5 Creative Ideas For Ending Paperwork Clutter In Your Home

Real life is messy. We see it every day in our homes. If you find yourself struggling with this, realize that you’re not alone.

The biggest offender that leads to clutter is the incoming mail. Whether it’s important information from schools, bills to pay, magazines to read, or junk mail, it’s hard to keep the volume of paperwork under control. For many of us, piles start forming in our kitchens and then spill out into other rooms. The problem is that the piles take up physical and visual space.

Our homes cannot be places of rest and retreat if they are filled with piles of stuff to read and do. This week’s challenge to our readers is to find a system that removes the visual clutter but keeps information accessible and unforgettable. After all, we don’t want to lose any bills that need to be paid.

Here are my leading suggestions for taming the piles.

#1 Sort the mail immediately and recycle everything you can.

Some people are able to do this before bringing the mail into their house. If your mail is delivered inside your home, figure out a system to get rid of the unnecessary paperwork immediately.

#2 Create a drawer for all bills and check it each week.

This drawer does not need to be in the kitchen. In fact, it’s best to find space in a different room since we have so much to store in a kitchen without adding bill storage.

#3 Create a basket or drawer for your current magazines and any other reading materials that come to your home in the mail.

Ideally, you should store this stuff in the room where you will read them. Dump out the prior month’s edition when the new one arrives. Another option is to subscribe to digital editions of your magazines so you never have a paper copy to store.

#4. If you have children, create a storage box or drawer for each of them where you’ll put school paperwork.

Remember to check it weekly and throw away old information from school that is out of date.

#5 If you have artistic children, frame some of their best artwork and display it on a wall or table stand.

Take photos of artwork that is too plentiful.