8 ways to eliminate paper clutter from your home

If you’re drowning in paper clutter, here are 8 simple ways to create a relatively paperless home.

1. Convert all paper bills to electronic. Set up direct debits, have bills emailed to you or download from your providers website.
2. Add a ‘no junk mail’ sticker to your letterbox. If you still receive junk, try and dispose of it in your council bin before you even enter your front door.
3. Cancel subscriptions and mailing lists. Do you really need those product catalogues every quarter? Everything is easily accessible online now.
4. Photograph important receipts and dispose of immediately. Even whilst you’re still at the shops.
5. Download soft copies of product manuals and dispose of the paper versions that come with electronic devices. 99% of manuals are now available online.
6. Have a drop box by your front door (NOT the kitchen bench!)– as close to the door as possible, preferably in the same spot you take off shoes / dump keys and bags etc. Make it a household rule that no paper makes it past that point. Set this up as a sorting station if there’s lots of paper coming in – eg. ‘to file’, ‘to action’, ‘school’. Then set time aside for just 10 minutes each week to action everything – action, photograph, file etc and then chuck out whatever isn’t needed.
7. Greeting cards! Personally, I photograph and chuck everything. If you’re more sentimental than me, have a convenient dump point for these – a box under the bed is ideal.
8. Kids bring a lot of junk – ahem – masterpieces home from school. Again, if you’re sentimental, create a filing box, broken down into each child and each year at school. Otherwise, photograph and dispose of in the dark of night!

What do you actually need to keep in paper format?

• ID documents such as birth and marriage certificates
• Documents relating to sale of property eg. deeds
• Tax statements (in Australia, 5 years for personal and 7 years for business – check with the ATO as this can change at any time)
• Account setup documents, final notices of account closures, insurance certificates and share / investment holding documents.

How’s your paper clutter? Any great tips we’ve missed? Let us know below.