Having a clean and organized home is refreshing for the soul. But the benefits don’t stop there - a clean and organized home pushes aside stress and worry, creating a relaxing atmosphere that’s a boost to your well-being. One of the biggest reasons homeowners have a difficult time getting a tidy home is all the paperwork. Getting rid of clutter and junk mail, paying your bills on a regular basis, and keeping track of how much you’ve spent are all priorities that will help you get rid of stress in your home. Check out our tips and ideas to maintain a smart and organized space for all this paperwork!

An organized space leads to a peaceful mind.
An organized space leads to a peaceful mind. Image source: Apartment Therapy

Organize Your Workspace

You can keep it simple too.
You can keep it simple too. Image source: The Organised Housewife

The best place to care for your paperwork is in a home office. However, if you don’t have one, you can set up a nice organizer in your kitchen or another room that has a little extra space. Here are some cool ideas to organize your personal paper.

Bonus tip: If you’re keeping your bills in a different place from where you’re going to pay them, make sure to place them in a portable object - such as a file or basket - so you can easily move them around.

Related: 6 New Products to Organize Your Life in 2017

Gather Your Paperwork

First of all, take all your bills, receipts, and mail to your workplace. Then you’ll need to:

  • See what stays and what goes
  • Separate paid bills and bills to pay
  • Separate receipts
  • Separate your mail from your partner’s

Related: 20 Organizational Tasks You Can Tackle In 5 Minutes Or Less

Useful Supplies

Organize in a way that all your supplies are close at hand.
Organize in a way that all your supplies are close at hand. Image source: The Organizing Lady

It’s good to have a space where you can sit down and focus on what you need to do, and these are some useful supplies you should make sure to have nearby:

  • Computer
  • Pens
  • Calculator
  • Envelopes
  • Stamps

Schedule a Weekly Time

Take a few hours out of every week to keep track of your bank account.
Take a few hours out of every week to keep track of your bank account. Image source: The Organised Housewife

It’s a high priority that you schedule a weekly time to check your bank accounts and plan a calendar with the best dates to pay your bills. You should always keep them on track! A few tips to reduce paper and keep bills on track:

  • For bills of a set value, set up automatic payments through your bank
  • Pay your bills online and request your bank to stop sending paper statements
  • Have a paper shredder so you can shred your bills immediately after paying them
  • If you need your bills for taxes or other purposes, make sure to keep a folder where you can file them away immediately after paying
  • If you receive bills through email, create two folders - Bills To Pay and Paid Bills - to organize them without the need of accumulating paper

Related: 15 Habits To Improve Your Day-to-Day Life

Separating Per Category

Choose your categories and organize your paperwork.
Choose your categories and organize your paperwork! Image source: Better Homes & Gardens

Of course each person has different ways of dealing with bills and mail, but check out these categories to help you find the best way to separate your paper:

  • Bills
    • Medical
    • Insurances
    • Investments
    • Utilities
    • Cellphone/House phone
    • Cable/Internet
  • Mail
    • His
    • Hers
    • Both
  • Receipts
    • Warranties
    • Medical
    • Charity Donations
    • Self-employment and consulting purchases

Related: 25 Must-Have Printable Organizers

Storage Ideas

Mail Holder

Put a mail holder in your entryway or behind the front door to make mail storage easy.
Put a mail holder in your entryway or behind the front door to make mail storage easy. Image source: Great DIYs

File Cabinets

If you already have a file cabinet at home, simply rearrange it with categories.
If you already have a file cabinet at home, simply rearrange it with categories. Image source: Forks & Folly

Wall Files

You can do as many of these as you want at home, be creative!
You can do as many of these as you want at home, be creative! Image source: Emily Henderson

Related: 15 Clever & Unusual Ways Magazine Holders Can Organize Your Life

Cork Board

Cork boards are very useful for paperwork you'll be disposing of in a short period.
Cork boards are very useful for paperwork you’ll be disposing of in a short period. Image source: Style Caster

Binders

Set up a binder for long term bills, receipts, or mail.
Set up a binder for long term bills, receipts, or mail. Image source: Clean & Scentsible

How do you feel about working on your finances and mail? Let us know how these tips worked out for you in the comments below and make sure to follow us on Facebook for more DIY & Decor articles!

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