By: ReOrganize with Rachel April 2016, ReOrganize with Rachel
Sometimes when we start to clear out our household paper clutter we get paralyzed with fear that we will throw away something we might need or want later.
Many of these items can be recycled. Please shred anything that has any account number on it, any financial statements or credit card statements, credit card offers, loan offers, proprietary information, etc.
Here is a checklist to get you started with no worries:
Reading materials
- Any old articles you meant to read but haven’t. If it still seems important, note the source and look it up online.
- Duplicate documents or publications
- Out-of-date information
- Old magazines or journals (you can always look it up online later).
Materials you have written or researched
- Old drafts; keep only the final product.
- Information you looked up: keep a careful record of the source, if needed, and get rid of the papers.
Received in the mail
- Junk mail solicitations for products and services or subscriptions.
- Coupons you will not use.
- Greeting cards you received; keep only a very special few.
Out-of-date information
- Expired coupons
- Past sales notices
- Outdated catalogs and rewards coupons
- Old calendars
- Maps and ticket stubs from long-past trips
Rachel M. Gambone is a trained organizer who loves to share tips and strategies to help you organize your life.
