PAPER! We’ve all got it and we all have to deal with it, but it’s something that many of us struggle with. I think this is because it’s something that is constantly in motion. Every day we accumulate more and if we aren’t constantly purging the unnecessary, filing what’s important, and taking care of the time sensitive, then it will begin to take over our homes. That’s why I’m going to teach you my system to take control of your paper clutter once and for all!
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Paper clutter has been one of the biggest struggles for me to take control of. Visual clutter stresses me out so I’m a hider by nature. But without a system in place, paper often sits in a pile untouched. That’s what has often happened in our house.
It’s not that I haven’t had systems in place. They just weren’t the right systems. Because there are so many different types of papers that come into a home, there needs to be multiple systems in place to catch these papers before they become clutter.
Because I’m a hider, I need organizational systems that tuck the papers away so that they are out of sight, but still easily accessible. That’s why I’ve created 4 paper systems that have helped to keep my paper clutter under control.
1. Recycling Bin
I think the very first thing you need to have in place in order to conquer your paper clutter is a recycling bin. More than half of the paper that comes into your home should probably end up in this location because it’s just not worth keeping. I look at this in the same fashion that I look at decluttering. You can’t organize clutter and the same goes for unwanted and unneeded paperwork. It’s simply clutter that needs to go.
If you are keeping too many papers, consider spending some time sorting through everything and recycling at least half of it. This will make the organization process much easier.
2. An Easy Filing System
About a month ago I went into depth on our filing system and how I have everything set up in a self-purging system that works for me. It’s very similar to the Freedom Filer System, but I’ve DIYed it in order to save money! I’ve had this system in place for more than 4 years now and it’s still working great for our family. I can find a paper I need in 30 seconds or less and I’m only keeping the absolutely necessary. You can find out more about the filing system I use in this post.
A filing system should be used for long-term storage only. These are not papers that will require action or need attention soon. We will get to those papers in a minute. Your main filing system should be used for things like insurance policies, bank records, medical information, and tax records. You should have a separate system for short-term paper storage.
3. 5 Filing Folders
So now you have in place a system for the papers you aren’t keeping and a system for long-term storage. But what about those things that need action or attention in the near future? These might include things like bills you need to pay, lunch menus for your kid’s school, invitations for baby showers, or papers you need to sign and return.
I have a filing system setup in my pantry (so it’s hidden…remember I’m a hider!) in a two pocket wall hanger. The bottom pocket is where I place store coupons for easy access. The top pocket holds 5 file folders. These are the folders I use and what I store in each:
- To File - I have this file for one reason and one reason only…I’m lazy. Yes, I could easily go back and file papers as I need to in my filing system. But that’s located in my bedroom and when my boys are awake that’s not always an option. So in the To File folder they go. I try to file these papers about once each week so that it doesn’t get too full.
- Bills to Pay - This is where I place any bills that need to be paid. Most of our bills are automatically debited. However, we do receive a few bills from time to time and they always go in here until it’s time to do our budget.
- Action - This file includes things that need action soon. It might be a paper I need to sign for our insurance company or an invitation that I need to RSVP to. Once I’ve completed the action, it usually gets recycled.
- Reference - This file is for things we need to reference. Right now it’s only holding my Annie Sloan chalk paint pamphlet. (Yes, I have a painting problem!) But it might also hold things like gift registry information for an upcoming wedding or shower or any paperwork from my husband’s work we might need to look at again. Anything that you may need to look at in the near future can go in this file.
- School - This file contains any papers I might receive from my son’s school that I might need to look at again including the school calendar, party information, school assemblies, and lunch menu. I have to purge this file fairly often because it can easily get cluttered with outdated papers.
It’s not necessarily about the labels on your files, but that you have them and use them! I used to struggle with piles on my kitchen countertops or desk, but this has really changed all of that for me. It takes very little time to implement and it really keeps my home clutter free from papers. Sometimes we just need to put systems in place that work for us instead of us working for them!
You may have noticed the blue and white striped binder behind my files. That’s my home management binder and my very last system to keep your paper clutter under control!
4. A Home Management Binder
Now we’ve covered long-term and short-term paper storage. But if you’re anything like me, you still have a problem with paper clutter and that has a lot to do with all of your lists. From cleaning lists to meal plans to daily to-do’s, they can easily become clutter in your home if you aren’t careful.
If your a mom like me, you probably feel like your mind can go a mile a minute. I used to feel like I had too many things spinning through my head and I desperately needed a way to get them down on paper. However, I would reach for scrap papers and multiple notebooks. All of my notes, to-do lists, meal plans, and cleaning schedules were turning into clutter…exactly what I was trying to avoid!
That’s when I turned to my computer and set out to create an organizational system that would not only help me to get all of the to-do list out of my head, but also keep everything neat and tidy at the same time! That’s when Simply Organized was born.
Simply Organized is a set of printables (more than 50 to be exact) that you can use to get and stay organized with your paperwork in your home. You can use them to create a home management binder that fits your families needs just like the one I made here.
A home management binder is simply put a place to store all of the things that help you manage your home on a daily basis. You might include things like calendars, daily or weekly schedules and to-do lists, cleaning routines, meal plans, or budgeting printables.
I do want to put out one warning. Do not clutter your home management binder. It can be tempting to think that you need more than you do. That’s not why I created Simply Organized with 50+ printables. I wanted to give you options so that you could find the right printables for you and your family. Try starting small and gradually build upon that so that you can keep your home and binder both clutter-free!
Please note that I did not mention a system for school papers in this post. I will be going more into depth on how I declutter, store, and organize all of the paper that comes home from school (and boy it’s a lot!!) in a later post.
These 4 systems have really changed the way my house looks on a regular basis. I used to feel overrun by papers and had stacks everywhere that needed to be sorted. We would constantly lose things that were important. It would always put off going through them because I knew what a long task I had ahead of me.
Now that I’ve put these 4 simple systems into place, I don’t have these worries anymore. It takes just a few minutes each week to maintain and I can enjoy a clutter-free home because of it.
If you are struggling with paper clutter in your ome, I encourage you to try implementing these four systems. It won’t happen overnight, but by adding just one at a time I’m sure you will find your home a much tidier place!