Central Carolina Organizing http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com Central Carolina Organizing Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:31:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Free Organizing Advice on Sat. Jan. 28 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/free-organizing-advice-on-sat-jan-28 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/free-organizing-advice-on-sat-jan-28#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:31:01 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=765 In honor of National Get Organized Month, the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers will be dispensing free organizing advice at Cary Town Center shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. We’ll be there from 10:00 until 2:00. Stop by and talk to the experts about your organizing challenges.

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/free-organizing-advice-on-sat-jan-28/feed 0 Organizing Books Published in November and December 2011 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-november-and-december-2011 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-november-and-december-2011#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:11:53 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=756 If you’re interested in learning more about organizing, you have many, many books to read! Here’s a list of the most recent publications. I have not yet had a chance to look at any of them, so I can’t tell you anything about them. Please note that I have typed titles as they appeared on the source websites.

Source: www.amazon.com

Title: How To Declutter Your Home and Your Life; Minimalist Concepts to Help You Start Organizing Today
Author: Martha Sinclair
Format: paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Nov. 7, 2011

Title: Getting Rid of It: The Step-by-step Guide for Eliminating the Clutter in Your Life (Live The Good Life)
Author: Betsy Talbot and Warren Talbot
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Nov. 15, 2011

Title: Three Steps to Organizing Your Office
Author: Beverly Coggins
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 29, 2011

Title: Organizing Paper @ Home: What To Toss and How To Find The Rest!
Author: Barbara Hemphill and Jennifer Wig
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 29, 2011

Title: Three Steps to Organizing Your Kitchen
Author: Beverly Coggins
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 30, 2011

Title: Three Steps to Organizing Your Child’s Room
Author: Beverly Coggins
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 31, 2011

Title: Organizational Strategies for the Overwhelmed
Author: JoAnn Corley
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 6, 2011

Title: 31 Spaces 31 Days: The Daily Practice.sos successful organizing solutions (Volume 1)
Author: Eve Brière
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: Dec. 5, 2011

Title: Coupon Mom Organizing Binder
Author: (none) publisher is Whitman Publishing
Format: Hardcover
Publication Date: Dec. 2011

Title: Organizing Life’s Hoardings
Author: Brook Williams
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: Dec. 21, 2011

Title: Introduction to Getting Organized
Author: Eshean Butler
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 4, 2011

Title: The Hoarder In You: How To Live A Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life
Author: Robin Zasio
Format: Hardcover and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Nov. 22, 2011

Title: Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain To Get More Done In Less Time
Author: Margaret Moore and Paul Hammerness
Format: Paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 27, 2011

Source: www.barnesandnoble.com

Title: Resolve To Get Organized! – Clean Up Your Act And Your Clutter For The New Year
Author: Irwing
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 30, 2011

Title: Get Organized – How To Organize Every Part Of Your Life To Improve Focus And Productivity
Author: Irwing
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 30, 2011

Title: Organization Tactics – Cleanup The Clutter And Organize Like Crazy
Author: Joye Bridal
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 11, 2011

Title: 50 Tips On Getting Organized Easily – A Simple Guide To Keeping An Orderly Life
Author: Joye Bridal
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Dec. 8, 2011

Title: Organizing Your Home: Decluttering Solutions and Storage Ideas
Author: Emily Wilska
Format: Hardcover
Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2011

Title: Organizing Solutions for People With Attention Deficit Disorder: Tips and Tools To Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized
Author: Susan Pinsky
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Nov. 20, 2011

Title: Living Simply – Improve Your Life with Less Clutter
Author: Tina Razzell
Format: Nook e-book
Publication Date: Nov. 8, 2011

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-november-and-december-2011/feed 0 Use A Mediator When Heirs Cannot Agree http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/use-a-mediator-when-heirs-cannot-agree http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/use-a-mediator-when-heirs-cannot-agree#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:04:02 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=750 In November I received a call from someone in the Waukegan, Illinois area. You have no idea how exciting that was — to know someone is reading the information I’ve posted and asking for more! That call made my day!  Keep those calls, e-mails and questions coming.

The caller wanted to know what to do if two (or more) heirs  want the same item and cannot agree on who will get it (she’d read the tip, “Shorten The Who-Gets-What Process”).

This was my answer: If this is a conflict you cannot resolve  with the other person, please don’t ask your professional organizer to resolve the matter. Instead, get a mediator. A mediator is a person with training and, in many states, certification, in facilitating communication between two or  more parties in a dispute. The mediator helps the parties reach agreement  themselves. Mediation is almost always much less expensive and time-consuming  than taking a dispute to court. For more information on mediation, visit http://www.alabar.org/brochures/mediation.pdf.

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/use-a-mediator-when-heirs-cannot-agree/feed 0 Resolved: I Will Get Organized In The New Year http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/resolved-i-will-get-organized-in-the-new-year http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/resolved-i-will-get-organized-in-the-new-year#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:32:30 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=735 If you’ve promised yourself that 2012 will be the year you finally get organized, don’t rush out and buy plastic bins and shoe holders. Instead, start your project by defining your organizing goals in specific terms. Describe what the end result will be. Next, identify what’s getting in the way (or might get in the way) of achieving your goals. Until you know what you need and want and how to cope with obstacles you may face, your organizing efforts are not likely to succeed.

What Does “Getting Organized” Mean To You?

Start with the end in mind. How will your home, office or other space look when you finish organizing it? How will it feel when you walk into that space? How will it function and how will you function in it? Yogi Berra said it best: “If you don’t know where you’re going … you might not get there.” If you cannot write down or say aloud what it is you need or want then achieving it is not likely to happen.

Let’s say you want to organize your master bedroom. Right now there’s so much clutter in the room you can’t reach the window to open the curtains. The exercise bike is covered in clothing, the dresser is covered in paperwork, loose change, miscellaneous earrings, a broken hairbrush, the macaroni picture your child made at preschool, and partially empty bottles of water. A pile of books has fallen over by the nightstand and is making getting in and out of bed difficult. Finally, the clothes waiting to go to the dry cleaner are all over the floor.

So what it is you want? What’s your goal? Do you want the room to look as though it’s in a museum, absolutely devoid of all clutter and anything else that makes it look as though someone lives there? Or are you OK with a half dozen books stacked neatly on the floor by the bed, an empty peanut butter jar on the dresser for loose change and a laundry basket on the floor to collect clothes going to the dry cleaner? Do you want to feel serenity and peace when you walk in or is getting rid of the guilt you feel when you enter the room enough?

 

Identify Obstacles To Getting and Staying Organized

Why are you disorganized? Why is it that you get everything organized in January and by March it looks the same way it does in late December? In my experience, the obstacles I’ve listed below are the most common problems people have when they tackle organizing.

 

Lack of Knowledge: I Don’t Know How To Organize

First off, don’t feel guilty about not knowing how to organize; many, many people do not. Stop beating yourself up and keep reading! Read this website and blog and books on organizing. And remember this: Do what works for you.

We’re all different — we think, learn and process information differently. I illustrate this when I do presentations by giving an audience member a box full of ballpoint pens, Sharpies, highlighters and regular and colored pencils. I ask him or her to tell me how to organize these writing implements. Some people group them by type, others group them by color and others group them by what they’re most likely to use on a regular basis. Which way is right? Each is because each makes sense to the person who did the organizing.

That said, here are five basic organizing rules. (1) Define your criteria for what you’ll keep or toss before you start. When organizing clothing your criteria might be to get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the last two years and anything that’s more than five years old. (2) Group similar things together. (3) Don’t get rid of anything or buy anything until you know what you already have, then make your decisions. (4) Set realistic goals. You will not get through a two-car garage packed with stuff in one Saturday afternoon. (5) Keep your overall goals in front of you as you work. Refer often to your vision of what your space will look and feel like when you’re finished.

Overwhelmed: I’m So Overwhelmed That I’m Paralyzed

This is a common reaction; people look at their space and how cluttered it is and feel so overwhelmed by everything that they freeze up, close the door and go do something else.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to do it all today or even in one day. Break it into small chunks. In your kitchen, start with one drawer. Do another drawer next week. Yes, it will take time but the most important thing is that you’re continuing to move forward. Another strategy organizers often use: Get a hula hoop and put it over the pile of stuff on your kitchen table (or floor or desk or work bench). Deal only with what’s inside the hula hoop. Once you’re finished, move the hula hoop to another spot.

Most people find that once they start, even if starting is only one shelf or drawer, continuing gets easier. They “get on a roll.”

It’s Just Me: No One Else Wants Organization

When you’re the only person in your home or office who wants to organize the space, you’ve got a tough row to hoe. It’s not impossible, however. Sit down with the other people and explain to them why getting organized is important to you and what you want to accomplish. Ask for their support, if not with the organizing itself then with keeping things organized going forward. If that’s not going to happen, look at what you alone control: your side of the bedroom, clothes closet and drawers, bathroom, desk, office, etc. Organize those spaces and make them your fiefdoms.

If that’s not enough for you and you cannot get buy-in from those with whom you live and work, you might consider counseling or mediation. You need to be able to express your needs and have them heard and also hear why your house- and/or officemates are not willing to cooperate. Hopefully you’ll reach compromise.

Physical Limitations: I’m Not As Young As I Was

I meet many people who are highly organized and have been throughout their lives. The problem is that bending, lifting or getting things off of top shelves is not easy or possible anymore due to physical limitations like arthritis, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, or disease (diabetes, cancer, hypertension, Parkinson’s). Without those physical abilities they cannot remain organized.

The key here is to find people to help. You might need a professional organizer to come in and organize your space if things are really out of control. After that, a neighbor, friend, family member, cleaning person or home health aide can keep things organized: put away groceries, take recycling and trash out, get the holiday decorations down from the attic and put them away after the holiday, move the 25-pound bag of potting soil to your work table and so on.

Time: Who Has Time To Organize?

Do you really lack time to organize and stay organized or are there other factors at work? If time really is the issue, there are two things you can do to reach your organizing goals. First, hire a professional organizer to come in and get your space organized. But realize that in order to set things up the way you need and want them you will need to be present to give the organizer instructions. That will mean taking time out of your schedule.

Once your organizer gets your space organized in a way that suits your needs, you have two choices going forward. One is to take a tiny bit of time and keep things organized yourself. You’re going to undress before you go to bed. Instead of dumping your clothes on the closet floor, take the time to dump them in the hamper or dry cleaning bag. When the mail comes in, take five minutes to deal with it (while your supper heats in the microwave or while you watch the news) instead of letting it pile up for days or weeks. The second option is to put your organizer on retainer and have him or her come in on a regular basis (weekly, monthly) and organize whatever has become cluttered since the last visit.

Boring: I’d Rather Have A Root Canal Than Organize

For some, the work it takes to get organized and stay that way is annoying, boring, not fun and, well, work. If you have money to hire an organizer then do so. Otherwise, try to delegate as much of the organizing as possible. There will be some tasks you’ll have to do, but I’m a big believer in teaching children how to organize and starting at an early age. Require them to put their toys away before they go to bed every night. Teenagers can put away their clean clothes and even wash their own laundry. Spouses can divide organizing chores just as they can divvy up responsibility for the yard, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and bookkeeping.

It really is like my parents used to tell my brother and me, “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do.” I confess that for me that’s vacuuming!

What’s The Point? It Won’t Last

I disagree. It will last if you take time to define your goals, describe the end result you want and examine why staying organized is difficult for you. I believe that if you’re armed with this information you’ll be much more likely to stay organized beyond January.

Maybe you haven’t been able to stay organized because the systems you’ve set up for yourself aren’t really right for you. Yes, organizing your papers and filing them in labeled folders and putting them into alphabetical order in a filing cabinet is fantastic. Unless you’re the kind of person for whom things cease to exist if you can’t see them. Putting those papers into the filing cabinet is like putting them into a black hole. Forget about what you think you should be doing; set up a system that works for you. Use the file dividers that sit on a desk or an open rolling cart for your files. You can even put them into plastic file boxes.

The other key to staying organized is to make it a habit. Put your keys in the same place every time you enter your home. Set aside 20 minutes once a week to go through the mail and process it. When you put away groceries, group similar things together in your cabinets (soup on the same shelf, teas together, snacks in one place). Take the clean laundry straight from the dryer to the drawer or closet where it belongs; don’t put off the task until tomorrow.

Finally, realize that getting and staying organized are on-going processes. You may have to try different strategies until you find the one that works for you. Over time, you may need to tweak that strategy to meet changes in your life and/or space. Be patient with yourself and don’t give up. And as always, if you need help contact a professional organizer.

Happy New Year and Happy Organizing!

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/resolved-i-will-get-organized-in-the-new-year/feed 0 Get Expert, Inside Info On Chronic Disorganization http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/get-expert-inside-info-on-chronic-disorganization http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/get-expert-inside-info-on-chronic-disorganization#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:18:08 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=723 The Institute for Chronic Disorganization (ICD) has long been an invaluable resource for professional organizers, with hundreds of classes on issues around chronic disorganization. These classes, taught by leading experts in their fields, look at things like attention deficit disorder, procrastination, and hoarding, to name a few. The classes explain how and why people who suffer from these disorders and tendencies may have difficulty with organizing. The experts also offer ideas for professional organizers to use, so that we can be more effective when we work with our chronically disorganized clients.

The ICD announced on November 1, 2011 that it will now offer four classes — formerly available only to professional organizers — to the general public. The cost is $10 per class. You “attend” the class by listening to it on your phone. For more information and to sign up, visit http://www.challengingdisorganization.org and click on Help for the Disorganized. When the pull-down menu appears, click on Public Teleclasses.

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/get-expert-inside-info-on-chronic-disorganization/feed 0 Seeking Feedback From You http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/seeking-feedback-from-you http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/seeking-feedback-from-you#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:54:53 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=720 You can now sign up to receive an e-mail that will let you know when I’ve posted new tips and blogs to the Central Carolina Organizing LLC website. My tips and blogs are all about helping you make your life easier and more organized and sane. To subscribe, click on the Blog button, look down the column on the right side of the page and click on Subscribe. If you decide you no longer want to receive these e-mails, you can opt out at any time (you’ll break my heart if you do, but …. OK, kidding). So subscribe. Please. Pretty please?

But don’t stop with just reading the tips and blogs. Please, please give me feedback about what you’re reading. Is it helpful? Does it make sense? What questions do you have about organizing? I really want to hear from you. Is anyone out there?

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/seeking-feedback-from-you/feed 0 Organizing Books Published in October 2011 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-october-2011 http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-october-2011#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:42:11 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=716 If you’re interested in learning more about organizing, you have many, many books to read! Here’s a list of the most recent publications. I have not yet had a chance to look at any of them, so I can’t tell you anything about them. Please note that I have typed titles exactly as they appeared on the source websites.

Source: www.amazon.com

Title: Organize Your Home Office For Success: Expert Strategies That Can Work For You
Author: Lisa Kanarek
Format: paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 4, 2011

Title: How To Declutter Your Home And Your Life: Minimalist Concepts To Help You Start Organizing Today
Author: Martha Sinclair
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 21, 2011

Title: The Everything Home Storage Solutions Book: Make The Most Of Your Space With Hundreds Of Creative Organizing Ideas
Author: Iyna Boyt Caruso
Format: paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2011

Title: Get It Together Girl! A 28-Day Guide To Practical NOT Perfect Home Organization
Author: Karyn Beach
Format: paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 11, 2011

Title: Organize Now! 12 Month Home & Activity Planner
Author: Jennifer Ford Berry
Format: hardcover spiral and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2011

Title: Organize For A Fresh Start: Embrace Your Next Chapter In Life
Author: Susan West
Format: paperback and Kindle e-book
Publication Date: Oct. 20, 2011

Title: It’s All About The Memories: Preserving Your Precious Memories For Future Generations
Author: Gretchen Fatouros
Format: Kindle e-book
Publication Date: October 2011

Source: www.barnesandnoble.com

Title: The Most Important Principle Of Successful People: The Importance Of Getting Organized
Author: Linda Wilson
Format: Nook
Publication Date: October 2011

Title: How To Organize Yourself For Sake Of Goal Achievement
Author: Nancy Davis
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2011

Title: Organize Your Closet: This Helpful Handbook Will Bring You Excellent Ideas On Closet Solutions That Includes Closet Organizer Systems, Custom Closet Organizers, Professional Closet Organizer, Different Types Of Closets And More!
Author: Gallardo
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2011

Title: How To Organize Your Life Starting From Your House: Organize Your Home, Organize Your Life
Author: Mark Brown
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2011

Title: How To Get Organized: The Importance Of Organize In Your Life
Author: Ruth Anderson
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2011

Title: How To Easily Get Organized: Achieve The Impossible
Author: Pierre
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2011

Title: The Everything Feng Shui De-Cluttering Book: Simplify Your Environment And Your Life
Author: Katina Jones
Format: paperback and Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2011

Title: Easy Organizing Solutions For Your Home, Work And Life: Learn Organization Skills For Decluttering Your Home, Personal Organizing, How To Organize Work And How To Stay Organized In All Areas Of Your Life Forever
Author: Jackie Lively
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 6, 2011

Title: A Life Less Cluttered
Author: Christine Rice
Format: Nook
Publication Date: Oct. 4, 2011

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/organizing-books-published-in-october-2011/feed 0 Expired Medications: Still Good or Not? http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/expired-medications-still-good-or-not http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/expired-medications-still-good-or-not#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:40:22 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=710 Clients often tell me not to throw out expired prescriptions or over-the-counter medications because they’re still “good.” Is that really true, I wondered? I asked my pharmacist, Alice Dillard, at Triangle Pharmacy/True Value Hardware on Highway 54 in Durham (www.triangletruevalue.com). The answer: not true.

According to Alice, by the time a drug reaches its expiration date it has lost ten percent of its effectiveness. After that, the drug continues to degrade until it loses all of its effectiveness.

What does that mean? As compounds within medications breakdown they can become toxic. That means an expired drug may hurt or kill you. If you take an expired drug, “you have no idea what you’re really taking,” Alice cautions.

Second, the drug will not treat the problem for which you’re taking it. For example, if it’s an expired antibiotic it will not clear up the infection you have.

So go through your medicines — prescriptions, over-the-counter, vitamins and dietary supplements — and get rid of everything that’s beyond its expiration date. As you get rid of nonprescription items, make a list of what you’ll need to replace and take the list when you go shopping. For example, when you pitch the Pepto Bismol that expired in 2007 put Pepto on your shopping list (if it’s something you still use).

How To Dispose Of Medications

You have a couple of options when it comes to disposing of medications, whether they’re expired or not. Although you may be tempted to simply flush them or dump them into the trash, those options have long-term environmental consequences. The compounds in the medications eventually find their way into our water supply and soil. (Yes I know, they already do via our own bodily waste. Just keep reading. Please?)

Best option: Turn them in during a medication collection drive. Several times each year local governments in the Triangle, nonprofits or state agencies collaborate with the Drug Enforcement Agency and State Bureau of Investigation to sponsor these collections. On a designated day you take your unwanted and unneeded medications to a particular place and drop them off. Watch local news, newspapers and this website for information on collection drives.

Alice tells me that another option for disposing of meds is to put them into a Ziploc bag with some kitty litter or wet coffee grounds, close the bag and put it into a second Ziploc bag. Close that bag and throw it into the garbage.

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/expired-medications-still-good-or-not/feed 0 Upstairs, Downstairs, But Not On The Stairs http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/upstairs-downstairs-but-not-on-the-stairs http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/upstairs-downstairs-but-not-on-the-stairs#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:34:05 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=704 Things that belong upstairs always seem to find their way downstairs, and vice versa. People often put things that need to go up or down on the steps. The problem is that the things often stay there for days, weeks or months.

Obviously (I hope it’s obvious, anyway) objects on steps present a serious risk to life and limb. It’s easy to slip or trip on something on a step and fall. If you can’t reach the handrail because of all the stuff on the stairs, you’re really in big trouble.

Solution: Put a basket, plastic or canvas container or a tote bag at the top and bottom of the stairs. Put things going downstairs into the basket that’s upstairs and upstairs items into the downstairs basket. When you’re going in either direction, take the basket with you, put the things in it where they belong and return it to its place.

This solution is especially handy for families with children whose toys, books, sports equipment and shoes are often not where they should not be. Whatever container you choose, be sure your children can safely carry them up and down the stairs.

]]> http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/upstairs-downstairs-but-not-on-the-stairs/feed 0 5 Tips for Cleaning Out Your Files http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/5-tips-for-cleaning-out-your-files http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/5-tips-for-cleaning-out-your-files#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:38:29 +0000 admin http://www.centralcarolinaorganizing.com/?p=605 October is National Clean Out Your Files month. And right now you’re thinking, yeah, I’d rather have a root canal than tackle my files.

Take a deep breath and keep reading. Cleaning out files may not be as annoying, difficult, tedious [fill in the blank] as you think it will be. Here are five things you can easily clear out that will greatly reduce the quantity of files and paperwork you have.

  1. User Manuals. If you keep user or product manuals when you buy appliances, electronics, software and home improvement items go through those manuals and be sure you still own the products. Recycle the manuals for things you no longer own. Consider recycling all of it; you can get user manuals for most products online.
  2. Forwarded E-mails. All those jokes and funny stories your friends forward to you on e-mail can brighten your day, but do you really need to keep all of them? Choose your ten favorites and delete all the others.
  3. Company Annual Reports. An annual report from a company in which you have an investment provides a summary of that company’s yearly outlook. The information in the report is not specific to you and your money. The report is also available online. Read it (if you really want to) and then recycle it. Recycle reports from past years. Then contact the company and ask them to send your annual report electronically in the future.
  4. Bills. Decide how long you want to hold onto bills from utility companies and others. You do not need to keep bills for years and years. Set a timeframe for keeping bills that makes you feel comfortable, but know that you really don’t need to keep them for 30 years.
  5. Folders. Look at all the files on your computer. Could you put files on similar topics into folders? If so, make folders and move individual files into them. Example: Move the all the different versions of your resume into a folder labeled Resumes.
  6. BONUS TIP: Call me if you need help with your files and/or filing system!
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