Reduce Paperwork
Organizing Your Life
Remember when we were going to have a paper-less society? Well, there is still a great deal of paper floating around and we still have to deal with it. I came across one organizing system called “Taming the Paper Tiger.” I think that what it was called. So here are some ways put your paper tiger on a diet and tame him too.
Reduce the amount of paper flowing into your home
- Stop junk mail from coming by writing to this address:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735-900
- Check your magazine subscriptions and make sure you are only subscribing to ones you read on a regular basis. You will save time and money if you eliminate magazines you don’t read anymore.
- Limit credit cards and bank accounts to just one or two. This will limit the number of statements you have to deal with each month and you may save money on fees.
-Go through mail standing by your recycling bin, shredder or trash can and drop junk mail in immediately.
-When you receive a flyer with time sensitive information (ex. date of a school or church function) jot the important information down on your calendar or input into your PDA. Now you can throw away the paper or if you can’t bring yourself to do this at least you can put the paper in a pending file. This way you will have a back up if you can’t locate your calendar.
Have an easy to use filing system
-Make sure your files are roomy. If you have to push and shove to get a piece of paper in, you will not be motivated to file anything.
-Make sure your filing area is easily accessible. If you can’t get to it easily, you will probably put off filing things.
- Make sure you have a place for every category. Stuff from my kids schools goes into a binder that is already filled with page protectors (useful if paper is not hole punched), bills go into to the “To be Paid” file, party invitations go on the fridge etc.
Purge paper on regular basis
- Take five minutes a day to purge files or 30 minutes a week whatever works for you. Set the timer and just work on cleaning files or clearing up a paper mess you see. You may have places in your office or home where paper piles up. When the timer rings – STOP.
- Have a box for papers you can’t decide about. If your just not sure if you still need it, put papers in a cardboard storage box and store them in an out of the way place.
- When you see paper just floating around, pick it up and put it in a one location. That way it is contained and you can deal with it all at once.
- Clean out your purse once a week or least once a month. I find a lot of stray papers floating around in mine.
- Have a specific file for receipts you might need to keep and clean it out once a month. Receipts will probably go into to your tax or medical file or be thrown away.
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