Keep Your Piles of Paper In Control!

My sis asked me to post about how to tame those stacks of paper that accumulate in the kitchen/home office, but, the truth is, I don't really feel qualified to give any tips on being organized.  Not because I am not organized.  I actually am.  I don't feel qualified because I don't feel like I really have any secrets to share.

But I've been trying to break it down, thinking about what helps me to keep those stacks of paper at bay and here's what I came up with...

Tip #1 (and most important)---  Do it NOW!  

What I mean by this is that it is crucial to attend to those papers as they come in.  Bring in the mail, open the kids' school folders, come home from an appt and deal with those papers immediately.  Ideally, that day.  If it requires a payment, make out the check, and get it in the mail now.  If it requires a response, respond now.  If it requires a phone call, make that phone call now!

I realize that this is sometimes not possible, but if you do it as much as possible, it will be so worth it.  This is the key to avoiding those piles in the first place.  If you can't do it immediately, get it done as soon as possible.  Leave it out on the counter where you cannot avoid it so you get to it quickly.

Tip #2---A File Box!

Get a bunch of these:

and one of these:

Now take your stack of papers and be sure that you have dealt with the ones that need to be dealt with.  Take the remaining papers and analyze them one by one.  Determine whether or not you need to hold on to that piece of paper.  Is it something you can get online?  Is it really necessary?  Will you need to refer to it in the near future?  Once you have boiled it down to the essentials, organize your papers into several different piles (even if the pile only has one paper!).  For example, "Sam's School Handouts" "Washing Machine rebate info" "Lab work to get done" "Moving Info" etc. etc.  Make as many separate piles as it requires.  (One of your piles should probably be for those papers that should go into your more permanent filing situation and not in this easily accessible file box.)

Now make a file folder for each pile and stick it in the file box.

I suggest including file folders with these titles:

• To Be Filed
• Reference
• Receipts
• Coupons

This is not the file box that goes in the office, never to be touched again.  It is a file box that will sit right there in your main "functioning" area, i.e., kitchen desk or what have you.  It is going to need to be updated on a regular basis.  You will be adding to it and taking away from it often.  Keep a stack of empty file folders close by and make a new one whenever something else comes along (even if it is just one paper!).  Take five minutes once a month and flip through each folder and toss out what you don't need anymore.

And, don't worry.  You don't need to be perfect.  Just remember "A place for everything and everything in it's place."  As long as you have that "place for everything," it's really easy to catch up if you ever fall behind.  Which you will.  Because you are human.

I have two more small tips that may help keep your stacks of paper in control that I will post tomorrow so stay tuned...