personal information such as your social security number or any financial information on it, then it should be put through a shredder. A basic shredder can be purchased for under $25 and will be your best defense against identity theft. Personal Correspondence Rejoice! Someone has actually taken the time to write you a real letter or postcard—cherish it. Place it somewhere where you’ll enjoy reading it. After you’ve read it, decide whether or not you’d like to keep it as a momento. If you will not need it in the future, let it go. If you receive an invitation, enter the pertinent information in your calendar and put the invite either in a folder marked ‘Events’ or on a corkboard, or paper-clip it to your calendar. Catalogs Oh how we love when they appear—it’s like a mall in a mailbox! If you get catalogs that are of no use or interest to you, toss them as quickly as you would the junk mail. For those catalogs you’d like to make a purchase from, create a ‘To Buy’ file. Rip out the appropriate pages and file them until you’re ready to make a purchase. Magazines Too many magazines and not enough time to read them? Consider canceling a few subscriptions and taking them out of the library instead. Place catalogs and magazines in the places you’re most likely to read them (magazine rack, nightstand, bathroom, etc.). Tear out any articles you find interesting and toss the rest of the magazine. Bills Bills are probably the most time-sensitive mail you get. Bills that are not dealt with lead to late fees that can eat away at a person’s monthly budget. The best way to organize your bills is to create a home that is just for bills. This can be a portable file box, an accordian file folder, or a file cabinet drawer. Mark one section or folder ‘Bills To Be Paid.’ This is where all bills will live after the mail has been sorted. Besides bills, other items that can ‘live’ with the bills are bill-paying supplies such as stamps, calculator, pens, and paper clips. That way when you’re ready to pay bills, you’re prepared with all the materials you need. After they’ve been paid, if you wish to keep the bill statements, organize them by name and create a file for each bill in your bill-paying ‘home’ (Visa, cable, landscaper, telephone, etc.). This will enable you to keep top-notch records of your yearly spending as well as easy access to paid bills in the case of a discrepancy with a company. Tips for avoiding a paper pile-up... • Determine where the ‘mail zone’ of your home should be. This could be a basket or a drawer near a door or garage where you would place the mail before sorting through it. • Determine when you’d like to sort through your mail. Some people like to look through it as soon as they walk in the door and some choose to open the mail after dinner. Figure out the best time for you to sort through your own mail and stick to it. Create a routine for yourself. • Set aside 5 - 10 minutes a day to go through your mail. Open and dispose of all junk mail directly over a trash can. If you do not have a trash can near the place where you open your mail, then get one. Be ruthless—ask yourself, “Do I really need to keep this?” • Sort the mail by family member. Decide on a spot to leave each individual’s mail. This could be a container with a slot or section for each person’s mail or it could be the edge of each person’s bed. Have each member of the family be responsible for taking care of their own mail. Even young children, when taught, can have success with this task. *Browse the Article Archive for Organized Artistry's time, money, and sanity-saving tips and ideas... | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Currently serving
| ||||||||||
Editors/Publishers:You are granted permission to publish the above article in its entirety provided that the following 'footer' is included after each article: Article by Stacey Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of Organized Artistry, LLC. Visit http://www.organizedartistry.com for your FREE e-list of 'Top Ten Tips for Organized Living.' A courtesy copy e-mailed or snail mailed to the address below is appreciated. | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
WHAT AREA OF YOUR LIFE NEEDS ORGANIZING? | ||||||||||
Organized Artistry LLC • PO Box 2682 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 • 201.703.8438 stacey@organizedartistry.com | ||||||||||
 | | | | | | | | | | |