Posts Tagged filing

10 Reasons We Keep So Much Paper

Paperwork on a cluttered desk

It seems that everyone struggles with paper clutter. At the beginning of each year, we encourage clients to go through filing cabinets, recycling or shredding unneeded documents. For some folks though, the paper clutter is deeper than a few old insurance explanation of benefits or old quarterly financial statements.

The following are ten reasons we hang on to so much paper!

  1. Information is powerful. We keep a lot of paper as reference material, so we can find it later when we need it.
  2. For many people, printed copy is easier to read than online. Some folks print reams of documents with the intention to read through every page.
  3. Catalogues are promises of a better future self or home. We often hang on to them for inspiration or potential future purchases.
  4. Magazines can be full of knowledge we’d like to retain. We keep them to read them again, or to hang on to the “knowledge” we’ve gained.
  5. Beautiful photography in magazines may inspire our travel. We may get ideas for home remodeling projects from magazines. Although much of this information is also available online, we may keep the magazine as a physical reminder.
  6. Sometimes, the paper is your work product. You may have copies of projects
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Are You Drowning in Paper Piles?

paper piles

Where does all that paper come from?

Paper used to be a rare and precious commodity, but today most families are drowning in it. Mail, such as utility bills, financial statements, medical explanation of benefits, store catalogs, magazines, and election pamphlets are delivered daily. Children’s school work and art projects also create volumes of paper. Work related documents, those can pile up quick. What if you have a small business? Tons of paper. What if you manage multiple properties? More paper.

Much of the paper which enters our homes represents an action item of one kind or another. The action item might be: pay this bill, review this statement, call this company, read this document, save this document for the future, take advantage of this retail offer. You empty the mailbox on your way home from work, and voila everything in the mailbox is more to-dos for you. Great. Just great. As if you didn’t have enough to do already.

Mounds and Mounds of Paper

Even if you don’t receive many magazines or catalogs and you pay your bills on-line, you are still dealing with mounds

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Create a Calm Home For This Valentine’s Day

Create calm in your home this Valentine's Day by decluttering.

Did you know that each year 180 million cards are exchanged, and 198 million roses are used on Valentine’s Day? With over 13 billion dollars spent each year, Valentine’s Day is a big deal to many people.

Simple Gestures to Create a Lovely Valentine’s Day

Although the most common gifts are flowers, candy and cards, there are countless great ways to make your Valentine’s Day truly special. A small thing like making the bed can be a lovely gesture of caring for your Valentine. You can honor your loved one by taking just a little time to declutter the common spaces in your bedroom and bathroom. Hang up clothes

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Get Your Paperwork Under Control This Month!

Organize paperwork

It’s January and that means it’s time to catch up on things like paperwork and bills. Time to pay that holiday credit card bill (ouch!) and finish up returns and exchanges. As you pay your bills and do your filing, you might notice how full your file cabinets have become over the past year. January is the perfect time to purge paper. Doing it now will not only help you feel in control, but with everything neatly filed, tax season will be a breeze!
Do you have a pile of old utility statements?

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Organizing Paperwork

Paperwork on a cluttered desk

Let’s Talk Paper! With the holiday season safely behind us, March is the best time of year to get all of our paperwork in order. These three things will help get you in ship shape: catch up on filing, clear out old files, and prepare documents for the tax season.

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