Are you drowning in paper clutter, struggling to organize it all? You’ve come to the right place. In my next blog posts, I’ll be starting a series on organizing and decluttering paper.

Paper clutter has always been a problem for me. Before I had systems in place, I would stuff my paper in my desk drawers. I knew this was not a good solution, but most of the books I read on organizing paper clutter wanted you to set up complicated systems that were too hard to follow.

I finally came up with some paper control techniques that are easy to implement. Even with most us using smart phones and computers, the average home is still inundated with junk mail such as catalogs, flyers, credit card applications, circulars, etc. We might also be receiving important mail such as invitations, bills, and insurance information. This leads us to:

Step 1-Have A Place for The Mail

Designate a place, somewhere in your home to place the mail temporarily. It could be a shoebox or a basket by the door. My mother places our mail in organized plies on the dining room table (yes, she is organized).

Step 2 – Handle The Mail

Do this every day so the mail won’t pile up. Dealing with smaller more manageable amounts daily is so much easier, than letting it go for days and then having a big pile. You will save it, shred it or throw it away.

Step 3 – Organize The Mail

This is the last step. You need to have a place to put the mail you have saved. You will need a desktop file box and 6 file folders. Label as follows:

• Action
• Bills
• Filing
• Pending
• Reading
• Decision

Place mail in the appropriate folder. Here are some examples:

1. Action – Things to do.
2. A form to fill out.
3. A letter to send

Bills

If you have any bills that come in the mail, put them in this folder.

Decision

A major purchase you trying to decide upon, such as new paint colors for your walls, or  vacation ideas.

Long Term File

Receipts, Tax documents, and any thing you need to save long term.

Pending

Items you ordered and have yet to receive

Reading

Newsletters, magazines and catalogues, recipes, etc.

We’re done!! The main thing to remember about your mail file is that it is not intended to store paper long-term. Go through your mail file at least once a week and weed out any papers you no longer need.

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Do you need help setting up household routines, cleaning, and decluttering? Let me help you! Please sign up for my free ebook, The Mother’s Anchor Home Management System. It’s a 10-step guide that will help you create a space that you are happy to call home each day!