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Podcast #22 is all about reducing paper clutter!
I decided to do this podcast since the subject was already on my mind with yesterday’s post. As I thought about mentioning it as part of another subject, I realized I could easily talk about paper for 30 minutes!
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--Nony
Wow just wow… I have not had anyone in our house do to it being “messy”. Paper is a major problem… really really is…
Love your Podcast!!! I am implementing some of these already. My shredder has gone bad again… I thought it was a good one but jams pretty easy. So buying a real good one…great idea, next time I will get one made for an office. My shredder pile is pretty big so I’ve been just tossing and cutting up those things with our address on it.
I wonder what will happen when I do get everything under control…will I have someone over to the house? I don’t know…My social skills are not very good. But I think having a clean house gives me that option to have someone over and gives me the motivation to work on social skills.
Once I had my husband box up the paperwork…the problem was I couldn’t get him to do it… by the time he did, peopling were walking in for my sons party and my hubby was running boxes down stairs, big mess left in the dining room for everyone to see. My son lost a friend that day…. Very embarrassing to say the least.
I haven’t had that issue this year… mostly because I go through the mail the best I can. I so hope to concur this issue…
thanks for all your help… I really enjoyed listening to the post. And have to agree with all the paper work that comes home. We pick things up from places we to feel better but then the pamphlets just sit here. I now to toss them , well mostly. :O)
Oh and I also think it is so awesome your husband is willing to work with you.
The best household organizing book I ever read was Shirley Conran’s “Superwoman.” First published in the 80s, you can still buy it for $.01 & shipping @ Amazon (it’s out-of-print). Many of the tips you discuss are covered there. Esp. re: paper & bills (except, of course, for online bill paying–it didn’t exist!)
For those who choose to go this route, don’t forget to buy an external hard drive and back up regularly, lest you crash & it’s ALL GONE!
Not banks but doctors’ offices can charge big bucks making copies of medical records especially of reports. Hospitals will cream you in charges if you have a chronic condition you need records of in a hurry and you do not have time to build another dossier. Yes, this is the voice of experience. Also for those who live in areas affected by hurricanes or are otherwise subject to power outages, having paper copies of medical records in an emergency can save your life although many folks are putting their records in “keys” that can plug into a PC. That’s great if you’re in the US in a city, but what if you get sick in Podunk, AR? What if you’re on a cruise in the Caribbean? I’m just saying be smart about having back-up current copies with you for an emergency.
At the end of your podcast you said that the file boxes did not work for you. Me neither. I Have AHDH and am a visual person. Would like to do something beside try to file stuff away in pretty file boxes I can’t seem to maintain– or just leave stuff in stacks on the kitchen table ( and breakfast bar!)
I have bought several filing systems that did not work for me… Any ideas?
Teri, I’ve used literature organizers (mail organizers, shoe organizers, scrapbook paper organizers – all which have open slots to put things in). These seem to work well for people who need and love visual access. I’ve also used multiple baskets (white plastic Sterilite ones that hold 8 1/2 x 11 paper without bending it). I label the baskets with a Post-It and toss stuff in. I put the baskets on a work table if I’m using them for a project… Or put them on a bookshelf devoted to corralling paper. Another idea is a set of stackable platic drawers that are clear so you can see inside and label. I need things visual too! 🙂
I’m listening to your podcasts from the beginning and this one came up today — while decluttereing…paper. When I collected all of the papers from various surfaces all over the house and went through it, I found that 90% of it was TRASH. Definitely an area I need to try implementing some of you tips. Thank you for sharing!
Dana, I get such a kick out of your sense of humor! Your podcasts are so much fun to listen to. 😀 I laugh, I feel inspired, they are great! THANK YOU for sharing. 😀 My suggestion for storing critically important documents, such as birth certificates, marriage license, passports, wills, etc., is putting them all In a fireproof/waterproof security box.
I don’t know if people ever comment on 7 year old episodes but I’ve just discovered you! My favorite thing for paper clutter is software called Evernote. It’s basically a digital filing cabinet where you can put anything that you might have kept on paper before. And you can add things to it in SO many different ways, so it’s very easy to use. It’s also searchable so you can, but don’t have to be particularly organized about how you keep things in it. You can type notes into it, but you can also forward emails directly to it, snap photos of things (which will also be searchable!), Etc. So just for one example: if I’ve bought a magazine and I’m trying to get rid of it, I’ll flip through. If there’s anything I want to keep, an article or recipe, I snap a picture and send it to Evernote. I have it forever and the magazine can go.
It’s a game changer!!