I feel like it is a never ending stream of papers coming into our house. We have bills, school papers, activities, coupons, receipts,etc. I need a small space way to organize this. I need something that is easy to maintain. Please help!

don't know about the rest of the stuff, but i started getting my bills online for most of it and i like that alot...

This is what I "TRY" to do, and please note the word TRY.

After I open the mail, junk goes in the garbage or recycle. Bills go in my desk drawer. I have a coupon pile that I try to go through and put in my coupon organizer for groceries. I then have a large clipboard that holds coupons like restaurants, B B and B, etc, they go in there.
I suggest you deal with the school papers asap. Hang the art work, fill out the permission forms, etc, note the date on your callender of events. If I am really busy I make a pile and sit down and organize. But I have no school age kids at home now. But, I found that doing my "homework" when they did helped me to get it off my mind.

I have been getting lost in papers also. I now get my banking and bills online. Pay my bills online. Things I need to file that I don't need the original I put on one of those jump drives and saves space.

School papers I try to deal with that night and if I need the date write it on my calender right away.

Mail I usually deal with after dinner but put the bills in my file, junk goes to trash and other things that need to be handled I try to do right away, or else I have chaos on my island.

I just started a 3 ring binder that I keep coupons for restaurants, pizza, etc. Have a section for dog hair cuts and other different coupons.

I try to keep my receipts for TV's etc. with the book that comes with it in a drawer and I have been going through it every few months to see what I can get rid of. Receipts for clothes etc. that I want to keep for short term I put in a little folder and purge every few months.

That is what is working for me but you need to find something that works for you. Take everyone's suggestion and figure which would be better. The best think I can tell you is it is easier to do now than latter because my the time latter comes it is quite a bit and overwhelming.

Siennacrew, I keep several files in a desk drawer, one for bills to be paid, one for paid bills, one for tax receipts for the current year. I pay bills twice a month. Once a bill is paid, if it's a tax deduction then it's filed in the current tax file, otherwise it's dropped in the paid bill file. DS's school papers are in a file in his desk drawer until the end of each grading period then recycled. All papers related to his activities are filed in a second file his desk. Coupons are in a coupon caddy in kitchen drawer filed by the month they expire. Receipts for big ticket items are filed in an household inventory notebook by room. Receipts for smaller items are kept in the bills to be paid file until credit card bill comes in, then they are attached to statement and put in the paid bills file. I keep three months of paid bills in the paid bill file, when I put new bill in the oldest one gets shredded. Every day, when I bring in the mail I sort bills into the bills to pay file, recycle junk mail and shred anything with personal information. Kids empty book bags each day into their files with the exception of permission slips or notices which come directly to me. I sit down during homework time and sign anything that needs to be returned to school, update my calendar for events or make a note on my to do list for items requested of me. If your paper problem also included magazines and newspapers that you don't have time to read, you might consider cancelling the subscriptions, you can always get news and information off the internet. I agree with Donna to try to find something that may work for you as soon as you can because paper has a way of reproducing very quickly. Good Luck, CT

Paperwork can be seriously overwhelming. However, you can bring order to the chaos by setting up a paperwork processing area!

To find out more, read my how-to article called http://www.sparkleize.com/2008/05/16/paperwork-chaos-ac...-these-simple-steps/ Paperwork Chaos? Achieve Order Now!

Thank you,
Crystal D.
Sparkleizer and Home Organization Expert
www.sparkleize.com www.sparkleize.com
E-mail: crystal@sparkleize.com

Do you have a closet door available, maybe close to your front door, where all those papers come in to your home? I would hang something like this on the back of the door:

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74551&PRODID=10020391

--or--

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74551&PRODID=60006

(i have the latter product; the store used to sell a smaller-size version of it)

The Container Store has a few different products like this. Everything could be sorted once it comes in and be easier to find. You could also attach to the door a small wipe-off calendar board with due dates (good for permission slips, library books, dr's appts.)

Another way: The nanny who works for my sister (tending to 3 young adults) uses 3-ring binders with clear pocket pages to keep all the varied papers for school, sports, summer activities.

One key here is to not fall into the trap of keeping everything just because you think you might need it someday, when it's readily apparent that some things sent home from school are just basic advisory notices.

I finally conquered paper clutter. Unwanted stuff is immediately discarded so I sort it close to a waste basket. Bills are placed beside the computer for online banking then are placed in a few large envelopes altho anything that needs to be saved for yearly tax time goes into a folder with pockets.

I just ordered this mail organizer. It's supposed to arrive Monday, so I don't know if it'll help yet. It's gotta be better than my current method of "drop it where I open it", which means anywhere along a path from the door thru the kitchen. I'm hoping to at least be able to use it to sort into categories like bills, to be filed, interesting, etc. If this works, there is a place beside my den door (the one I come in thru) where I could hang it.

Lurker Lee- I would love to know how the organizer works for you. I would love one of those but don't have a place to put it.

Good Luck on conquering paper clutter!

Just to follow-up, it came today. It's rather pretty, and interestingly smaller than I'd envisioned, which is a good thing because when I was guessing at the size (misplaced my tape measure!) I thought it would be larger. It would also fit behind my door, which is a wasted space anyhow. (I enter from the driveway through a den which is actually a converted carport, so people with a more formal entry might not want to do that).

I haven't tried it yet, and didn't even get any decent mail today to sort. That's one of the benefits of moving - the junk mailers have to start over again !

Oh and BTW if anyone is interested in this, the company sells these for less on eBay.

I have a file cabinet and have the pendeflex hangers with each one labeled. I have the drawers sectioned off (e.g., insurance, medical, accounts payable, etc.)

I use white binders (also labeled) for all of my warranties. I use page protector pockets and have a pocket for each warranty with receipts in the pocket. If I need something I just pull the binder down and get what I need. This has worked well for me.

My monthly bills go into a pocket which is stored in my desk. Like everyone else, I try to pay most things online.

What works best for me is one of those clear file folders. But since you have a lot of papers you should try getting a bigger one of 2 separate ones then organize them buy bills, coupon, etc.