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Setting up a system to effectively organize paperwork can eliminate the visual and mental paper clutter for good! The result is a cleaner, calmer, and happier home!
I’ve been there. The stack of incoming mail, due bills, medical or auto notes, receipts, coupons, gift cards, etc are all vying for my attention. They take up physical and mental space, always reminding me that I need to handle it. The worst part? It keeps reappearing. 😂
We get mail and other paperwork every week so it never stays clear for long. We needed a better system to organize the incoming paperwork that was easy to maintain and clear enough that my husband can follow through with it as well.
Here’s how we tamed our paperwork with an easy home filing system:
Define Your Categories
Take a look at what you currently have in your paper pile and sort them by general section to see what you have. You can use whatever categories that work for you, but I recommend categorizing based on action rather than type of paperwork.
For example, my sections are “To Do”, “To File” and “Magazines/Keep” rather than medical, auto, mail flyers, etc. This keeps the sections minimal and keeps immediate action items separate from those that have been handled.
To Do: Incoming bills, invitations, scheduling reminders, etc. land here.
To File: Once I’ve paid the bill, scheduled the appointment, etc. I move the item to “to file”. This is a temporary holding place where I can place non-urgent papers to keep them out of the way. Think of this as pre-filing.
Magazines/Keep: We typically get a few magazines or grocery store ad books that we keep for a few weeks before tossing. I have a separate section for those items so they can be quickly referenced.
A Note on Filing
Once I’ve accumulated several items in the “to file” section, I either scan them into our digital filing system or move the physical copy to our filing cabinet. I recommend keeping a digital copy rather than a physical copy for as much as possible. This lessens the overall number of items in your home, and frees up physical and mental space! Keeping a tabletop scanner is an easy and affordable way to start your digital filing system.
Set Up Your Paper Management Area
Next you will need to choose a section of your home to house your paperwork. I chose a centrally located place in an unused kitchen cupboard, but a home office or command center area would be ideal (especially if it is already located near your long-term filing cabinet).
Choose an organizer to house your categories and clearly label each category. Here are a few of my favorite organizers & the labeler that I have and love:
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Coupons, Gift Cards, & Receipts
Smaller items like coupons, gift cards, and receipts are best organized in small accordion folders. I keep one for coupons/gift cards, and one for receipts. These have tabs, and I label my gift cards by type (clothing, restaurants, etc) and receipts by month. Everything stays organized and they are easy to throw in your car or purse if needed.
Create a Routine
The most important part of any organization project is maintaining it. Paper organization takes a bit more work because its always coming and going. Here are a few tips to stay on top of it:
Add Paper Management to Your Cleaning Schedule
This is how I stay on top of my paper clutter. I keep a weekly cleaning schedule with different tasks each day. I’ve added sorting & filing paperwork into my schedule so I can check it off like any other chore.
Utilize Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is when you add a new habit right after or before an existing one to help solidify the new one. Maybe you currently check your mail after work each Thursday. To habit stack paper management, you would add it to your schedule right after. Now you check your mail, then immediately open your new paperwork, assign any new categories, and file away the current stack.
Keep Your Paper Management Visible
Seeing your paper filing system whenever you walk into your office or open a commonly used cupboard can also be a visual cue to stay on top of your paperwork. The visual cue isn’t enough for me personally (I need to schedule it, or it won’t ever be a priority), but do what works for you!
Having a simple and clearly labeled system will make all the difference! Organize paperwork by giving it a home and watch how peaceful your space becomes!
