It seems like every home has “that” spot—the spot where papers end up, stacked in a useless pile, never to be looked at again. It leaves your home feeling messy and your mind feeling cluttered.
Of course, paper clutter doesn’t have to be the big pain that it often is. There are some easy things you can do to get rid of those paper piles, once and for all. Here are five simple things you should try to help keep those messes at bay.
1. Throw unwanted items away immediately.
When a piece of paper comes into your house that you don’t need or want, don’t wait to throw it away. Get rid of it immediately! Some people make this even easier by keeping a trash can right next to the spot where they drop their mail. When deciding what to keep, be picky. Only keep the things you are sure you’ll need and use in the future. This tactic applies to junk mail, school papers, letters from businesses you work with, and more.
2. Clip coupons right away.
Sometimes, you see a coupon you know you’ll use, but you don’t want to clip it right away, so the entire paper/flyer/ad goes into your paper pile. Chances are, when that happens, you’ll forget about the coupon anyway and won’t have a chance to use it.
This is why it’s a good idea to clip those coupons immediately. Take a few seconds to cut them out, and then throw away the rest of the ad. You’ll cut back on your paper clutter, and the coupon will be ready to use.
3. Sort (and store) smart.
Sort through all your papers, and try to create categories that make sense for the kinds of documents you are dealing with. For example, you might have one category for school papers, one for documents related to your home, and one for things that require immediate action.
From there, find a paper organization setup that works for your home. You might have a binder for each category, or a physical “inbox” with multiple slots for keeping your various stacks. Make sure you have a separate way to store important papers that you don’t use very often, like vital documents, health records, and insurance information.
4. Digitize.
In today’s world, there are very few things that actually require paper documentation. Bills, bank statements, and paycheck stubs can almost always be received electronically, as can most communications from businesses you deal with. Other items, like school assignments or precious artwork done by children, can be photographed or scanned so that you have a digital copy without having to keep the actual paper. This will cut back on the amount of paper in your home immensely.
5. Store off site.
If you have a hard time getting rid of things—whether you’re very sentimental or just highly organized—you could consider storing paper away from your home in a rented storage unit. Closet-sized units are available, as are temperature controlled units, so you can be sure your photos, important documents, and other paper items will be stored securely. Make sure you choose a storage facility with alarms, functional security gates, and good lighting.
Don’t let paper clutter get in your way anymore. Take our advice, and follow these five easy steps for clearing out your home and giving yourself peace of mind.
AZ Mini Storage in Phoenix is dedicated to giving you a secure place to store your paper goods and other precious belongings. Contact us at 480-386-6022 today, and we’ll help you get started with a rental unit that fits your needs.
