How to organize paper clutter once and for all

Papers can be the easiest and most difficult clutter to sort through. It seems to come from everywhere and can quickly go from a small stack of mail to a mountain. Learn how to organize paper clutter once and for all with my simple file cabinet system.

Organizing paper clutter is an ongoing process. I mean, every day you have mail delivered, kids come home from school with papers, and regular life creates receipts, paperwork, and other important documents.

If you have a file cabinet or some other method of storing your papers, it’s easy to get an out-of-sight-out-of-mind effect. Everything fits nicely inside so you don’t see the mess.

I’ve used a four-drawer file cabinet for several years. There have been times where it was so full I couldn’t add another thing, so I came up with a yearly routine to help me keep track of what’s important without getting overwhelmed once and for all.

Setting up a file cabinet to organize paper clutter

If you don’t already use a file cabinet, setting one up is pretty easy. You need:

• hanging files
• file folders
• and of course… all your paper

What I keep and why

The important part is sorting everything in categories that make sense to you. I’m sharing what I do, but if you can’t find your child’s shot record or the owner’s manual to your printer, it doesn’t matter how neat it is.

I divide my files into categories and each one is written on the file folder tab. Some categories have a sub-category that is also written in. For example, we have two cars so there are two auto folders and each one says Auto – make/model.

Here are my categories:

• Auto – separate folders for 2 cars
• Bank – checking/savings
• Bank – credit cards
• Bank – savings bonds
• Cell phones
• Garden/landscaping
• Health – Each person has a folder with their name.
• Home – I have a folder for our current home and one for previous residences.
• Insurance – Car/Home
• Insurance – Health
• Insurance – Life
• Legals
• Loans
• Owner’s Manuals
• Taxes

Organizing drawers

My top drawer is business – folders for my blog, my husband’s craft business, and the related bank accounts, business contacts, etc.

The second drawer is for regular household paperwork, filed in alphabetical order, including financial records, health, and big purchase. it holds most of the categories listed above.

And the bottom two drawers are personal. Each has folders labeled with our names. The folders are mostly schoolwork but also have personal items like cards, notes, or other papers that are sentimental.

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Yearly paper organizing

After I do my taxes each spring, I sit down and go through the majority of the file folders. I toss out receipts and owner’s manuals for things we no longer own and I shred legal and financial documents that are no longer needed {like taxes over 7 years old, bank accounts we closed, etc.}.

I picked this time of year because it naturally fits into my routine, but of course, you can declutter papers any time or year or even more than once every 12 months. Once you create a routine, it keeps the drawers from becoming too full.

For new papers coming in daily, I do one of a few things:

• put bills in my household binder, then recycle them when paid
• file important papers I’m going to keep
• read, use, sign, etc. things that need immediate attention
• place important but not urgent papers on the bulletin board in my command center to follow up soon {ex. Michael’s coupons or a notice that my car is due for a maintenance check}

Of course, there are occasionally things that end up piled on my desk because I just don’t know what to do with them, but this method definitely keeps that to a minimum. Best of all, I can find almost anything quickly when I need it.

What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

• Free printable cleaning routine checklist
• How to organize paper clutter once and for all
• Home office organization: closet before and after