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If there is one thing paper is extraordinarily good at, it is multiplying. You can leave a piece of paper on the table, come back in what seems like five minutes, and now it’s a stack of junk mail, receipts, magazines, newspapers, you name it.
So, besides making a paper boat out of old newspaper for Little Timmy, how do you organize and dispose of all this paper?
Try following the 3-Ps:
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Purge
When paper starts to really pile up, your first inclination is to throw it all out. No one wants to sit there and rifle through stacks and stacks of paper. Nevertheless, it is a necessary evil. To put it plainly, it isn’t safe to throw all that paper into the trash or recycling bin. In doing so, you put your identity at risk.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t purge. Once you have taken the time (try a little bit every day or block off time to sit down and get it all done in one go) to sort through all the paper in your house, put all items with personal info – mailing labels on magazines or envelopes, bills, old tax returns, and so on – in to a box to be shred!
Protect
Once you have purged everything that you need to, it is time to deal with those pesky pieces of paper that you are obligated to keep on hand. Regardless of whether you are cutting the paper clutter at home or at work, there are going to be files that require a little extra security. If you don’t feel like scanning them onto an external hard drive or locking them in a safety deposit box is going to cut it, consider document storage – a solution that provides secure, convenient, and cost-effective storage for all corporate or client files, personal records, financial documents, and medical or legal files.
Place
Finally, everything has been managed and where it should be. Wait, don’t get too comfy just yet. You need to come up with a system that will help you stay organized and minimize the possibility of drowning in paper again! Of course, there are several ways to organize your struggle against paper clutter. However, we aren’t here to tell you what works, but encourage you to find what system best suits your needs.
Here are a few suggestions that work for some folks:
- Wall files – to be paid and paid. Done and done.
- Cork board for the things you can’t forget – invites, permission slips, etc.
- Expense tracker to file your bills.
- Index Card Case for a portable coupon and receipt organizer on the go.
- Baskets – not for laundry, but incoming mail.
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