Papers, Papers, Papers

If I had to pick just one thing that I have found gives people more grief than anything else in their quest to become organized and keep their homes clutter-free, it would have to be

PAPERS! 

PAPERS!
They're EVERYWHERE!!!!!
We're drowning a bit, right?

The truth of the matter is, the AMOUNT of papers that is coming in to most of our lives is staggeringly large. There really isn't a day that goes by that a

receipt,

newsletter,

bill,

advertisement,

flyer,

invitation,

notification,

reminder, 

or list

doesn't come in...and usually they arrive in multiples.

And that's not even mentioning up larger items like kids' school work, magazines and newspapers.

Yet how many papers get THROWN OUT???! (Exactly. No wonder we're drowning. There's that darn Law of Ecology again.)

In reality, we actually can't do much about the amount of papers that come in--they are just going to come.

But we can do something about how many go out, right? But usually we don't.
WHY?
Why don't we throw them out? 
There are a few different answers to this question but here are just three that I've come up with:

1-Because there are so many papers coming in I don't feel like I can get rid of them fast enough. In fact, I'm totally overwhelmed and sometimes even paralyzed by it.

2-Because I am worried about being caught without some piece of information that I might need if I did get rid of a certain paper so I tend to not throw any of it out.

3-Because there are some papers I really do need to keep but for just a limited amount of time so I can reference them again. Where should I keep those instead of all over my counters and tables and floors?

As we delve in and really talk the "nitty-gritty" about how to handle papers, you are going to find it is actually a lot easier than you might think. The key to getting the best of your papers is to HAVE A SYSTEM....a "paperwork processing system" that gives you specific ways to deal with, handle, and then either keep or discard the papers in your life.

A PAPERWORK PROCESSING SYSTEM includes...

1)  A secretary (no really...stay tuned and I'll show you how you can have one of your own!)
2)  An "Action/To File" file
3)  A "Hold It" file (for each member of the family)
4)  A File Cabinet
5)  A large always being emptied garbage can
6)  A "paperwork hour" once a week!

There you go......6 little things that will END your paperwork problems and help keep you sane and your spaces clear.

I'm excited to teach you a little about what I know about handling our household papers and I'm anxious to hear from you as well. There are lots of ways of doing things and, by all means, mine is not the only way. So feel free to share and let's share some of your ideas as well!

Papers are important but keeping papers under control is even more important!~  It feels good to have them out of your prime spaces and in a place where you can find information when you need it.

Next post:  The Mail Game