Paper Pileup- Part Deux

Here it is the long awaited paper sequel. (My apologies for being so long to post.) To start with, I just want to reiterate what my mother pointed out in her earlier comment. Getting some sort of bin or basket to keep near the door or in another prime spot is a great idea when it comes to sorting mail. Some people even opt for a filing system you can put right on the wall. This way as soon as you get something in the mail (a bill, an invitation, letter from a charity organization, etc.) you can file it in the appropriate slot, bin, or folder. My apartment building actually has a great system: they have a recycling bin right next to the mailboxes which is great because when I get junk mail, I don’t even have to bring it into my apartment- I just toss it in the bin and say bye bye!

Another great idea is to invest in a paper shredder (Good Housekeeping recommends a cross-cut one) so you can toss items with personal info on it without any worry about identity theft.

To quote an article in Redbook magazine (April, 2010), a paper problem is not even an organizing problem; it has more to do with time management. Most mail that comes in is something to be read and then dealt with. Make sure you set aside time to deal with it. You can allot a few minutes every day, or focus on it on the weekends. But the key is not letting it build up to the point of becoming overwhelming, or worse, not paying bills on time.

(Side note: throughout my blog I will take tips and quotes from other sources but I will try my best to always cite them- it may not be APA style but it’ll have to do!)

Hopefully after this your mail will now be sorted, bills paid, invitations replied to, and your counter tops will be free and clear!

Another paper issue people struggle with (myself very much included) is old papers- old cards, school work, etc. For this my recommendation would be a filing cabinet. If you have a small amount of stuff you can just get a small file folder, like the one pictured (from Container Store). If you have years worth of paper accumulation that you just can’t part with, a larger filing cabinet might be what you need. But before you go shoving all your old papers in there, take the time to sort through them and ask yourself “why do I want to keep this?”


Most likely the English paper you have from high school won’t do you or even your kids much good, so it’s not worth saving. Same goes for pretty much all old school work unless it is something you are really so super duper proud of you cant bare to see it go in the trash. Also, what is the likelihood you are even going to look at any of this stuff again? My advice: chuck it.

Cards and other items of sentimental value are more appropriate to keep. But again, really think about it before you save it- is this something worth keeping; will you ever look at it again? Maybe it makes you happy, reminds you of a time long gone—sometimes old notes and letters are just as valuable as old pictures and definitely worth saving. Everyone is different though so what one person might feel they need to keep another might have no problem parting with. Just take the time to think about, and then come up with a filing system that works best for you.

I hope this post helped all you paper hoarders out there, but as always, please don’t hesitate to post a comment or question!