#00056 - Get Organized: Mail, Bills, & Mags
Does your kitchen counter, desk, and dressers become consumed with envelopes? More bills than anyone knows what to do with, Netflix DVDs (though these usually go straight to the living room, right?!), ValuPak coupon junk mail packages, & magazines. I know I get super overwhelmed with mail every few days and sometimes I find a certain spot on my desk that is completely piled up with the aforementioned. When I was a child, my father used to throw the mail on the desk, and not go through it for months. Such a bad habit! Here are a couple ways to reduce the mailbox clutters:
- After bringing your mail inside and setting your things down/putting away your things from the day, take your handful of paper to the garbage/recycling pail and chuck anything unwanted RIGHT AWAY! Even if you’re not planning on going through the contents until later, get rid of that junk ASAP.
- Don’t put off going through your bills. Not only will this make it a pain in the booty to do later in the week, but it could potentially make things hard when it comes to paying your debts if you’re unaware of them.
- Keep a system. Stay consistent and make sure your significant other (if you have one is aware of the same system so you’re not doing different things with your mail. Here are a few ways!
- Filing Folders. Be it in a filing cabinet or a letter tray, this is a good way to separate your mail into bills, cards/invites, magazines, etc.
- Notice Boards. I like to keep my most current bills tacked to a notice board and within eye’s reach so I can remember that it’s there.
- Calendar. I do most of my bills either online or over the phone. So, I write what bills are due on which day, file the bills and keep a system on an excel spreadsheet to keep me organized and be sure that I am budgeting right every pay period.
- After your expenses are paid for & the next month has come, file your older bills in a filing system either in your filing cabinet that you used for your file folders or an expandable organizer. This is my favorite thing to do. I have two of these: one for my bills and one for receipts. I label my expenses one by company and my receipts by month.
Do you guys have any other tips? Do you find yourself overwhelmed with mailbox clutters?
PS: Anyone need some airtools?
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I don’t get much mail, as my bills are all done online. This reduces any paper statements. Therefore, any actual mail I do get usually is junkmail, and it goes straight into the bin.
when i get the mail, i usually sort it right away by who its for, putting junk mail in a seperate pile. Then i chuck all the junk mail and then sort the piles putting magazines at the bottom and bills at the top and everything inbetween. I find that way you deal with the bills first and can enjoy the magazines more that everything else is done and delt with. I also write the date of when i paid the bills on the bill so its easy to remember and then file the last bill statement in a folder
Hmm. I’m glad I don’t get bills yet!
Still living with my parents =/ haha, the only thing I really get is magazines and catalogues (hmmmm, is that spelled right?)! but I think my friends might appreciate this!