Overwhelmed with piles of mail? Annoyed by interest on late bill payments?
This week I received a request from a woman trying to manage her piles of mail. I assured her she was not alone. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers we lose one year of better spent time searching for lost items, and Harris Interactive reports 23 % of adults claim to pay interest on late bill payments.
If you recognize yourself in these statistics, read on and begin to free yourself from mail clutter and unnecessary interest payments.
Step 1: Purchase three stackable 9″ x 14″ trays, a file box and a home paper shredder. Label them Bills, Shred, File. (Shredding is for mail unnecessary to save, but includes personal information.)
Step 2: Set aside a few minutes each day to focus on the mail. Discard the junk mail, open and sort the remainder into the appropriate trays.
Step 3: Select one day each month to pay bills. After payment is made, mark it paid and date it before moving it to the file tray.
Step 4: Select another day each month (after bill paying day) to file and shred.
Enjoy! Soon you’ll no longer be excusing the stacks of papers cluttering your counters and table tops, bills will be paid on time and friends will be asking for your organization advice.
Please send me your questions, comments and any topics you’d like me to address.
Next post: Thursday, October 15
