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There's a product out... I've seen commercials, I think it's call "NEAT" or something. You scan it all in and it saves it for you. But you have to set it up and keep it up.
As for kids papers/artwork... each day, we go through their folders and toss the stuff no one wants to keep, but we do look at it all. Anything the kids (or I) think is special goes in a plastic box with their name on it. Either when it gets full, or at the end of the year, we go through it all - keeping what they want, throwing away the vast majority of it all. I have a box for each that we save for their papers. Once it's full (for my 5th grader, it's happened only once), I seal it up and put it in storage - here, it goes in the attic.
I have a box for 'to shred' and do that when it gets full. DH has a plastic box we throw all deductible receipts in throughout the year and sort at tax time.
Most of our bills are paperless now, but a few still come in the mail. All mail gets opened and sorted when the kids get home from school, while we're going through their folders. I have a small basket next to 'my spot' in the family for things I'd like to look through later - coupons, magazines, etc. I go through that in the evenings after the kids are in bed. If it's not something I KNOW I need/want, then it's tossed. I put up a bulletin board and some 'slide in' Command style hooks next to the front door. Anything we need to return to the school (be it reading lists that are compiled daily and turned in weekly) or lunch menus (posted on the bulletin board, changed once a month) or just reminders of special things coming up, get put up right away. I take a look at the board every few days- pull down what we don't need, transfer dates to the calendar in my phone or onto the one hanging next to MY desk. I don't procrastinate calls or emails to the teacher. After the sorting each afternoon, while the kids are doing homework, if needed, I go to the computer and make any necessary calls or send any emails needed on their behalf. I keep another basket next to my desk for 'to be filed' and do that in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee, waiting for my computer to come on and checking our banking accounts (business and personal) online, as well as checking on the kids online school thing (I check the kids thing every couple of days, just to stay on top of it).
We deposit checks that we receive through our scanner. After scanning each check, I pull off the deposit/account number and the address, then place that in a decorative can in front of the fireplace. We burn those little scraps when we do a fire in the fireplace.
As everyone with a working system will tell you, it's not about putting a system together - that part's easy. It's about committing to DO it. Eventually, it becomes second hand and just takes minutes a day. It's when you slack off, thinking you'll get to it 'later' that paper can take over your life.
You must have one big mailbox to be able to fill a 13 gallon trash bag each day. LOL
Ok, it doesn't fill it, but expands it considerably
I stopped the newspaper long ago, I can read it online.
My ds is in special ed, that alone generates a mountain of papers. A school secretary warned me to hang onto them, they're not easily obtainable again. Its a log process to get those papers, and I just never know when I might need them, although I've never needed them. I have a system where I sort by year, keep them in those boxes you get free at the post office. That alone is a nightmare!
Sometimes I actually feel victimized by all the paper
copied from a talk I gave a short while ago...
Step One: Stop more from coming in
Opt out of as much as you can. If it isn’t being sent to you, you won’t have to deal with it!
Catalogs: www dot catalog choice dot com
Send a form – like the one I have been using – which I passed out for you to see ***added to the bottom of this post
Convenience checks: call the credit card’s customer service number
Credit card offers: The national credit bureaus offer a toll-free number that enables consumers to opt-out of all pre-approved credit offers. 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
General advertising: The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail Preference Service lets you opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial mail from many national companies for three years. When you register with this service your name will be put on a “delete” file and made available to direct-mail marketers. This will not stop all mailings, as some organizations do not use this Mail Preference Service. Go to www.dmachoice.org or copy and use the form on the back of my letter. There is a $1 fee for this service!
You can also use my form to request removal from bulk mail companies like Pennysaver directly. Guaranteed to drive the mailman crazy!
Warranties: only fill out the pertinent information regarding your purchase on registration cards or company websites
***letter referenced above
insert date
insert address
To whom it may concern:
We have been trying to reduce the amount of unsolicited catalogs and mail coming into our house. Please remove us from your mailing lists, and please do not pass our name and address along to others.
Thank you very much!
Your name
Your address
<<attach a copy of the mailing label here,
or insert a scan of the mailing label>>
How long should one keep thier cashed pay stubs. I usually keep a years worth in an envelope, but actually never ever had to use them for proof or anything.
A little off topic, but I worked 29 years same place paid bi-weekly and I saved every one of my pay stubs. (Why? That I cannot answer...) When I retired I took the whole pile of them to shred at work (their industrial-strength shredder much better than my home one). Stuck in the middle of them was an envelope with $450 worth of travelers checks I had totally forgotten about. Fortunately I caught it before it went into the shredder. A couple weeks later we went to Las Vegas to celebrate my retirement and I had a nice extra stash of gambling money!!
How long should one keep thier cashed pay stubs. I usually keep a years worth in an envelope, but actually never ever had to use them for proof or anything.
If mine was correct I would shred as soon as I got the next one.
The trick is to find something that works for you and stay with it every day. I had a problem with the mail being all over me kitchen island because I couldn't get to it at the time. The next day same thing then it gets overwhelming. I now take care of it every day. I don't get much junk mail as I have opted out of every thing that I can think of.
We recently moved and unfortunately couldn't throw EVERYTHING out (we were in a rush) and so some sh*t came with us. Now that we are in the new house I cannot stand looking at some of these papers.
As others have said, you need a system and one that works for you.
* Toss junk mail IMMEDIATELY. Keep a trash can handy and never let it get past the foyer.
* Staple all prescriptions to anything relevant and put in your file(s). When tax time comes, it's all there.
* Get a big file cabinet for your teacher DH. My sister and brother-in-law are both teachers so I understand the mountains of paperwork. Keep those files organized and clean occasionally.
* Keep a handy box/basket nearby where you put things but be sure to sort through it on the weekends.
Shred, Shred as much as you can!!
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