Organizing

[SAHMIL]

i'm going to repost it here in this lounge b/c I know that this one is a more active one.

I don't know about all of you, but I find that I have a bit of a hard time getting the paperwork for the household organized and feel like I"m constantly overwhelmed by coupons, magazines, catalogs, chores, etc. So, I would like to ask, what do all of you do to stay on top of things? to organize your life? to keep your household in order? I just feel like I'm going to go crazy. how do you rotate your magazines? what do you determine. I've got things from November I haven't read yet! How do you keep your clutter w/o going crazy?

I'm interested in any and all tips!

Thanks!

[gatorsmom]

As for magazines and catalogs, I read them right away and then toss them. Or give them to a friend. But I don't save them. In my experience I won't go back and read them if they are sitting in a pile.

Sometimes, if I can't immediately finish a magazine that I'm enjoying, I'll put it in the bathroom ;). If after a few days, I haven't finished it, I pitch it. Chances are good, I won't miss it.

As for coupons, I put them in an envelope-type folder which is on my desk so I can stick coupons in there as needed. The ones I need for the grocery store or Target, I put straight away in my wallet so I won't forget to take them with shopping.

Different organizing techniques work differently for different people. What works for one may not work for you. If you find that some technique just isn't working for you, try another and another until you find one that works.

[Happy Mommy]

Oooohhhh, paper work is such a struggle. I cannot believe the amount of paper that comes through our house (tons of junk mail, etc.).

-When I get the mail, I go through it while standing up and I place the trash can nearby. Anything that can get tossed, gets tossed right away.

-I bought a binder/folder with several pockets attached and I place items such as 1. museum schedules, Gymboree schedules, dance schedules, ideas for things to do with the kids in one folder, 2. restaurant coupons in another, 3. recipes that I am looking to try, 4. home decorating ideas in another, etc.

-I keep a zippered tiny bag in my purse with store coupons that I may need.

-I try to keep no more than 2-3 months worth of magazines. Unfortunately, I feel as though I must go through them cover to cover. I end up tearing out the pages I want to save and place them in the above mentioned binder folder system. I also take a stack of magazines with me when we go places that require more than an hour's drive time--DH drives, I sort. :)

-For all important papers (bills, monthly receipts, etc.), I place those in a locking free standing file.

Hope this helps. :)

[almostsane]

Not sure if you are subscribing or getting free magazines/catalogs, but here is my take.

1) I only cut out the coupons I know I will use. I put them immediately into my purse so that I will have them for the next trip.

2) I have cancelled all free magazines/catalogs from the website posted on this board earlier. Any that I subscribe to, I read the day I get them in, after DS goes to bed, and then trash them.

3) As for normal clutter, we just purchased DS a toy bin from Lowe's. It has different size plastic boxes in it and we store most of his toys in it. He has really started helping put his stuff away and we have a rule that he can get no more than 2 boxes at a time out.

4) I have a large open basket on my counter. It is lined to match the kitchen. I put various items in it during the week and empty it on Saturday. My counters seem to be a catch-all, so this helps keep them clutter free. We also have a mail organizer hanging on the wall, so that keeps the mail off of the counters.

HTH:)

[maestramommy]

Okay, I'm not one to give suggestions, because we have this problem too. The two main things we do:

1) We bought an plastic multipocket folder. We keep our coupons, takeout menus and such in there.

2) We tend to get multiple catalogs from the same companies, and they pile up. So at regular intervals we purge everything but the latest catalogs. During the holidays we let them pile up, then do a big New Year purge. We have bookshelf boxes, and we categories the catalogs to keep them in some semblance of order.

3) We do the same with magazines, except we tend to keep the magazines. Once in a while we each go through our own and purge the ones we don't care about. I think the only ones we really hang on to are the Consumer Reports.

[lizajane]

i am working hard on organization these days.

1) go to a website to help you get off mailing lists for stuff you don't want or can't afford.
2) before you get off lists, look through catalogs you like immediately and recycle them. don't even bother looking at catalogs for stuff you can't afford. recycle it immediately.
3) put magazines in a neat stack where you will read them. for me, it is on the bottom shelf of my bedside table. if the stack starts to slide, purge everything, read or not, except your favorites.
4)put important mail (bills) in ONE spot and only ONE spot. DH does this in our house.
5)open all mail immediately- if there is a special date in a piece of mail, write it on the calendar immediately and then recycle it. if it is a cute invitation, write down the date and put the invitation on the fridge or, for us, the bulletin board.
6)make a "to do NOW" folder and a "to do" folder and put them where you "do" stuff, like beside the computer or the kitchen phone, etc. even better, hang something on the wall like the wall file thingys that you can get cheap at any office store.

my house is a wreck, but we are slooooooooooooowly getting there!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

My house sis a work in progress. I have decided that I was going to go with my natural tendencies rather than try to create a system that felt unnatural For example, I have no idea why the built in cabinet in the dining room is a junk collecting hot spot for me. I couldn't break the habit of putting school papers, camp info, reciepts and other random stuff there so I bought a hanging file folder box and put it there. All my crap is still in a weird place but it is neatly put away now. :)

I let my Newsweek subscription run out and I plan to just read online. You can find most newspapers, catalogs and magazines on line so there really isn't any reason to have hard copies anymore.

Chores? I have been trying to pick up the main areas of the house and do the dishes at night after ds goes to bed. Real cleaning usually waits till the weekend unless I get inspired sooner. I keep meaning to do the FlyLady stuff where I do X zones/ day.

Beth

[niccig]

This is what I do:
mail - sort, toss catalogs without reading most of them (I have to get off lists). I have a hanging file with sections To DO (eg phone call or paperwork I have to fill or call about), To Pay (Bills), To file (statments etc) and Reciepts. Everything goes in the appropriate file. I also have some folders with clear protectors. One for DS, so all his preschool and other activity information goes in her, and one for Me for all my bits and pieces and one for the House (house related, my master to do list etc). I also have the filing cabinet, when bills are paid they go straight in there along with what's in the "to file" section of my hanging folder.

When I follow the above, it works, when I don't (like now) there's stuff everywhere.

HTH

[MontrealMum]

Everyone has a different system, and when I figure out what DH's is, I'll be thrilled, but here are some tips that help me live. I will admit that I actually have a tendancy to be organized, yet we still get overwhelmed with all the paper these days if I am not on top of things, and DH's complete lack of the organizational gene doesn't help.

I take a page from work, where the #1 rule in archives is: keep, transfer, toss. Whenever you come across something, ask yourself which one you should do - immediately. I use a variety of methods: rubbermaid tubs, post-its, a magnetic chalkboard, and a variety of accordian folders and binders.

Like a pp said, you have to do what works for you, but the main thing, I think, is the mindset. You have to be decisive, and ruthless. When stuff comes in, make a decision right away. You don't have to pay that bill, or fill out that form right away, but decide to put it into the "important" pile, recycle it, or toss it - as soon as you open it. [OK, maybe you don't toss bills :) ]

And whatever you store things in, always use labels, and label things correctly! I was oh-so-happy to find our missing duvet covers (from a move 3 yrs. ago) in a box labelled: Xtra pots and pans - that would be DH at work again. It doesn't take that much more time, and it saves time in the long run. I just use masking tape and permanent marker.

Regarding magazines or other reading material - if you don't read it, don't buy it/subscribe. We finally admitted that we were only buying the newspaper for the TV guide, and now with DS, we don't watch TV, so no more paper :)

[ThreeofUs]

Filing all those darn "important but not urgent" investment and retirement account papers is my bete noire.

I keep up with paperwork by opening mail by my recycling bag and bill slot. Anything I don't care about goes immediately into the bag, including envelopes. Bills go to the bill slot, after I note the due date, and anything from family/friends on the corner of the DR table (so DH can see in peace).

Magazines and other important readables get purged every 6 months.

I usually do a big filing twice per year, but this year all I did was throw the stack into the top drawer of the cabinet without filing - and I *KNOW* I'm going to pay for that one.