declutter

The dreaded stack of mail that comes in our box can be overwhelming at times. With that said, here are few steps that I do that eliminates unwanted mail while organizing those few bills that do arrive the old fashion way, via the Postmaster.

1. Open and sort mail immediately that day. I have categories to include recycle, shredding, bills and catalogs/magazines. Right of the bat, I throw any paper and junk mail that does not have my name printed in the recycling bin. Anything with my name printed is immediately shredded. I highly recommend buying a shredder that cross cuts into tiny squares. If you don’t want to buy a shredder, your local bank may schedule free shredding for their clients. Also, there are shredding companies that will shred your information and provide a certificate destruction for your peace of mind at low cost.
2. Set up a Work Area. I have a designated area that I place all things that I need to work on. If I can’t immediately address the mail and sort it, I place it in my “Things to Do” file. I created a filing system that enables me to know what I have to do, what is pending and store those important documents for later review.
3. Creating a Filing System. I have two files, Things to Do and Pending, that are located in a small plastic organizer under my desk. Then, I have a larger plastic banker box with other important files that I want to store and review at a later date. The categories that I chose are the actual vendor names and alphabetize them.
4. Designate a Day and Time. I designate Friday’s for reviewing mail, paying bills, reconciling all accounts to include credit cards and filing those important documents for later review.  With identity thief being at its highest lately, I want to ensure that I know what is being charged on my accounts and making sure no one, including the bank, is crossing a boundary.
5. Magazines and Catalogs galore! I create a separate pile to review later while sitting on the couch with my Meg. Once I receive a newer catalog or magazine, I immediately recycle the old one. I go through the magazine to see if I kept that one for a reason. For example, I liked an article, a clothing outfit idea or recipe. Now, I tear out that particular page and recycle the rest. Purging is the key for me. If you can get your favorite magazine or catalog online, you might want to consider canceling the subscription or calling the catalog company to ask for your name be removed from their list. I do this every chance I get and it has helped reduce paper in my world and possibly saved a couple of trees.