Paper can truly be the bane of everyone’s existence. Have you ever wondered how to keep it from taking over the house? Join in this episode of Questions with Kathi and Kelly today to discover how to handle our paper problems by:
Reducing the paper that crosses the threshold
Establish an intake basket
Kicking the ball back into play
The Clutter Free Home: Making Room for Your Life
THE CLUTTER FREE HOME
When it comes to your home, peace is possible…
Longing for a place of peace from which you can love others well? The Clutter-Free Home is your room-by-room guide to decluttering, reclaiming, and celebrating every space of your home.
Let author Kathi Lipp (who once lived a life buried in clutter) walk you through each room of your house to create organizational zones that are not only functional and practical but create places of peace that reflect your personality. Kathi will help you tackle the four-step process of dedicate, decide, declutter and “do-your-thing” to reveal the home you’ve always dreamed of, and then transform it into a haven that reflects who you truly are meant to be.
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Meet Our Guest
Kelly Wilbanks
Kelly Wilbanks lives with her husband and three young daughters in Eastern Washington. On any given day there is either a DIY project, gardening venture, or little mermaids in the hot tub. After overcoming several difficult obstacles in her life, Kelly has come to see anger as a super-power. She wants to help women wisely weaponize their passion to overcome any obstacle in their way. You will find stories of her mistakes and occasional triumphs on her Facebook page “Inspired Resourcefulness” or her website www.kellywilbanks.com.
Handle Paper Clutter Like a Boss: Create (and Use!) a Paper Organization File
Time and again in our Clutter Free Academy Facebook group, one subject keeps rearing it’s ugly head: “HOW do I handle all of the paper?!?” In July, we talked on Facebook Live about Kathi’s amazing, you’ll-really-use-it paper system to keep your paper clutter in check. Check out this Facebook Live to get the scoop on tackling this, our biggest clutter headache.
The number one question I get when it comes to organizing is about ALL THAT PAPER. What do I do with it? What do I need to keep? How do I keep it from coming into my house? Please make the MADNESS STOP!!
Sigh…
I strongly suggest you gather all your loose paper into one place—every clutter pile of mail in your living room, all those magazines you want to save but aren’t sure why, the random sticky notes, coupons, envelopes. Search every nook and cranny around your house, and everything that was once a tree (except your furniture) goes in the box. It might be hard at first. I know that large stacks of paper make me want to roll up in a ball in a corner and weep uncontrollably. If you are already there, here are a few verses for you for FREE to comfort you!
Fist off, keep the paper from coming in the door. Here are a few tricks to stop the incoming flow:
Stop It at the Source: If you aren’t reading the magazines, don’t let them renew. Call the customer service number of catalogs you receive to get off their list.
Stop Giving Out Your Address: Don’t enter that sweepstakes to win a boat or free windows for your house. Or at least check the box that says they can’t share the information. (And don’t worry – we here at KathiLipp.com NEVER share your info.)
Keep a Recycle Bag in the Car: I would have my kids go through their backpacks in the car and any paper they didn’t need (or I didn’t need to see) got put in the bag.
Have a Plan: Our mailbox is in our garage, right next to our recycle bin. At least 60% of paper never comes into the house as it goes directly into the bin. If your box is outside, sort the mail at the box and walk into the house with two piles: one to handle, one to recycle.
You will need to organize this pile of papers into three boxes:
FILING –
This box is for anything that you need to file. Every household should have a simple filing system for receipts, warranties, tax returns, and all those other papers that aren’t currently “in motion” but may need to be referred to at a later date.
Try to keep your files as lean and mean as possible. You don’t need to keep your check stubs from college or warranties from a fridge you no longer own. Since so much of our lives are stored on our computers, we can get rid of a lot of the paperwork we no longer need. You can find most instruction manuals online, scan articles to keep on your computer, and put reminders directly on your digital calendar.
If you are still getting bills in the mail from your regular utility companies, get online and ask to go paperless. Yes – it will save some trees, but more importantly, it will save your sanity.
GIVE AWAY –
Do you have magazines that your library or some other organization would love? Ask first, and then drop them off.
GARBAGE AND RECYCLING –
You shouldn’t have much for the garbage, but I suggest a shredder for any sensitive information you want to get rid of.
Set aside one day a week to do all your paperwork. If only for fifteen minutes that day, being consistent will make the difference in a home cluttered with paper and one clear for real living!
Finally – my gift to you! This little filing system keeps all my papers organized and where I need them, when I need them. It has saved my bacon more times than I can count!
What do you struggle with as far as papers? Please tell me I am not the only one…
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When it comes to your home, peace is possible…
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