Get a Handle on Your Paperwork

Is there a huge pile of paper sitting on your desk, kitchen counter, or entry table? Have you lost the utility bill? That important permission slip for your kids' school? Handling your paperwork isn't as difficult as it seems. Follow these easy steps and you can get a handle on your paper mountain and maintain for less than a minute a day.
Establish a home for your papers. I have five paper "spots" in my home. This may seem like a lot to some, but they are all well maintained and when I need to find something I know where it will be. My first is my to file basket attached to the side of my desk. The second is my file box, I place important paperwork such as bank statements, insurance papers, legal documents, receipts, and the like in the designated file folders. I also have a fire proof safe in my closet that holds VERY important documents like birth and marriage certificates, tax paper work, and home loan documents. On top of my desk is my mail holder, this holds my already opened bills, mail labels, and stamps. And the last paper spot is the homework, permission slip designated basket on the end of our kitchen counter, this spot is where the girls place their homework and any other school paperwork that needs my attention.
Once you have designated places for your paperwork clear the paper mountain. This task seems to be an impossible task. But you really can break this down into chunks and have it done quickly if you follow these simple steps. First pull out all of the sales ads and TOSS them. Don't look through them, you'll get more next week, get them out of the mountain. Next, look through all unopened envelopes, don't open though. Pull out all the monthly bills (utilities, mortgage, and credit cards) and look at the postmark, if it is older than 1 month toss it, you don't need to open it, if you haven't gotten a new one yet, a new one is on the way.
Now that your paper mountain is starting to take on more of a hill shape start making piles to be filed into their designated areas. Current bills with current bills, papers to be filed pile, and the other categories that fit your individual needs.
Put away your piles. If you have thoroughly gone through your mountain and made categories that fit all your paper storage needs this should take just a little time. The filing may be a little longer, but if you have a file box ready to go, this also should be just a small job.
Now that your paper mountain is cleared out, place something pretty in its place. Put a nice plant there, a family picture, or a bowl of fruit. If you have something nice there you will be less likely to start a new pile.
You have tamed the pile, but it is only temporary if you do not do daily maintanence. If you do not maintain your incoming papers on a daily basis a paper mountain will grow somewhere else.
Daily: Mail, grab your mail from the mailbox and then check it over the garbage can. Immediately throw out the circular ads and other junk mail. Don't let that stuff touch your counters, you don't ask for it to be sent to you and you shouldn't let it stay in your house. Next open all the other envelopes, right away. Check your bills and then toss out the outer envelope and excess. You only need the payment coupon and return envelope if you don't pay online. Place the bills in their designated home. Place any important papers that come in the mail in your to file pile.
Kids' school papers. Either you or your kids should empty out their backpacks on a daily basis. All completed school papers need to be tossed. Homework can be placed in the school basket along with any announcements, permission slips, etc...Every afternoon I go through my kids homework basket to check for papers that need to be returned to school. I fill them out and tell them to immediately place them in their backpacks so they are not lost and also the responsibility is placed back on them. Homework that is completed is also to be returned to back packs for the next day. I transfer any calendar events or important dates to our family calendar so I can through that paper out. By the end of every week, the school basket should be empty.
Weekly: File once a week. Pick a day or night that you plan to file your to file pile. Do it during the commercials of your favorite show. I promise if you file once a week it will take you tops 15 minutes to take care of the to file pile.
You also really should have a weekly or bi-weekly bill session time. Pull out the bill coupons and check them to make sure they are being paid on time. You can also do this during commercials on your favorite show. Write the check, fill out the envelope, place a stamp on it, then place it by your keys so you can mail it next time you head out.
Yearly: Purge your file box. Check stubs from work can be tossed after W-2's come in, bank statements older than a year can be shredded, expired warranties, out of date receipts, and old insurance paperwork can all be purged from your file box. The idea of the file box is to easily find something. If you have stuffed you have defeated its purpose, so be sure to purge it yearly.