How do you deal with paper clutter in your home? One thing we can agree on is that everyone has dealt with paper clutter, whether it is inside their office, in their filing cabinet or stacked up by their door. It’s something that is a constant struggle in many people’s lives. So let’s make your life easier by decluttering your paper clutter and dealing with it head-on.
Collect and Sort
Go through your stack of papers and make a pile that you know you want to Recycle, Scan, or Save. As you go through your papers it will make it very easy to sort when you set up your piles ahead of time. What kinds of things can you recycle? You will want to recycle things like magazines and newspapers, old paper or notes you don’t need.
Scan Essentials
Scan information you want to keep to your computer. It makes a great backup document in case it gets ruin or goes missing. I like using sites like Onedrive and Box but of course, you can use iCloud as well. You can find a great scanner at Amazon like this one. If you don’t have a scanner you can use the OneDrive app where you take a photo of it and it turns it into a PDF for you.
Shred-it!
Shred files that you no longer need but are worried about the information that is on it. This means anything that you know is confidential or has information like your address, name and number. This is private information that you don’t want to get into the wrong hands. So, make sure before you throw a document away that this information is shredded.
If you don’t have a shredder, you can always get a Roller Identity Theft Stamp as a great alternative. It not only hides away your private information but it is quick and easy to use.
File only what you need
Now that you have gone through your paper clutter and made the necessary piles, it is time to start filing. You will want to keep similar documents together so you can easily access it and find what you are looking for. Don’t forget to label the file so that if anyone else needs to access it, they will know where it is and where to return the documents inside.
There are many ways you can organize your files and paper in our home. You can use either a filing cabinet, file holder or file box to store your files neat and tidy. Personally, I love the Bigso file box that I got from Amazon and don’t think I will get going back to anything else for a while.
Decrease the amount of paper coming it
So, you got all your papers neat and organized! To keep it this way, you will need to decrease the amount of paper coming in to prevent a pile of paper clutter. How you can do this is by switching to paying your bills online or have it sent to you electronically. This will decrease the amount of mail coming into your home significantly.
Set Up A Drop Zone
Create a designated paper drop zone so that you can sort through it daily. Have three piles or sorting bins designated for recycling, scan, save and a highly important pile then pick a day of the week to actively tackle them. You can use a basket, or paper tray to keep your drop zone neat and tidy.
Organize your personal documents
When thinking about how to organizing your folders, you are going to want to categorize them. For more ways to Organizing Your Personal Documents check out this infographic below from One Source Process.Â
Final Thoughts
When you decided to declutter your paper clutter it is best to start with collecting and sorting your paper. Create a recycle, scan and save pile. You will want to shred confidential documents, scan essentials and only file items you truly need physical copies of. Lastly, decrease the amount of paper with e- bills and create a drop zone in your home for easy paper sorting.
