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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Help! Piles of sliding papers and unfinished projects everywhere, always...

11 replies

Shitemum · 11/06/2008 21:48

How do you keep papers and stuff that comes into the house or that you are working on under control? I have a dining table in the living room which is aways covered with piles of books, paperwork, stuff I don't want the kids to touch so have put up on the table, things that wil be dealt with shortly and are still there months later...

I have tried all sorts of 'systems' - box files, filing trays etc and nothing seems to work...

OP posts:
MascaraOHara · 11/06/2008 21:49
mazzystar · 11/06/2008 21:53

yup me too
i am thinking of getting a big box and just firing it all in there
and leaving it
and if its not dealt with within 3 months shoving it in the bin

mazzystar · 11/06/2008 21:53

yup me too
i am thinking of getting a big box and just firing it all in there
and leaving it
and if its not dealt with within 3 months shoving it in the bin

Shitemum · 11/06/2008 21:54

'firing' it?

good idea... [looks for matches]

OP posts:
charliecat · 11/06/2008 21:54

I fire it all in a big box under the bed. Or in a box file in the kitchen all of that months crap.
Pain In the ASS.

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/06/2008 13:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SpacePuppy · 12/06/2008 14:35

First clear away existing paperwork, keep new incoming paperwork in a box by the front door, don't let it come inside the house until you are ready.

Second, shred anything older than 12 months, including bank statements as these can be obtained from the bank anyway.

Third, File existing paperwork in year ie 2006, 2007 etc. No need to sort unless there are policy doc's or other important notices these you put into a folder marked important doc's. Keep them somewhere that you can put your hand on them immediately should you need to, ie doctors notes etc.

Fourth, Get yourself something like this does not matter what as long as it has at least 12 pockets. Mark each pocket with a month Jan to Dec.

Now to ward off the onslaught, keep a box or bucket or bag by the door or as near as to where the mail drops. When you pick up the mail, immediately throw in the junk, open accounts, throw in the envelopes (unless you want to re-use them) and remove any parts of your name and address from the items you throw in the box so that you can destroy them (don't want someone stealing your id).

This box is also ready for recycling purposes.

So when you've take out your mail, take down each bill's amount and date by which its payable and then place the bill in the 12 pocket folder in the corresponding month, then before you go onto Mumsnet, go to your outlook calendar and enter each bills amount and due date with a reminder so that it alarms you when its due.

At the end of the year take out all the papers collected for that year and shove it in an envelope and file it. I have one of these. You can also keep your important doc's in here ie birth certificates etc.

You can ask many places for paperless billing now, they send emails, but you need to be organised and follow up these and remember passwords well.

Good Luck
Ask if you need more clarity

champagneSuperBunting · 12/06/2008 15:39

OOh space puppy are you a GTDer?
I tried but gavent quite managed it and since DS came along 11 weeks ago, feel there's no hope.

cathcat · 12/06/2008 15:45

Wow! Please come and live at my house for a while, you sound like the organisational force I need

claireybee · 12/06/2008 15:49

My 'dining' table is the same shitemum-and I also have 2 drawers full of stuff waiting to be filed properly...

SpacePuppy · 12/06/2008 16:11

It took me a whole weekend with dh's help to get initially sorted out, one little shredder and we worked the shredded paper into the garden as it would've taken at least 2 car trips to the tip to get rid off. Once it was sorted (we took turns shredding while the other kept ds occupied as he was terrified of the noise) it's easy to maintain, you'll be surprised how much junk mail you'll dump! I even dump voucher offers that I know I won't use before they expire!

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