| If you find yourself wondering where all the clutter | | | | donation every time you or a family member has a |
| comes from, try these easy tips to keep it under | | | | dentist or doctor appointment - the other clients will |
| control. | | | | appreciate fresh reading material. |
| 1. Get Rid of What You Don't Need | | | | 3. Paper Tiger |
| Donate it, sell it, auction it on eBay or have a yard-sale | | | | Put your papers in one spot only. A room, a box, a |
| - just get it out of your home. I prefer to donate to | | | | laundry basket. Attack this pile for five minutes a day (I |
| charity or to friends, this seems to me a better mindset | | | | do mine when the computer is loading). Keep a |
| than holding on to it in the hope I might earn back a | | | | shredder nearby. You could even use the shredded |
| few dollars. Besides, my approach gets it out quickly! | | | | paper as kitty litter, or mulch on your garden beds. |
| 'But I might need that again one day', I hear you cry. | | | | 4. No Double Handling |
| Now let's get realistic. Take my example - I had been | | | | I mainly use this to deal with mail and junk-mail. First |
| holding onto my pure wool beanie for ever, reasoning I | | | | you open it, then you deal with it. For me, this means |
| bought it for a school snow trip, so I'd better keep it. | | | | junk-mail goes straight into the recycling trash. No |
| Guess what? The school snow trip was in 1986. I've | | | | looking equals no temptation to bring more clutter into |
| been to the snow oh say three times since then, none | | | | my home. |
| of them this decade. Once I realized I could buy and | | | | Bills go immediately into a plastic pocket marked only |
| sell (on eBay for example) what I needed WHEN I | | | | for bills. Other mail once opened may need to be stuck |
| needed it, I didn't need to clutch onto all my | | | | on the 'fridge as a reminder - only temporarily. Mark |
| possessions quite so tightly. | | | | any important dates/events on your calender, then file |
| Another example? When I realized I hadn't worn my | | | | the item away (yet another plastic pocket for me). |
| wet suit in over 10 years.. | | | | Personal letters go in your study or the place you |
| 2. FIFO - First In, First Out | | | | keep such items. This place should already be stocked |
| Use this tip in your pantry and refrigerator. Freshest to | | | | with stamps, envelopes and the like. If not, go and |
| the rear, oldest produce to the front. This eliminates the | | | | stock this area now. |
| old items turning into a science experiment. | | | | 5. Do Not Leave a Room Empty-Handed |
| This method could also be used for magazine | | | | Whenever you leave a room to enter another, grab |
| collections and newspapers that tend to accumulate - | | | | something that is out of place, and put it away. This |
| of course only use this tip if you plan on reading them - | | | | alone can save a lot of 'tidying up', as you haven't |
| otherwise throw them out at once. | | | | really gone out of your way, and yet you have |
| Alternatively, take a pile of magazines with you for | | | | managed to declutter your home that little bit more. |