Processing Mail

One thing that consistently comes up is how to deal with mail. It tends to get thrown on the counter and pile up quickly. Mail needs to be processed immediately. On your way back from the mailbox, make a stop at the trash can. Throw away/recycle anything that you don’t need or aren’t interested in. For example, those grocery store ads that come every Wednesday never make it past my recycle bin. Next stop should be your office, bill paying area or whatever space you have for dealing with household operations. Your mail should be immediately opened and put into its proper home. You should have a shredder located in this area as well.

Every household should have some kind of filing system and bill paying folder system. I prefer the tickler file (see my article on tickler files) but that doesn’t work for all. Open and file your mail. Shred anything that has personal information on it.

This sounds like a lot of work when you have other things to attend to, but giving your mail 5 minutes of dedicated time a day will save you lots of paper piles, stress and possibly late fees later.




Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

Getting your affairs in order

I have been sick with the flu for a week now. I went from feeling fine to being bed-ridden and exhausted. Does this story sound familiar? Thank goodness my husband was not sick and able to pick up the slack. Even more than that, thank goodness we have a life organizer filled with all our crucial information. The flu or other illness can hit you suddenly at any time. Are your affairs organized in such a way that your spouse, good friend or family member can easily step in and take care of things for you? If not, read on….

Every family should have a life organizer. You can make it or buy one (check out the Savvy Senior Organizer at www.colorfulimages.com – not just for seniors!!). A life organizer is a notebook or file that contains all the most important information needed to manage your household. Information about medical, insurance, bill paying, children’s school, pet’s needs, passwords, etc should be included. Having all this information in a safe, central location will save your loved ones a lot of grief at a time when they need to focus on getting things handled. Life organizers are an invaluable gift.

Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/