Endless Paper Clutter

[DVCLiz]

Well, this is the weekend. All the paper clutter in my house is in one room. I worked almost all day yesterday (between interruptions) getting bills organized and paid, sorting and throwing away. Today is "catch up on filing" day, and I'm already at work on it.

I am so sick of having this clutter, and not being able to get it under control. When I started this project, I went to Office Depot and bought files, file boxes, etc. I have a label machine. I have plenty of time to get it done - I just put it off endlessly!!!!

So this is the weekend!!!! By the time I go to bed tonight I want this floor completely clean - no piles of paper, no stack of magazines, no box of stuff I should find a place for. CLEAN. AND the bills paid and the other paper filed. Think I can do it??? Anyone else working on a paper project these days??? Keep me motivated!!!

 

[NCRedding]

Good for you!! I am drowning in paper--just when I get it kinda under control, more mail arrives, or DD comes home with stuff from school, or I go to yet another meeting where I am given another stack of paper and I am covered over again.

Keep at it--you'll feel so much better by tonight.

 

[we3disneygo]

it seems this is a battle for everyone! good luck today!

 

[MsLeFever]

Paper clutter is the worst problem in my house! So much comes in and seems to need to be tended to or saved - PLUS the kids bring home a gazillion pieces of art a day. I just bought a bulletin board for the art - then it is full they have to take something down to display another piece....it's only been 4 days but it is working so far!

 

[ntburns22]

Keep going. I started going through things this weekend too. I am feeling great about it.

 

[mudnuri]

One of the best investments I made was to purchase those clear paper holders that go on the wall. Like the ones at doctors offices outside of each patient room...

They are hung right next to my front door- when the DD's empty their backpack after school anything they need me to look at, sign, etc. goes in there. After homework- that goes in there. in the AM they take out the papers and put them in their backpacks. It has ended a lot of paper clutter in my house! After dinner, I go through their holder and immediatly take care of the paper- toss it, sign it, or store it.

Good luck to you- i hate paper clutter!

Brandy

 

[ducklite]

I bought a shredder and every day shred the junk mail that comes. When I moved into this house I made a committment that I wouldn't let the paper clutter take over, and I've done a pretty good job so far.

Anne

 

[Reflection]

It is so hard to keep on top of the clutter.

I managed the numerous art projects that come home by displaying one for 1 week only and taking a digital pix of the others. At the end of the week, the former 'art of honor' gets 'digitized.'

I also found it helps to keep the shredder in the kitchen--when mail is sorted, the junk gets shredded and bills (the few that still come by mail) get placed in the mail holder on the wall.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The secret to mail clutter is to not let it in the house. Throw out junk mail before coming inside.

As far as paper clutter...ugh...everyone hates that. The only secret is to manage it daily for 15mins so it does not build up.

Of course I don't do that but I do file once a week at least.

 

[barkley]

i hope to do this "someday" (we have boxes and boxes all of which i have to go through to figure out what has to be kept). but i have to say-one of the greatest gifts you can "give" your children is to go through EVERYTHING and weed all the useless things OUT!

i've had 2 friends whose parent (only surviving) has passed in recent years. both had to spend so much time going through every scrap of paper before tossing stuff to ensure nothing important was thrown out. one was very lucky to have a family member who regularly deals with legal documents and could quickly glance at items and determine if they needed to be kept, but it still took over a week/6 hours per day. they threw out old warranties (fess up-how many warranties or instruction books do you have for appliances you no longer own? ), old credit card and bank statements, utility receipts... the other friend got through about 50% and now the remainder sits in her garage for "someday".

so if you can't "part" with something at least put it in a box that is labled such that surviving family members know it holds nothing valuable that could not be tossed in the event of your death.

 

[lbgraves]

Good luck! It seems that I do this & it piles up again very quickly. There just isn't enough time to keep everything caught up.

 

[DVCLiz]

i hope to do this "someday" (we have boxes and boxes all of which i have to go through to figure out what has to be kept). but i have to say-one of the greatest gifts you can "give" your children is to go through EVERYTHING and weed all the useless things OUT!

i've had 2 friends whose parent (only surviving) has passed in recent years. both had to spend so much time going through every scrap of paper before tossing stuff to ensure nothing important was thrown out. one was very lucky to have a family member who regularly deals with legal documents and could quickly glance at items and determine if they needed to be kept, but it still took over a week/6 hours per day. they threw out old warranties (fess up-how many warranties or instruction books do you have for appliances you no longer own? ), old credit card and bank statements, utility receipts... the other friend got through about 50% and now the remainder sits in her garage for "someday".

so if you can't "part" with something at least put it in a box that is labled such that surviving family members know it holds nothing valuable that could not be tossed in the event of your death.

Gosh, this is so true - and most of the reason I am trying to do this, both for paperwork and the endless clutter of toys, etc. in my attic. The thought of leaving my girls to deal with this is just awful!!! I want everything neatly stored and organized so that if anything should happen they won't have to spend weeks and weeks sorting through old Barbie shoes to find the missing silver teething ring that was their grandmother's.

I feel the same way about paper clutter. After cleaning out my mother's things and settling an estate, I know what is really useful and what
is not. I'm keeping three months of bank statements - shredding the rest. If I need them, I can get them at the bank. My goal is to have ONE small four drawer filing cabinet, with room to spare. And that will include old report cards, swimming pool membership booklets, lists of my china and silver patterns, etc. Everything. And one small safe deposit box for important papers like car titles, passports, etc. With a copy of all the things, or at least a list describing them, in my file so no one has to wonder what's "lost" in a lockbox somewhere.

I just finished shredding a stack of old bank statemetns - so satisfying!!!!! Now I'm going to fix a big Diet Coke, eat some lunch, then back to it for the afternoon. Wish me luck!!!!