Clutter Control: Taming the Clutter in Our Lives
Here are a few simple steps you can take to help you to help you to keep the clutter in your home to a minimum.
* Set up a spot for opening the mail, the spot should be furnished with a shredder, a paper recycle bin and a tray or box for mail that is of interest (put the empty envelopes into paper recycle as soon as they are opened). Use this “mail spot”, and only this spot, when you bring the mail into your home. Open it immediately and go through the process of sorting right then and there. If things land where they should the first time they will not be left lying about to create piles of clutter and they will be less likely to get mislaid or lost.
* Pay your bills on-line. This will reduce the annoying job of opening envelopes, writing checks, getting stamps and remembering to mail payments in. You will see no more late fees in your life. On-line bill paying streamlines the whole process, it saves money and time, reducing the paper billing also can save a tree or two for our environment. There are credit unions that offer free unlimited online bill paying.
* Keep your receipts in a folder labeled “Receipts” Organize it according to the types of receipts. Keep a small calender with your receipts to keep track of the expiration of warrantee dates and, return by dates, in case something does not fit or work properly. The thought that, “I’ll return it this week end,” may slide back a week and the product will no longer be accepted for return by then. Or you could jot the time frame and the date for the return right on the receipt.
*For tax documents keep a see through according folder with many pockets so that the documents stay organized. Some accountants have threatened to charge extra for those who come to them with shoe boxes overflowing with loose receipts and disorganized documents.
* Keep your coupons filed in a folder in your car. That way if you are running out and stop to shop for a coupon item, you have what you need with you to access the discount. If there is a large coupon that you want to remember to use mark the date on your calender so you do not pass on the opportunity.
* Rid through your closet annually. Toss out or give away anything that has not been worn in the past year or that no longer fits. The one exception to the ‘does not fit’ rule is, if you are pregnant, wait until the baby is one year old. Formal items may also be held for more than a year but only if they still fit. Discard all wire hangers. They tangle and a create clutter nightmare like nothing else, get rid of them.
* Sort and arrange your wardrobe according to clothing type. Put all the shirts together, pants, skirts, dresses, scarves, shoes, boots, etc. Than sort by color. Leave room in your a few inches on the closet pole so you can look through the cloths and they will not wrinkle from being squeezed in too tightly.
*Leave a few inches at the top of your drawers and shelves so that things can be found without tossing items about and making a mess. A bonus benefit is that the drawers will open and close more smoothly.
* Fold an entire bed’s linen change inside of a pillow case, keep the sheet filled pillow cases stacked in the linen closet according to the bed size. Keep all the kings together, twins together etc. When it is time to change the bed linen just grab the pillow case and go. Everything you need will be right in there neatly folded and ready for you all in the one case.
* To save space in the linen closet, fold and stack towels according to their size. You may choose to group them according to matching sets but this will make the closet space utilization a lot less efficient.
* Rid your kitchen of rarely or never used items. This is no place for dust collecting knick-knacks. Store them away in a labeled box or tub in the basement or attic. In the kitchen, function should be your first and only rule. If an item is there just to look good it better fit in the dishwasher, otherwise you will need to dust and clean the grease off of it regularly. It’s really not worth it.
* Never go shopping with out a list. How many times have you bought a bottle of a spice or a condiment when there is one in the pantry already. Write up you list in the kitchen, edit it in the storage area/pantry. Then and only then are you ready to go shopping.
Remember to laugh often, relax and enjoy life.
