8 Tips For Managing Paper Clutter
Paperwork can be a nightmare! Monthly bills and account statements, junk mail, insurance, warranties, receipts, your kids’ school papers, and so much more! It is very easy to become overwhelmed by all your papers and end up stuffing them in a drawer or letting them overwhelm counter space, thinking you will deal with them later. Unfortunately, we often don’t deal with it later as we intend to and we end up having an overwhelming pile of documents to sort through. Luckily, there are some easy tricks so that you can avoid having an overwhelming pile of papers laying around. Check out the following tips to help keep your papers organized!
Go paperless – Switching to paperless options can save you a ton of time sorting through documents. Most banks, credit card companies, and most larger companies have the option to go with online statements. Lots of schools have the option to communicate online as well so that you don’t receive paper copies.
Personalized Mail Organizer – There are tons of DIY projects on Pinterest that allow you to make a mail organizer that fits in your space and accent your decor beautifully. If you don’t have the time or the ability to make a DIY organizer, there are some options on Amazon that will work well too. Just make sure it has customizable labels so that it fits exactly what you need. You can customize it however you want with the labels; coupons, statements, mail that needs to be mailed, etc.
Receipt Organizer – This is only for tax-deductible receipts. Do not hold onto receipts that you don’t need! Hang onto tax-deductible receipts and receipts that you may need for returns or warranty purposes; you will have to use your own judgement for this. You can buy small accordion-style folders that work perfectly for receipts. They have labels on top which allows you to keep your receipts organized however works best for you.
Tabbed Files Organization – You may think you don’t have enough papers to require a filing cabinet, but I would strongly suggest reconsidering. It’s amazing how fast we acquire a ton of documents; Bill of sales, finance papers, insurance, manuals, etc. It can become overwhelming fast and if your papers aren’t organized, the process of finding a document can seem impossible. With tabbed files you know exactly where to look to find what you need. Save yourself time and less chance of losing important documents by using this system.
Color-Coded Tab System – An alternative to the original Tabbed Files Organization idea is to do a colour-coded system. Sometimes looking through the names of tons of files can be exhausting and narrowing it down by colour is helpful!
School Papers Storage System – If you have kids in school then you may know the large variety of papers that can be sent home on a regular basis. Some of it can be read and placed in the recycling shortly after, but there are many papers that you may want to hold onto like report cards, important documents, milestones, etc. Create a bin for exactly this. Labelled from Kindergarten-Grade 12 with your child’s name. Hang onto some of that art, I have heard far too many people regretting throwing it all out and having nothing from their children’s childhood because they defined it as clutter at the time. I’m not saying keep everything, but definitely keep something to look back at.
Make an Essentials Binder – Hopefully, you will never have to use this binder, however, if you do, you will be glad you created it. In your essentials binder, you will include any paperwork that you would want to be able to quickly grab and take with you in case of an emergency.
Binder System: Some people may prefer to use binders as a way of sorting their papers. This system works just as well as any other! Instead of labelling the file folder, you will label the binder and then sort them with the label facing up so you can easily find any documents you are looking for.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get your paper clutter under control! For any documents that you need to store, make sure you give us a call at Crate It Storage! I’d love to hear from you guys, what are your go-to paper organization tips? Leave it in the comments!
40 Things That Can Go Now For a More Organized Life
Decluttering can seem like a daunting task to complete. You may know that you need to declutter and get rid of excess stuff, but figuring out where to start can be challenging. Hopefully, you can use this list to help you start working on creating a more organized home with less clutter!
- Clothes – If they are too small or you don’t wear them anymore, it’s an excellent time to donate.
- Unmatched socks – Unless you only like wearing one sock, then to each their own!
- Old purses & wallets – Let me reassure you that even though a spare can be nice, you will most likely not be reaching for that old bag that you decided to replace.
- Shoes – If they don’t fit correctly or are replaced with new shoes, they no longer serve a purpose.
- Worn out pillows or sheets – Flat pillows and holey sheets are a no-go!
- Broken cords or cords that hang around for months, possibly even years, and serve no known purpose.
- Books – Keep your favourites, but rehome the rest.
- Movies – If you have watched them but know you won’t watch them again, you can donate or sell them.
- VHS Tapes – Sadly, some of you won’t even know what these are. But for those of you that do and don’t have access to a VHS player, it is time to let them go! Even the most special memories saved on VHS can now be converted to digital files!
- Magazines that you have read and will just collect dust on the shelf.
- Medals and Trophies – As rewarding as that trophy may have been to win back in junior high, it probably doesn’t hold the same value anymore as it used to, and it may be time to let it go. (It is always a good idea to ask if the organization refurbishes trophies and reuses them before throwing them out.)
- Gaming systems you don’t use – Don’t let your old PS4 collect dust just because you had to have the PS5. Get it up for sale on your local swap and buy.
- Old Phones and Electronics – Many people replace their phone at the end of a 2-year contract for a new one and throw their old ones in a drawer. If they have lots of life left, put them up for sale, don’t hang onto them until they have no value!
- Old photos – Times have changed, and new technology means that you don’t have to hang onto hundreds/thousands of photos. You can spend some time scanning them and maintaining a digital copy. Switching to a digital version can help save some space and keep the pictures safe for many years to come.
- Toys – Throw out broken toys & donate toys that your child(ren) has outgrown.
- Cheap Knick-Knacks – This one may seem never-ending if you have kids!
- Board games or card games – Games that you don’t play anymore or that are missing pieces.
- Plates/Bowls – Most households do not require 30 sets of dishes, so maybe it’s time to donate if you have too many extras.
- Excess water bottles – A person can only use so many!
- Expired Food – This is something we should be checking regularly, no one wants to get sick!
- Mismatched Tupperware – If it doesn’t have a mate, toss it.
- Plastic grocery bags & produce bags – It can be handy to have a few, but there is no need to have a whole cupboard full of them in most circumstances.
- Carry-out extras – Whether it’s chopsticks, salt & pepper packets, ketchup & mustard packets, or flimsy napkins, it’s time for them to go!
- Empty body wash/shampoo containers or ones that you don’t use.
- Expired cosmetics – Expired make-up is terrible for your skin, and expired fingernail polish can be clumpy and not usable.
- Expired Medication – It can be very dangerous to consume expired Medication, so make sure you check the expiry dates!
- Hair tools and hair accessories that you don’t use – technology and fashion are constantly changing, so if you no longer use them, then it’s time for them to go.
- Lotions or perfumes – If you are not fond of the scent or quality of them, donate.
- Extra decor – If you have decor that sits in storage because you don’t have space for it, then it’s time for it to go.
- Halloween costumes – Hang onto these and closer to Halloween, post them on your local swap and buy!
- Bridesmaid dresses – that you will never ever, I repeat EVER wear again, donate!
- Outdated prescription glasses – If you can’t use them, please donate them! There are multiple donation options, but they all serve the same purpose of trying to help people that need prescription glasses but can’t afford them otherwise.
- Old Christmas and Birthday cards – As wonderful as receiving a card on any occasion can be, we can appreciate the card without keeping it forever.
- Broken Zippers – Most of the time items with a broken zipper no longer serve the purpose they were intended for, and lay around collecting dust.
- Cleaning products – Some cleaning products don’t work as well as we hope they will in our home, so they sit in the cupboard unused. Don’t hang onto them until they expire and no one can use them anymore. Pass them along to someone in need.
- Old Documents that are now irrelevant and you don’t need to keep.
- Paid off bills & Old Statements – Shred them and move on.
- Old receipts – As long as you don’t need them for warranty or tax returns.
- Corporate “Swag” – A person can only use so many fridge magnets, pens and tote bags!
- Old paint or stain – While keeping the left-over paint in storage for touch-ups can be smart initially, it doesn’t last forever.
This list doesn’t come close to covering everything you could get rid of in your home. However, hopefully, it will give you an excellent start to a more organized life!
I’d love to hear from you, what items do you think are the best to get rid of first? Be sure to leave it in the comments!
Organization Tips from the Pros
Amid this pandemic, it seems almost impossible to have any plans or have a sense of organization most of the time. All the chaos around us can make life feel a bit overwhelming sometimes. So it’s an excellent time to take a deep breath and focus on the things we can control. Most of us are spending more time at home than ever before, and with these organization tips from the pros, your house can look better than ever and give you some much-needed peace.
Focus on One Area at a Time
We often have multiple areas in our home that need some organization, but it’s essential to start with just one. You may choose to begin in a high-traffic area that needs some added functionality, or rather a space that causes you the most frustration. The space choice is entirely up to you, and any area will work, as long as it’s only one. Trying to organize multiple rooms at a time can quickly become overwhelming and lead to giving up altogether. Once you have finished organizing your first space, treat yourself and take a much-deserved break before moving onto your next area.
Purge, Purge, Purge
Your first step, before you organize anything, is to remove anything that you don’t need! You don’t want to waste time organizing things that you don’t need to keep. If you’re anything like me, you understand how this can be a daunting process. I am always clinging to everything with a memory or clothing that I may wear someday (even if it is three sizes too small)! But let’s face it, we don’t need to keep everything. So if you don’t wear it or use it, consider this a good time for it to go. Decluttering is always the first step in any organizational project because you don’t want to organize clutter.
Create the Vision Before You Start
Have you ever started organizing something with a kinda-sorta vision? I certainly have! If you haven’t made this mistake, then let me save you some time and frustration. Always create the vision before you start organizing the space. You will want to treat your organizational project much like a 5th-grade short story project. You have to brainstorm and do a rough draft before the final draft of your short story, right?
Well, this is similar; you will want to brainstorm, asking yourself questions like:
- “What is the highest priority in this space?”
- “Do I want to focus on functionality? Or visual appeal? Maybe a little of both?”
- “What do I often use and need to keep accessible?”
- “What items can be stored high because I don’t need them as often?”
Take the time to write down your vision, and then you can tackle the project with a solid plan, saving yourself a lot of time and frustration in the long run. You may also find it helpful to share your vision with someone that knows you well, to get some extra insight.
Make Sure That Everything Has a Place
When we have too much stuff in our homes without a place to go, it becomes impossible to clean it. Every item in your home needs to have its place. For example, a spoon; if I saw a spoon laying on the floor, I would know exactly where it needs to go. Just like this spoon, all items in your home need to have their designated place. So that when you see something lying around, without hesitation, you know where it goes. If something in your home doesn’t have a place, you need to either designate it a home or get rid of it.
Maximize your Space
Storage space can be vital in the process of making sure that everything has a place. If you need more storage space, take a closer look at where there may be some wasted space. Over doors and underneath beds are commonly overlooked areas that are ideal for storage. Don’t forget to use wasted vertical space; Shelving can go all the way to the ceiling if you’d like. Just try only to store the items you don’t use quite as often at the top. Utilizing wall space with wall shelves or hooks is another excellent way to maximize space. If your linen closet is overflowing with bulky towels, add a few extra hooks on the bathroom wall for them and free up some space in your linen closet.
Put Items away Now, No Procrastinating
Too often, we fall into the temptation to set something down with the intention of putting it away later. But as always, life happens, and it doesn’t get put away as intended. If you want to make a noticeable difference in your space, always push yourself to put things away in the moment. No more procrastinating, and I promise you won’t regret it!
Try to Avoid Distractions
Once you have started organizing an area, try to avoid answering a phone alerting you of texts or phone calls that can derail your organizational plans. If you need to put your phone on silent or even shut it off, don’t feel bad doing so. In the process of organizing, we often have to sift through a lot of different stuff. Make sure none of these items send you down another path; Reminiscing on old memories, reading a book you meant to read, paying bills, etc. If you planned to organize, then you need to stay focused on that task. One of the biggest obstacles I encounter is the desire to match long-lost companions with their mates. Before I know it, I have spent way too much time looking for the missing lid for the lone bowl, finding the other sock, or trying to figure out where this stray cord belongs. Instead, create a box for these items that are missing their mate, and set it aside. Don’t let it derail your organizing momentum. These mismatched items will reunite eventually, and if they don’t, you can toss or donate them.
These are some of my favourite organization methods, but I would love to hear yours! Comment below to share what tips help you keep your home or office organized.
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