By Eden Godsoe · 16 items added

posted in Housekeeping

I am all about being clutter free, including keeping as little paper - bills, forms, kids artwork, cards, etc. Here are my best tips to achieve a near paperless free home. Not only will these tips get you more organized but they are eco-friendly too.

  • 1. Opt Out of Junk Mail Lists

    Eden Godsoe says: "Sign up for a service such as DMA Choice to opt out of junk mail and catalog lists. This is a simple thing to do that will drastically reduce the amount of mail you receive. DMA Choice is free as is CatalogChoice.org or you can go with a paid service like Updater.com."
    • Lori Krolik: I also like http://precycle.tonic.com/. They charge a small fee, but it's worth every penny you save in time sorting through piles of junk mail.
    • Louisa: I love my mailbox now! After being frustrated with the amount of junk mail we received, I researched how to get off of everything - from the DMA to the ValPak coupons. Now, we receive a few critical items rather than mounds of junk mail and catalogs that went straight into the recycling bin. This just takes a few minutes each, but in a few weeks you'll enjoy the result. http://mystuff.net/
  • 2. Pay Bills Online

    Eden Godsoe says: "Most big banks offer an online bill pay service for free. I use Wells Fargo for example. Or you can go with a service such as Intuit's PayTrust.com service. Be careful when selecting an online bill pay service if it is not from a known company - there are more than a few scams out there."
    • Roxanne Napolitano: One problem that I had with using my bank (Suntrust in NC) - they did not remit the funds electronically for every transaction!! MANY payments that I entered had paper checks generated, then those were mailed (and not always to the correct address, despite what I had entered). It might be a good idea to check to be sure that all funds are sent via electronic transfer...just a thought.
  • 3. Sign up for eStatements

    Eden Godsoe says: "Sign up to receive statements online - from your bank, credit card companies and other financial institutions. Some of them will even pay you to move to eStatements."
  • 4. Curb the Need to Print

    Eden Godsoe says: "I read that something like 90% of papers are looked at one time and never again. Before you hit "print" on that email, document, receipt, etc, ask yourself if you really need a paper copy of it. Chances are you don't."
  • 5. Digitize Everything

    Eden Godsoe says: "Invest in a good scanner and digitize all those papers you have including old bills, important documents, even kids artwork. You'll need 2 key things to make this happen - a good scanner and an online storage service. I've included some recommendations on both on this list (see below.)"
    • Lori Krolik: If this sounds like an overwhelming task, start with the "new stuff" only. By the time you get to the old stuff, it may be old and outdated anyway, so you can just toss it.
  • 6. Create a System for Incoming Mail & Other Paper

    Eden Godsoe says: "Don't let the mail and other papers pile up. Purchase two baskets - a "to be shredded" container and a "to be reviewed" container. Sort mail as soon as it enters the house. All junk mail goes immediately into the "to be shredded" basket. Once you have scanned important documents, put those there too. Make it a weekly habit to shred and recycle."
  • 7. Read Books with an eReader like Kindle

    The all-new Kindle e-reader from $79: lighter, faster, more compact - and more affordable - than ever.

    Eden Godsoe says: "I am not a huge reader but my husband has something like 25-30 books on his bedside table at any given time. I think he would be delighted to move to an eReader and I would be happy to de-clutter all those paperbacks."
  • 8. Purge Old Books

    Eden Godsoe says: "Get rid of all those old books that are "non-keepers." If they are in decent condition, consider donating them to Goodwill or a similar non-profit. Click on the link below to see what other women do with old books."
  • 9. Organize Kids Artwork

    While it is impossible and impractical to save everything your kids have created, it is a good idea to keep some projects to remember the year. Here are 5 ideas to organize children’s art projects.

    Eden Godsoe says: "This is a helpful and concise post with 5 simple tips to organizing kids artwork. It includes digitizing as much as possible (see tip #5 above), buying a portfolio for each child and creating a rotating art exhibit."
    • Read all comments (3)
    • Cathleen King: Love these ideas for organizing kids art work. Thank you!
    • Eden Godsoe: Kristin - thank you for the great post on organizing kids artwork. I really love the art exhibit and will be making that happen at our home. You have so many great ideas & posts - maybe you can use SkinnyScoop as a list builder tool for your blog?!
  • 10. Convert Owner's Manuals into iPad "Books"

    A day spent going through documents in our office closet made us realize we had accumulated quite the collection of product manuals. A previously forgotten and random assortment of booklets of every shape and size taking up a significant amount of...

    Krista suggested: "I love the idea of converting manuals into iPad books. Easily stored and clutter free."
  • Recommendation: Scanners

    Top flatbed and document scanners are recommended by ConsumerSearch based on scanner reviews.

    Eden Godsoe says: "My scanner is built into my printer but if you are looking for a standalone scanner for your home office, here is a great roundup from Consumer Reviews. Their top recommendations include Canon CanoScan, Epson Perfection and Fujitsu ScanSnap."
  • Recommendation: Paper Shredders

    Royal Machines 112MX 12-Sheet Cross Cut Shredder Shreds CD's with Console (Black)

    Eden Godsoe says: "Invest in a good paper shredder - one that can shred at least 8-10 sheets at a time. One that I recommend is from Royal Machines and shreds 12 papers at a time. Make a weekly habit at going through your "to be shredded" basket and getting rid of all those documents."
  • Recommendation: Online Storage Services

    Eden Godsoe says: "Once you have scanned old bills, important documents and other papers, you can store them online using an online storage service. You can also use the same service to backup important computer files. I use Box.net. Other recommended services include Carbonite.com and DropBox.com."
  • Recommendation: OfficeDrop Scanning Service

    Lori Krolik suggested: "Digitizing all your paper documents is a great idea, but it can take time. OfficeDrop offers mail in service for scanning your documents in bulk."
  • Recommendation: Lemon App to Digitize Receipts

    Digitize your receipts with Lemon

    Jackie suggested: "Lemon is a free app that allows shoppers to take a picture of their receipts and instantly digitize them. It pulls the numbers from the receipt picture and tracks the shopper's spending for them. Easy to digitize and organize receipts...something that takes up a lot of space in my wallet and at home."
  • Video: Simple Steps To Go Paperless from Carley Knobloch of Digitwirl

    What starts off as a couple bills, some magazines or school notices can very quickly turn into messy mountains of papers all over your house. We'll show you how easy it is to rid yourself of all that paper and organize your home.

    Eden Godsoe says: "This is a short video that I found to be very pragmatic. Definitely worth a watch."

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  • Krista's suggestion "10. Convert Owner's Manuals into iPad "Books"" was promoted
  • Lori Krolik's suggestion "Recommendation: OfficeDrop Scanning Service" was promoted
  • Jackie's suggestion "Recommendation: Lemon App to Digitize Receipts" was promoted