Organizing Incoming Papers

In our last posting, I stressed the importance of reducing the amount of paper you currently have in your home. 

The papers that you must or want to keep should be sorted as soon as you come into the home with it.  If it is mail, papers from a conference, notes from your child's school, the weekly church bulletin or notes you took from a phone conversation, you should give it a home where it can be located again quickly.

My favorite sorting tool for incoming papers is a hanging folder box with folders labeled with the categories that describe the papers that you normally keep.  Most homes can have folders for bills, receipts, permanent items to be filed (such as insurance policies), items that need you to respond or do (invitations, reminders)  coupons if you save them, items you want to read later such as newsletters. You may also need a folder for school, church, garden club, soccer team, etc.   A sample picture of one is found in my book with more details on using it.

There are many very attractive boxes in several sizes available now that can be used for these folders.  Of all the organizing strategies I have taught or used with my clients, this incoming box for sorting papers vertically is the one from which I get the most positive feedback.  It can be a life changing tool.