Moving Paper Clutter Efficiently

Realistic Tips for Handling Mail and Other Table Top Annoyances

Sep 2, 2008

Stacks of mail and other paper needing processing can pile up quickly. You don't need to be a neat freak to keep it out of your way.

As mail, receipts and brochures pile up they can still be initially filtered into sections even if there is no time to think about them as they come in the door.

Just about anything will do, trays for this can be purchased at just about any office supply place and come in plenty of colors and sizes for individual needs. For less formal options there are always paper bags and boxes. Files can be used as well but, since they are relatively small, have to be processed more frequently.

Keep it simple

Stick to basics and what matters to you. Don’t put up 20 trays or you won’t be saving yourself work but creating more of it. Limit trays to five or less; include a generic or “other” tray as a catch-all for things left over.

Be specific to your needs. If you clip coupons, create a coupon tray. If you collect dolls, create a doll literature tray. If you have a home business, use a tray for all that business mail.

Put the trash in the trash right away. It is easier if you tear envelopes open initially as you bring them in so you can throw them away and assess if you need the contents. This also cuts down on the volume. Receipts are easier to deal with too if you throw away the ones you don’t need right away.

Some tray possibilities:

The initial separating of paperwork as it comes into the home gives you the chance to not have it in the way when you need to do things like start dinner, change the baby or watch a football game.

The initial separation of paperwork also allows for processing things in smaller stacks rather than all at once. Set a time in the mind when each thing will be dealt with. For example, shuffle through the reading material just before bed time.

The more important mail should be processed when an individual is at their peak during the day. For instance, a morning person could wake up half an hour earlier every Monday morning to process his bills. It is a matter of deciding, then doing.

A children’s or homework tray can become a few minutes of together time every day after school or after dinner as a youngster can be drafted to help process the material. If there is school information, they can be asked to read or explain it to you.

Don’t put off processing too long, or the piles will overflow the trays. An example schedule may include:

The copyright of the article Moving Paper Clutter Efficiently in Home Organization is owned by Elva Osterreich. Permission to republish Moving Paper Clutter Efficiently in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.