Ever walk into your home and instantly begin to have heart palpitations due to the overwhelming amount of crap and random unidentifiable odors? Life with kids is amazing, but it can also be overwhelming…being responsible for the kids, work, and the household is exhausting. Ever notice that the majority is often random piles of paper, what is up with that? Unfortunately you can’t even light a scented candle to get rid of the stench due to the fear of an instant inferno. So, what to do?
“This post is part of Twinkl’s New Year Campaign, and is featured in 20+ New Year’s Resolutions For Families”
Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year.
Advertising by third class parties, you know those various envelopes addressed to “occupant” or “resident” that usually accumulates somewhere in your home? You know the pile that you so unconventionally distinguish as the “I will get to this later pile”. Breaking News…this just in.. IT IS LATER.
As mail enters your home it is very important that you send it on its necessary route. Your home is not the final destination, it is merely a layover. There are three possible destinations for each and every piece of mail that comes into your home.
Those three routes are:
• In a designated file in an accordion folder.
• In the recycling bin
• Or, off to the shredder.
Accordion Folder
The accordion folder is a very important destination and is the main hub for all mail that will be kept in the home. If you do not already have an accordion folder I would recommend you purchase one at your earliest convenience. When purchasing your folder look for one that is visually appealing to your eye, just because it is a means for getting organized does not mean it needs to be dull or boring. As an Interior Designer I would highly recommend purchasing organizational items that speak to your personal style. When you select organizational supplies that are aesthetically pleasing not only are they functional but they can also add to the décor of your space. I shopped around for the perfect accordion folder that would complement the décor in my kitchen, which brings up another important point, location. The accordion folder needs to be located near your front door. This could be a room adjacent to your entryway or in short walking distance.
If you keep the folder a far distance from the entryway, say for example, upstairs the chances that you will run upstairs each time the mail arrives are slim. However if the folder is in close proximity the task is much more convenient. So, once you have decided on a stylish design for your accordion folder and determined where you would like to place the folder the next step is labeling the folders.
When it comes to labeling your folders you will need to determine what works best for you however, I highly recommend the following:
•To be paid
•Paid
•Coupons
•Tax
•Menus
•Happenings
•Shredder
To be paid: Means just that, these are items that require payment. These include, gas, electric, utility, cable, car insurance, auto loans, mortgage, medical, credit card bills, etc. I then look through the folder every two weeks, which is when we get paid, but again, you can adjust this to accommodate your personal schedule. I pay the necessary bills bi-weekly and then place the statements in the paid file.
Paid: Documents that should be filed away in the paid file include credit cards, mortgage, auto, bank loans, and medical bills and/or statements that have been paid. Once the file has become rather thick, usually every other month or so, I go upstairs to our office and file away the documents for future record. The documents are placed in a filing cabinet with files labeled accordingly. This way if there is ever any discrepancy regarding an account in the future you can effortlessly locate the document in questions.
Shredder: This folder is for documents that do not need to be filed away for future referencing. This includes credit card applications or any documents that may contain any personal information, in particular your account number and/or social security number.
Tax: Throughout the year we donate to various charities and this is where I place receipts and/or documentation. This folder is also nice to have when the first of the year rolls around and documents that are required to complete your taxes start coming in the mail. When this happens simply place W2s, mortgage info, charity, loan, etc. directly into the folder then you have all the necessary information in one handy location.
Menus: Let’s face it, mom needs a break from meal preparation every now and again, and when a sitter watches the children, take out, or, delivery is inevitable. As menus come into your home simply place them into this folder. It is so convenient to just sit out the folder when a babysitter arrives. All the local options are right there at their fingertips.
Happenings: This folder contains the Art Museums’, Zoo’s, Park’s, Library’s, and any additional happenings around town flyers, readers, and brochures. Happenings folder is a great folder to reference when planning future outings with the children. Again, the convenience of having all the information in one folder makes planning an outing effortless. Now the only dilemma is narrowing down your selections.
Coupons: This folder is where you can place all your coupons. We have coupons for, future oil changes, makeup, grocery store, children’s stores, manufacturer coupon’s, etc. While I try my best to save every coupon that comes into our home I have not yet mastered the extreme couponing. Unfortunately I am not the mom who goes to the grocery store and ends with a grand total of $500 but only pays $10.
Thanks to my many coupons, perhaps one day? This folder, like the others does require some maintenance. I usually file through this folder bi-monthly and recycle the expired coupons.
The Recycling bin
All junk mail or envelopes addressed to “resident” or “occupant”, leaflets, pamphlets, brochures, notices, catalogues, and etc. can head right to the recycling bin. Don’t think twice; don’t put it down to look through later because that is how those annoying piles got started in the first place.
Shredder
As expressed earlier, all documents that may contain your account number or personal information should be shredded. Identity theft is real, and although, the chances of having your identity stolen by someone rifling through your trash is slim there is still a chance and it is a chance that you should not take.
Added tidbit:
To remove your name from prescreened offers such as credit and insurance offers you have two options.
Option #1 -To opt out for five years: Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit http://www.optoutprescreen.com. The phone number and website are operated by the major consumer reporting companies.
Option #2- To opt out permanently: You may begin the permanent Opt-Out process online at http://www.optoutprescreeen.com.
What are your New Year goals?
“This post is part of Twinkl’s New Year Campaign, and is featured in 20+ New Year’s Resolutions For Families”
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 