I am constantly trying new ways to keep from drowning in school papers and such. In one day it's not unusual for my 2 school age kids to come home with 12-15 pieces of paper between them. And then there's all the junk mail that comes in, too. Here's what I do: We have an island in our kitchen where stuff gets piled. I try to keep it cleaned off, but DH keeps thwarting my efforts in that respect. But back to the school papers...I have a desk/cabinet in my dining room that has a bench with hanging file folders inside. As soon as papers come in, I look at them and immediately toss whatever I can. I have hanging file folders for the rest -- one for DS, one for DD, one for school calendars and other reference items. On my desk I have a basket/bin that also holds hanging file folders. There I have bills 1) pay this week 2) pay next week 3) pay later 4) articles to read (I rip out what I want to read/keep and recycle the rest of the magazine right away. Any forms I need to fill out also go in the bills folders. I keep a paper bag for junk mail, magazines and catalogs inside my pantry on the floor. (We recycle these items.) As soon as I bring in the mail I put items I don't need to keep in there. I rip up credit card offers and the like and put them right into the trash. If I can't get to a catalog in a day or two, I get rid of it -- unless it's one I really like, then I put it in a magainze file box on the shelf above the counter/cabinet where our kitchen phone is. When I'm done reading a magazine that I don't want to keep (i.e.; something other than Mothering or Brain, Child) I take it with me to the gym and leave it in the magazine rack by the bikes and treadmills. Upstairs in our home office is a filing cabinet where I have hanging folders for each of the bills we pay, investment statements, etc. that we get each month. I set the things I need to file on the steps each day and on my next trip upstairs take them with me and put them into their appropriate file folders ASAP.
very helpful
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