Does your mail pile up and create clutter? Here are three easy steps for staying on top of the influx.
1. Create a processing station.
Your goal: create a convenient spot dedicated to sorting your mail, discarding the junk, and keeping the important items.
- Choose a location that matches your normal pathway into the home, perhaps in the entryway, mudroom or kitchen.
- Pick a place that has enough room for a small table or countertop space, a small bin to recycle paper, and a household shredder.
- Your recycling bin can be a decorative basket or magazine holder.
2. Process incoming mail daily.
You can prevent annoying paper clutter by quickly sorting and weeding out your mail so that you only retain important items that need your action or your attention.
- Every day when you walk in with your mail, stop at your station and sort it.
- Weed out and discard junk mail suitable for recycling.
- Reduce incoming junk mail! Go online to the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service dmachoice.org where you can register to get off of mailing list for five years. It will take about three months to see a decrease in your incoming junk mail.
- Fire up your shredder and shred any sensitive items such as credit card offers to prevent identity theft.
3. Set up a holder for important mail.
- Use an accordion file or a letter sorting rack that can hold three to five slots.
- Designate an action for each slot such as bills to pay or RSVP. File the mail in the appropriate slot. Designate a day on your calendar each week to take that action.
- If you have children, designate a slot for papers you have to sign and send back to school with your child.
- Label one slot for outgoing mail so you can pick it up on your way out.
Rachel M. Gambone is the owner of ReOrganize with Rachel, LLC. In addition to general home organizing, she specializes in helping you organize your office, papers and digital information. Her signature approach is positive organizing where she builds on your strengths, helps you find your treasures, and teaches you life-long organizing skills. See more organizing tips and a link to her free podcast at reorganizewithrachel.com.
