3107: 8 Habits to Keep Paper Clutter to a Minimum by Rachel Jones of Nourishing Minimalism

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[00:01:40] It's a minimalist Monday edition of Optimal Living Dealing Episode 3107, Eight Habits

[00:01:45] to Keep Paper Collider to a Minimum by Rachel Jones of nourishingminimalism.com and I'm

[00:01:51] your narrator, Justin Malick.

[00:01:52] And we're going to jump right into our minimalist Monday article for today as we optimize your

[00:01:57] life.

[00:02:03] Eight Habits to Keep Paper Collider to a Minimum by Rachel Jones of nourishingminimalism.com

[00:02:10] Papers are easily one of the number one clutter issues in our lives.

[00:02:14] We are afraid to get rid of something for fear of needing the information on it or

[00:02:18] needing a copy of it.

[00:02:20] We feel shame for not filing utility bills and grocery receipts.

[00:02:24] Aren't we supposed to compare our receipts to our ATM and credit card statements every month?

[00:02:28] And then there are the sentimental papers, the awards the kids got for good attendance at school,

[00:02:33] the baptism certificate, the participation award for soccer, and the drawings.

[00:02:38] Aren't we supposed to cherish every picture our child gives to us?

[00:02:42] There's not any more room on the front of the fridge, but

[00:02:45] we have this idea that we're supposed to keep

[00:02:47] every single statement, warranty, instruction manual,

[00:02:51] receipt, and note from school.

[00:02:54] Thankfully, we don't.

[00:02:56] And here are eight actionable things that you can shift

[00:02:58] to avoid paper piles crowding your space.

[00:03:02] Number one, deal with papers immediately,

[00:03:05] also known as the one-touch rule.

[00:03:08] Mail.

[00:03:09] As soon as you get the mail,

[00:03:10] head right to the recycling bin or garbage

[00:03:12] and toss all the junk mail.

[00:03:14] Don't even take it into the house with you if possible.

[00:03:17] School.

[00:03:18] Sort backpacks every day as they come in,

[00:03:21] have the kids do the homework ASAP,

[00:03:23] and put it back into the bag so it's done and ready for the next day.

[00:03:27] If there are notes from teachers, permission slips, etc., sign them and put them right

[00:03:32] back in the backpack.

[00:03:33] Mark significant events on the calendar with correct info and toss the remainder.

[00:03:38] Let go of all the drawings, crafty things, etc. that were just sent home for your inspection.

[00:03:43] If you find something unique, take time to take a picture with your child holding it

[00:03:47] and spend time talking to your child about the project, and then let it go.

[00:03:52] Church

[00:03:53] If you can toss the papers you get from church before getting into the car, you'll be one

[00:03:57] step ahead.

[00:03:59] Many churches are cutting back on the amount they hand out in the first place, which is

[00:04:02] excellent, but even Sunday school coloring sheets can pile up in the car and on the counters.

[00:04:08] If possible, take time at church to ask your children questions about their lesson, what

[00:04:13] is going on in the picture or craft project, what was important about the story, and what

[00:04:17] did your child find the most interesting.

[00:04:20] Then make it a habit of throwing it away.

[00:04:22] Ah, can you believe what I just said?

[00:04:24] But remember, the important thing is talking to your child.

[00:04:28] If you just take the paper home and throw it away in a week, nothing significant would

[00:04:32] have taken place in conversation.

[00:04:34] But if you intentionally talk and ask questions and learn a lesson from your child, you can

[00:04:38] toss that paper without guilt.

[00:04:41] Number 2.

[00:04:42] Have an inbox for all the papers that need to be dealt with soon.

[00:04:46] Near the kitchen I have this wooden tray I put all the bills in after I've sorted the

[00:04:50] mail.

[00:04:51] Once a week my husband Brian pays bills and balances the checkbook so he knows right where

[00:04:55] to find all the statements he needs.

[00:04:58] After he's paid the bills, he tosses the statement part.

[00:05:01] We keep as few papers as possible.

[00:05:04] Only what we need for records.

[00:05:06] Number three, have a long term filing system. Some things need to be kept, tax records,

[00:05:12] personal records, etc. And for that, I have found that I do best with a drawer system. I used to do

[00:05:18] hanging files, but I would leave everything in piles rather than file it away. Now if I receive a

[00:05:23] paper I need to keep for an extended period, I put it into the appropriate

[00:05:27] drawer of the cabinet.

[00:05:30] Number 4.

[00:05:31] Set a weekly time to catch up on paper.

[00:05:34] Make it a habit to deal with papers.

[00:05:36] Take time out each week to pay bills, etc. that are waiting in your inbox.

[00:05:40] It's easiest if it's consistent, like every Saturday morning.

[00:05:44] Once you are in the habit of dealing with them weekly, it doesn't take long and you

[00:05:47] should quickly be done within 10 minutes.

[00:05:50] Keep all your stamps and envelopes, extra checks, etc. in one area so you can sit down

[00:05:56] and take care of everything in one setting rather than running all over the house finding

[00:06:00] things you need to finish the task.

[00:06:03] Number 5.

[00:06:04] Set as many statements as possible to paperless.

[00:06:07] Many banks, credit card companies, and various service companies are giving the

[00:06:12] option of paperless billing and statements. What a wonderful option! You still need to

[00:06:17] set aside time each week to pay and view and respond as necessary. If you are an

[00:06:22] out-of-sight, out-of-mind type person, set up a routine

[00:06:25] of weekly bill paying or set up automatic bill pay through your bank. Depending on your

[00:06:30] email service, you can have your e-statements automatically filtered into a separate bill

[00:06:35] folder in your email, making it very easy to find what you need and have your records

[00:06:39] all in one spot.

[00:06:41] Number 6. Automate bills. If any companies you deal with can automatically withdraw, it's a great way to keep the papers

[00:06:49] at bay.

[00:06:50] Keep a minimum amount in your checking account so you never stress about being able to cover

[00:06:54] your bills.

[00:06:56] Number seven, toss receipts.

[00:06:58] Okay, not if you need them for tax purposes, but if it's just a receipt from the grocery

[00:07:03] store or gas station, toss them.

[00:07:05] If you enjoy looking over your receipts weekly, you can ignore my advice, but if you're

[00:07:10] struggling with paper clutter, I say let them go.

[00:07:13] At times if I have purchased something I need to confirm fills the function adequately,

[00:07:17] like clothes for the kids, new coffee maker, etc.

[00:07:20] I'll leave the receipt with it until I've used it and confirmed I will keep it,

[00:07:25] and then I toss all packaging and receipt. My business receipts go right into the appropriate

[00:07:30] drawer for business expenses. No other receipts are kept. If you are worried, if you use a

[00:07:36] credit or debit card to purchase something, the majority of stores can easily pull up

[00:07:40] any transaction you have made there within the last couple months just by scanning your

[00:07:44] card, which means they have your receipt on file. Number eight, cancel subscriptions. As with anything,

[00:07:52] if you love it, keep it. But for most of us, life takes over and those magazines we imagine reading

[00:07:58] while we sit on our porch swing, sitting iced tea, end up piled in the corner of the dining room.

[00:08:04] The only time I have read through a magazine in the last 10 years has been sitting in a

[00:08:08] waiting room.

[00:08:09] Number 9.

[00:08:10] Avoid Couponing.

[00:08:12] I completely understand that some people get crazy deals on things with coupons and

[00:08:17] it impresses me, but I see the downside of it as well.

[00:08:21] Overstocked pantry, shelves and cupboards Items purchased that wasn't a need, but it was such a good deal I got it anyway.

[00:08:28] And all the piles of ads to go with them.

[00:08:31] Couponing only saved me money when I was purchasing prepared foods and cleaning supplies, but

[00:08:35] since moving to a real and whole food diet?

[00:08:37] Well, let's just say I've never seen a coupon for fresh broccoli or a big bag of lentils.

[00:08:47] You just listened to the post titled, Eight Habits to Keep Paper Clutter to a Minimum

[00:08:51] by Rachel Jones of nourishingminimalism.com and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:08:57] Thank you to Rachel.

[00:08:59] Wasn't eight tips is actually nine, there's a bonus one in there.

[00:09:01] It's a great list of places where you can start if you're looking to reduce paper clutter.

[00:09:07] Definitely start with one and not all of these ideas, as we often say across all of our podcasts

[00:09:12] when we come across list style posts like this one.

[00:09:14] If you try to do them all, chances are nothing will happen.

[00:09:18] One thing I want to mention about receipts.

[00:09:21] Like Rachel, I don't save receipts for gas or groceries because I have a pretty

[00:09:26] decent idea of what the charge is, so when I see it posted to the credit card, I'm pretty

[00:09:31] sure it's accurate. However, as she mentioned, if you really want to check it, which I understand

[00:09:36] because I used to do that, well, you still can eliminate paper clutter nowadays by taking

[00:09:41] a picture of the receipt and file it into a receipts folder on your phone. You might call that digital clutter later, but if it's really

[00:09:49] for the purpose of just checking it after it posts to your credit card, then

[00:09:53] you can delete the photo right after so that can help reduce paper clutter upfront.

[00:09:56] And I do love paperless statements. I really think that's a huge one. And if

[00:10:01] you automate all your bills and go paperless, it really does have a massive impact on paper, just lying around the

[00:10:07] house. But again, go with what works for you and what you think will eliminate the

[00:10:11] most paper from your life as easily as possible. I don't want to add stress to

[00:10:15] your life by saying you have to do all of these things. Maybe take a look at what

[00:10:18] kind of paper is cluttering your life up the most, like is it receipts or tax

[00:10:23] documents or bills or something else, and

[00:10:27] then come up with a plan just for that category.

[00:10:29] So at least you can get one big category taken care of.

[00:10:33] So let me know how it goes, have a happy start to your week, thank you for being here with

[00:10:36] me and listening every day, and I'll be back tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.