7 Ways to Win the Paper Clutter Battle for Good
I’m convinced there must be a magnetic force that pulls paper onto our kitchen counters and tables. Most of us bring our mail into the kitchen to read, our kids sit at the table or island to craft or do homework and important school papers often end up sitting on our counters because we think that if it’s in our face we won’t forget to sign and return it.
Flyers, books and magazines often find their way to this central location in our homes as well. Before we know it a few papers turns into a huge pile of papers that causes frustration and the common saying, “why is there always paper on the counter?!”
Paper products include mail, bills, flyers, receipts, warranty books, school forms, work forms, magazines, books & children’s artwork.
1. Reduce the paper that enters your home and go digital!
- Opt for online bills
- Opt for online receipts whenever possible
- Recycle flyers before they come into your home: check out the deals online instead
- Warranty details can be found online for most products
- Scan and sign school forms online
- Use the FREE online library app (we love HOOPLA) to borrow books
2. Create an inbox and outbox system to contain papers in one place
- Try to create this in/out system near the entrance to your home, in the kitchen or your home office
- Utilize trays, magazine folders or hanging magazine racks to collect papers
- All incoming items that you need to deal with go into the INBOX
- Papers that need to be filed or mailed can be placed in the OUTBOX
- Set an alarm on your phone to empty your inbox and outbox daily or weekly
Here is a round up of some of my favourite INBOX/OUTBOX systems for your home:
3. Display children’s crafts & edit them monthly
- Use a bulletin board, white board or string with clips to display all of those heartfelt crafts: let them shine for a time!
- Every month replace the crafts on display with new ones and recycle the ones that have had their time in the spotlight
- KEEP sentimental crafts that display a milestone (handprint, first time they spelled their name, etc), their photo or one that brings you a crazy amount of joy and could even be framed for a time.
- RELEASE the rest! In the big picture, neither you or your child will want to look back on 300 miscellaneous crafts that they made 5, 10 or 15 years from now. When you only keep the best, those ones stand out and represent a time in the child’s life that you would like to remember rather than getting lost in a sea of papers.
- EDIT the keep pile 1x per month (use the tips above) and then file the keep crafts into a file system or keepsake box.
4. Recycle Magazines
- The shelf life of most magazines is about 3 months
- Keeping magazines for years not only takes up a lot of space but the information in them becomes outdated and so we don’t tend to pick them up and read them repeatedly.
5. Edit your Personal Home Library
- KEEP books that you reference often, are your favourite or part of a special collection
- DONATE books that you do not need anymore but are still relevant and useful
- RECYCLE books that no longer serve a purpose (old school textbooks, outdated resources and books that are no longer in good working condition)
- DISPLAY your books as part of your home decor or near your favourite reading nook in the house
6. Edit your Child’s Library
- KEEP books that are at your child’s current reading level or that are favourites
- DONATE books that have served their time and another child can enjoy
- Consider donating books in good condition to a local charity such as WeeHelp or drop them off at a doctors office or second hand bookstore
- RECYCLE books that are ripped, contain scribbles or are missing pages & beyond repair
- DISPLAY family favourites on picture ledges in your child’s bedroom or playroom. This simple tip inspires reading!
- Designate a book shelf or bins to contain the rest of the books with the spine facing out; this reduces the chance of books getting damaged.
7. Try out a BUDGET app to keep track of purchases & file important receipts
- Input your purchases in an app such as the “Every Dollar” or the “Home Budget” app
- Shred receipts that are not needed for returns or tax purposes
- File receipts that are needed for product returns or taxes in a portable file folder in your car & empty it monthly or yearly.
I bet you will find those “paper piles” disappearing before your very eyes if you put some or all of these paper organization tips into practice!
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Do you have any go to tricks that keep your paper clutter at bay that weren’t mentioned in this post? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments section!
Head here to read the next post: How to Declutter Toys
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These are such great tips Sarah!
It is wonderful so many communications can be paperless now! I heartily agree with the line “let it shine for a time” – especially with six kids creating new pieces daily 💗
Thank you so much, Charlene! Haha! Yes, I can imagine with 6 kids those “masterpieces” cannot remain in the spotlight for too long!