I hope you are each enjoying the nice Spring weather we have been having. My daughter is old enough now to really like playgrounds, so we have been having fun playing outside.
One thing we all have in common, no matter how organized we are, is what to do with our mail. We all get lots of it, and if we don’t stay on top of it, it will cover our countertop space, baskets, and wall organizers before we know it. Here are some ideas to help you process mail efficiently.
- Opt for online bill pay or direct draft to pay your bills. By using these features, you will save time writing checks, and you will save money for stamps. When your statement comes in the mail, simply put it in your “to file” folder, or just put it in the file cabinet right away.
- Go to DMA Consumer Assistance and click on “How do I get off mailing lists?” It will guide you through the process, and once you are done, you should be getting less junk mail in a matter of weeks. This will obviously save you time standing over the trash can and trying to decide if you need a certain coupon or flyer.
- Make either folders, baskets, or trays from an office supply store labeled “Act on” and “File.” Once a week (at least) go through the items in each file and do with it what you need to.
- Keep a small to medium basket on hand where you can put magazines and catalogs. You will be forced to take out old magazines when the basket fills up. That way, your magazines have a place to be so it’s orderly, but the size of the basket makes you purge when it’s been too long.
- Shred personal documents and toss trash right away.
- Take five minutes each day to process mail. Go get it out of your mailbox when you have the time to deal with it, not when you don’t have time and it will end up sitting on your counter with yesterday’s mail.
I hope these ideas help you maintain order in your daily mail decisions. Happy Easter!