A question we receive a lot is “How do I handle all of the mail and paperwork coming into my house?” It can be overwhelming dealing with a huge stack of mail when you don’t have a game plan, but here is our tried and true NEAT Method!
1. Eliminate as much paper as possible
Make sure you are receiving all bank statements, car loans, phone bills, etc. via e-delivery. This can be done either online or on the phone!
2. Opt-out from mailing lists
There are several online services that can reduce the amount of unwanted solicitations you receive. Check out the Federal Trade Commission for some great resources!
*While you’re at it you might as well reduce your e-mail clutter too! unroll.me is a quick way to eliminate unnecessary emails.*
3. Toss immediately
As soon as you pick up the mail, sort out the junk and recycle it right away. No need to delegate it to your future self when you can handle it in the moment in a matter of seconds.
*Place a recycling bin right by the front door, so it becomes a habit.*
4. Create a sorting zone
Use baskets, trays or a collator with categories: “to pay” “to file,” & “to shred.” Then regularly clear out the baskets when they start to fill up.
5. Reduce the amount of paper you send
For important items like event invitations we love using Paperless Post – they have beautiful designs, the invites can be sent immediately via email and nobody needs to worry about where to put another piece of paper.
We hope these tips give you the courage to tackle the mountain of papers in your home. Doing a little bit everyday will save you from a huge task down the line.
xx
The NEAT Girls
