No More Paper Cluttering Your Counter or Your Mind
Are you looking for a paper clutter hack to get rid of all of the papers that are endlessly piling up on your counters, desks and end tables? This tried and true system has helped me for the last 7 years not only eliminate paper clutter on surfaces, but keep those papers in order. I mean, anyone can just start trashing the paper clutter. This method allows you to keep your papers in order and accessible when you need them through the year. Keep on reading for the best paper clutter hack there is. I hope it helps you, too!
Systems vs. Habits
The new year is a time we all evaluate our habits. We seek to eliminate bad ones and begin new ones. And this certainly could be the case with paper clutter. For example, you could resolve to put away paper clutter at the end of every week. (I’ve heard that one before.) Or you could resolve to just be more “tidy” or “organized”. I’ve said both of those things as well. And while they aren’t great goals in and of themselves, the basis is that you want a more tidy, clutter-free or organized home and life. That’s where systems come in. When we put systems in place, it is more of a lifestyle shift. How you live, not necessarily what you do from time to time. Habits can feel oppressive and difficult. Systems, when created and implemented, can lead to sustaining change. This paper clutter hack is a system, not a habit. Let’s dive in.
Materials
This hack requires three things that you might even be able to find in the office supplies you currently own. Or you could purchase them very inexpensively.
1-1.5” binder (Depending on how much paper clutter you have annually)
Divider Tabs (I use 7-8)
Sheet Protectors (I always start with 100 and usually end up buying more)
The Best Paper Clutter Hack System
Shortly put, the best paper clutter hack is a binder system. I always start mine at the beginning of the year (it helps with taxes), but you can start at any time. I just recommend keeping your yearly binders separate. Here’s how I set up my binder system.
Create Tabs
The first thing you will want to do is create categories for your paper clutter. These categories will be your divider subjects, and you will want to write them on the tabs. You can use whatever category best fits your paperwork. Here are some ideas:
Bills
Insurance (home, car, business, etc)
Medical (statements, summaries, and receipts)
Savings
Investments
Important Receipts (appliance or major purchases, home repairs, anything with a warranty)
Miscellaneous (it’s the junk drawer of the paper clutter)
You could even do this if you run your own side gig or small business and need to keep your paperwork separate.
Assemble
Put your tabs in your binder and then add sheet protectors to each section. I always end up buying more sheet protectors, but I start out putting most of them in the Bills section.
Put the Paper Clutter System in Place
Once your binder is assembled, you are ready to begin your system. Here’s where the lifestyle and most important part comes in. As your paper clutter comes in the door, put it away immediately in the binder. There’s no reason to let it pile up until you’re ready. Keep the binder close to where most of your paper clutter stacks up so it’s convenient to open the mail, throw away the envelope, and put the paper into the sheet protector in the right section. Here’s a really pretty floral option.
What about Tax Documents?
In addition to the binder, as tax documents come in, I put them in a separate file folder. I do not have a section for tax documents. Having the separate folder allowed me to give the whole file to our accountant when we have accumulated all of the necessary paperwork. However, if you do your own taxes, you might want a separate section for your tax documents and receipts to make looking for that stuff easier when tax time comes.
At the end of the year
Once the year is up, I write the year on the spine and put it in our office for safe keeping. Once we are enough years away (5-7), I take the whole year’s worth of documents and shred them and reuse the binder. Especially if they are super cute like this one.
And there you have it! The best paper clutter hack there is. Like I said, its simple, easy to implement and very effective. I hope it helps declutter and simplify your space to make it easier to breathe and live. Home clutter is mind clutter. Let’s get rid of it!
If you want to see the assembly in action, come hang out with me on Instagram. I’d love to see you there!
Or follow me on Pinterest for other organizational hacks and systems!
Check out these other posts to get organized and live simply