One of the hardest things to conquer around the house is paper clutter! If you are like me, you could almost drown in all the papers you deal with on a daily basis.
Paper clutter can pile up fast and be very stressful! And before you know it... it's out of hand and overflowing!
But don't worry, I have a very, very, easy way to rid yourself of paper clutter!
I'll show you a couple of basic steps to get your papers in order and under control!
All you need are a few file folders and a heavy duty file holder... and a little bit of time!
That's it!
Are you ready to take the paper plunge?
That's it!
Are you ready to take the paper plunge?
Here we go... on the road to less paper and many less paper headaches!
The first thing you need to gather is 10 file folders. They don't have to be fancy or new. I use mine over and over.
Label one file folder for every day of the week... MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY...
I use my label maker... I love love love it! Any chance to use a label maker makes me HAPPY!
Don't worry if you don't have one, use a pen, pencil, crayon... whatever you have... just label them.
Label the three file folders that are left ... TO DO, FILE and IMPORTANT.
Easy-peasy so far, right!
Now comes the hard part... you have to use them... and use them consistently. The paper system will not work unless you work the system!
Dig into those paper piles.
Throw away all papers you absolutely don't need! Stop thinking... well, I'll read that someday! That is what makes paper clutter.
Be ruthless, throw clutter away... right away!
Any papers that you need to keep until SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY or SUNDAY goes into the folder of that day of the week. Any papers that have a "due date" go into the day of the week file that they are due!
Example: If little Freddie's permission slip to go to the zoo needs to come to school with him on Tuesday... fill it out and put it in the Tuesday file.
If you volunteer at the rec center every Saturday, put the volunteer paper in the Saturday file.
If you need to take papers to your next doctor's appointment on Thursday a month from now stick it into the Thursday file.
To make this system work you need to look at the file for the next day in the evening. So if it is Monday night you must look at the papers your will need for Tuesday. How easy is that?
You will never have to say, "I don't know where I put that paper"! What a relief! Because if a paper has a due date on it, you know exactly where it is!
Every pile of paper probably has papers that need your attention in some way. Filling information out, responding in writhing to someone or papers that need to be read and signed for example.
These papers go in the TO DO folder. Anything that you need to do to a paper goes in this file.
These papers go in the TO DO folder. Anything that you need to do to a paper goes in this file.
As you dig through your paper pile, put all the papers you need to keep in the FILE folder. Ask yourself, "Do I really need to keep this piece of paper"? Don't keep anything you don't absolutely have to!!!
This file can get rather large, so....
This file can get rather large, so....
Once a week make a date on your calendar to put away all the papers that are in your FILE folder. It should be totally cleaned out once a week! Don't skip this or you have just made another big paper pile!!!!
A few papers in the pile you are wading through might be very important and need immediate attention. Don't stop sorting, just put them in the IMPORTANT file.
This is the file you will go to everyday and give the papers in it your attention.
Sometimes they can me moved to a FILE folder or a SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY or SUNDAY folder or to the TO DO folder.
Keep all the files together in a strong file holder. I also keep my easy bill paying system in the back of the files.
Look for an upcoming post on how to keep track of bills and how to pay them on time!
You can also have a folder labeled TO READ, but it became a clutter pile for me. I never had enough time to read everything I put in the folder.
Here are a few thing to remember to make your file system work...
1. Be consistent! Work your system on a daily basis. All incoming paper gets filtered through the file system, except bills.
2. Use a paper shredder. Personal papers that are to be thrown away should be shredded first!
3. This system is designed to keep papers moving out of these folders to their proper places. If papers get "stuck" in a file you need to reassess the paper!
Here are a few thing to remember to make your file system work...
1. Be consistent! Work your system on a daily basis. All incoming paper gets filtered through the file system, except bills.
2. Use a paper shredder. Personal papers that are to be thrown away should be shredded first!
3. This system is designed to keep papers moving out of these folders to their proper places. If papers get "stuck" in a file you need to reassess the paper!
I have used this system for decades! It's easy and simple... two words that I love when it comes to cutting paper clutter!
If you like this idea you might also like ORGANIZING BOOK AND MAGAZINE CLUTTER
If you give this system a try you will be hooked. It's a great feeling to have paper clutter forever conquered!!!!
You might like to pin this to your organizing Pinterest board...
Where did you get your neat folders? Ours are a dull black, red, yellow and blue.
ReplyDeleteThe folders came from Staples years ago. I was recently there and they had some really fun ones!
DeleteThank you Yvonne-- you've got great ideas.
DeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteYou think of everything!. Love this idea., I've been trying to get myself in the habit of as soon as I get the mail,. I toss the junk,. Keep the important. I keep a garbage can in the garage and junk mail doesn't enter the house., BUT,.. The to do mail winds up on my table in a pile, :( So, this inspires me to take a trip to staples too,.. After all were already getting back to school supplies here in Ga,. So now just maybe I can have a pretty table again!
Thank you for all your nifty ideas., I've often wondered how you keep so tidy!
I was just telling someone yesterday, that I have to figure a system to get more organized with my paper work - now I have my answer!!! Thank you for the timely post ~
ReplyDeleteI just pinned this to my Pinterest heading, "organizing...not that I need to..." which speaks volumes. I get many posts but I opened yours first, hoping you were having a giveaway for a paper sorting minion. I think the key to your system is that the file folder has to be dealt with once a week. I tend to reorganize my organizing PILES which shows that what I do doesn't work. Consistency is the key and creating a habit is what makes something work. Plus, you always remind us that pretty helps. I have some nice looking files to go fill! Thanks for the help, though, think about a minion giveaway....
ReplyDeleteOh my desk becomes covered in paper! Sometimes it gets so bad I don't' find what's needed. I will try your system as mine doesn't work. I have been good about filing papers after they are dealt with but not before. Thank you for sharing and can't wait to see your posts about your bill paying system!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I could have written this post. I LOVE file folders and my label maker and use them consistently and have for years. I don't know how folks survive without them. It is such a wonderful way to organize papers. Great post and I do hope a lot of folks follow your advise. It sure will make their lives easier! Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteyou may have answered this before but could you tell me what kind of label maker you use? i've always wanted one! thanks yvonne!
ReplyDeleteYvonne: Great post! I used to be wallowing in paper and use your system almost exactly like you do. Nothing is worse than not being able to find an important paper when you are ready to go out the door! I am new to your blog and love ti just the way it is, but I am going to stick my neck out by making a suggestion: I learned this from one of the several books on organization I have. When you first start the system and you have a "pile" or "piles" of paper, turn the piles over and start sorting from the bottom! This makes it much faster because what's on the bottom of each pile, you probably don't need anymore anyway! I love to see that trash bag fill up and my piles go down and be ready for filing. BTW, I also love my label maker...funny what makes us happy!
ReplyDeleteKeep those wonderful posts coming...love 'em!
{{HUGS}}
Joy.
Great idea and I have pinned it to! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your "bill paying" system! Hurry up.
ReplyDeleteHA! HA! Thanks.
I am excited to try this! I'm pretty good about throwing away things BUT sometimes I regret it because I realized later I should have kept it. This system will definitely help with that too!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to be organized... you made them pretty too!...thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteI also use the RAFT system - Read, Action, File, Toss. Works like a dream. M Kearns, Bryanston South Africa
ReplyDeleteWhy, yes I do have paper clutter. It is currently spead out all over my kitchen island. I moved it there to look for something and refused to put it back on my desk that way until I sorted through it all. Five days later, it's still on the island because I just haven't found the motivation to tackle it.
ReplyDeleteUntil now! I am in love with your system and am kicking myself for not thinking of it.... it's so similar to how I used to keep my classroom papers under control.
My kitchen island is going to be clear of paper clutter tomorrow!
Just spent two weekends looking for a copy of
ReplyDeleteour marriage license. Husband needed it for work.
Rollover of Pension plan. He went through the
fire proof box and could not find it. So today he said
we would both go through the same box. Still did not
find the license. I said it must be with something
that you needed it for at work. So he decided to go
through two night tbale drawers of old paycheck stubs.
After going through 5 years of old stubs he found the
license. Now he is going to shred those old paychecks
and tomorrow I am going to organize the last few years
of paycheck stubs putting them in date order.
Thanks for your information on filing things away.
Hope to fully functional next weekend.
I use a filing system similair to yours and now
he will be doing the samd.
Thanks for all your hekp.
Waiting for the bill paying system.
Hope Christopher is feeling better.
Denise Lamb
Great idea Yvonne. I need to get my papers organized and this is perfect. Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis advice could not have come at a better time because I am in my ruthless mood to get rid of any and all clutter! My husband and I are dealing with clearing his parents home out and when I saw what we had to get rid of I decided that I didn't want to put my daughters through the same experience. I know that paper clutter is a bit different but I have to start somewhere! I will try your system and I can't wait for the bill paying routine.
ReplyDeleteI am a folder person too...my son laughs at me as his folders are in his computer...I love to look at a piece of paper...I love that you have it divided by the days of the week...that is a great idea!!!...
ReplyDeleteJust pinned this. I have files too, but your system is really good. I keep my daily calender on my desk and look at it every night for the nest day or next few days. I also throw away junk mail as soon as it comes in the house!!! Joe pays all the bills online, but his office is a HUGE MESS!!! I hate to walk in there;):) See ya soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete