Sorting out paperwork

mine goes into the recycle bin!

I need to do a similar job - perhaps I need to keep a good eye on this thread......or perhaps you could come and do mine when you have finished yours

Mine sits around in piles....

I have started and found a £4 bill for electricity! Mine is a tad more nowadays!

Joking apart, I am recycling as much as possible and only keeping the essential stuff. I have only cracked the surface.

Scrap books ?
Our filing cabinet has a rather large miscellaneous file.

I have a section in mine marked "Personal", but it`s fuller than the rest of it now!

If you haven't looked at them for a long time - recycle, shred or bin!

Take a photo to store digitally and shred the original. We cannot hold on to everything so we just need to keep the memory.

I think a scrap book for the "nice memory items" is a v good idea.
Hmm not sure about taking photos - it's a good idea in theory but in practice Ialready have hundreds of digital and original photos which need sorting out so I could just be creating another job! .
Wiki suggests with paper filing - four wire baskets:
to do, to pay, to file, to read. A good idea.

Thank you

Old invitations, nice thank you cards etc, get put into a big drawer on their own.

Interesting articles - I have a problem with them myself, so I will await gransnetters' inspiration.

The only way I am ever going to deal with paperwork efficiently is by having a brain transplant I'm afraid.

I've got two black bin bags with paperwork which needs incinerating. I do this from time to time and enjoy it greatly. Maybe on New Years Day as all the paperwork is from CSA etc., so it will be fantastic to feel like a new start when the ex husband is well and truly out of my life.

I bought an incinerator bin off ebay for a tenner. Great buy. Tidies things up a treat every now and then.

Oh yes shred then bin, old cards, invites , programmes - BIN immediately. Deal with paper as it comes in which probably only means one of two things a day unless you are running a business in which case go paperless asap.

Dear Holdthetonic,

First of all don't let documents pile up. You've obviously sorted out the document bit. I file mine in A4 folders A - Z. I'm afraid I'm a bit messy though with birthday cards and interesting documents. Documents I think I'll need to look at again or newspaper articles etc. go into drawers loosely, and then I sort them out from time to time and throw away what I don't think is needed. I keep the best birthday cards in a box in the bottom of the wardrobe. Sorry this probably isn't very helpful.

Coincidentally I read this today.

moneysavingmom.com/2015/04/how-to-eliminate-99-of-the-paper-piles-in-your-home.html

For memorabilia I have a small-ish box, when it's full I weed out, take photos of the weeded 'stuff' and continue until the next time the box is full. It works for me! Seriously, I think we all do it, allow the paper heap to grow rather than deal with each piece as it arrives. I now do mine monthly, hate every second but it's over quickly. Good luck. If you find the magic method please do let us know.

You don't really need to keep all that paper nowadays. It's all stored electronically and can be accessed if necessary. Most things are never needed again. Get it shredded binned or whatever you favourite method of disposal is . It's not needed. !!!!!!

I have been given a day to day calendar called Everyday Tidiness.
It may just add to the clutter. Or I might actually take notice of it occasionally.
Winnie the Pooh has the best quote in January.
"Organising is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up."

ChattyKathy thank you for the url for eliminating 99 piles of papaer work.

I like the 4 categories of action: Trash It, Scan It (and then trash it), Display It, or File It.

For file it, I have 2 sorts of files - Box files on a book shelf by 5 year periods for keepsake cards & mementos. And a filing cabinet for my travels, clubs, classes etc.

Unfortunately, I still have a mess on my desk and will have my declutterer in in the new year to help me get straight.

What a wonderful thread! I thought I was the only one who had problems with paperwork. I absolutely hate it. Yet I also hate throwing stuff away. So there are little piles of Important Things in various rooms, and carrier bags full of other more Important Things in the spare room and the study. Because you never know ... Help!!! {blush}

This thread has made me take a look at my desk ! This afternoon I SHALL start shredding. Thanks for goading me into action.

While I think Marie Kondo is a bit 'woo'she does suggest getting a really pretty box (size up to you)and pruning your memorabilia so it fits into it . I did this about a year ago .took it all down from the loft ,took it out of scrapbooks etc and ruthlessly reduced e.g wedding and sympathy cards ,I kept only the ones with an actual message ,childrens' drawings kept only a few of the best ones .The box (it's quite sturdy and big enough to sit on)lives in a spare room and when I add stuff to it (there's still a bit of space)I do have a leaf through and reminisce .I never used to look at it before. When its full I will remove more stuff
The children know what it is. I have told them to look through it when I'm gone ,keep anything they want but to have no compunction about ditching the rest.
Having sorted 60years worth of disorganised accumulation of my MIL stuff and that of an elderly neighbour I am determined my children should not have to do same. Its hugely time consuming and can be quite upsetting
To that end I have had a massive declutter and am in process of scanning any photos I want to keep but they won't be interested in and ditching hard copies. I have so far reduced 25 albums to about 10 (but am keeping their -another 20 or so-childhood albums as they do want those!)

Never sure what to do with financial stuff. So keep great piles of it! Otherwise have a filing cabinet which also now needs a sort out too. Problem is it is just such a boring job!

Great thread, its really got me thinking. I do agree with Neversay. . . about not leaving stuff to further upset relatives. At present I have a deep A4 size plastic see through box in the footstool, for quick tidying, but have other bits all over the place. Action needed here.