DETROIT – We may be living in a digital age, but most of us still have a lot of paper piling up -- and it just keeps coming.
"There is nothing in your home paper-wise that's coming in the mail that is more important than your peace of mind and happiness," organizing expert Cas Aarssen said.
Aarssen is a mother of three who turned her personal struggle with clutter into a successful career. From her home just outside of Windsor, Aarssen produces the "Clutterbug" podcast, shoots videos for her popular YouTube channel and has written three books on organizing.
She says paper clutter is a particular challenge.
"Every time we open the mailbox, there's more paper, and kids come home with newsletters and paper all the time, so have a recycling bin right at your door because 90 percent of the paper that's coming in, that's where it should go," Aarssen said.
Next, you need a command center.
"A command center, it's like the driving force of your home, especially when it comes to paper," Aarssen said. "It's all those little things that otherwise would be probably stuck on your fridge with magnets. It's your calendars, it's your bills that need to be paid, it's important paper reminders, your kids' artwork."
An essential part of the command center is an "action file" for paperwork that requires you to do something. This can be a folder, basket or bulletin board.
Aarssen says every home also needs a short-term filing system.
"Short-term papers, monthly statements, bills that have been paid, things you don't need to keep forever," Aarssen said.
Don't overthink it. Some people like to use an accordion-style folder, but a simple basket with a label is sufficient. Aarssen uses a square fabric bin with no lid labeled "2019 Paid Bills."
"This, without even trying, is in chronological order. Because it starts with January, then February, then March, then April," Aarssen said.
But you also need a separate, long-term filing system.
"This is only for things you want to keep forever, or taxes for seven years, so contracts, important medical information perhaps," Aarssen said.
Combining short-term and long-term papers is a mistake Aarssen often sees in homes that struggle with paper clutter.
"Keep these separate because at the end of each year, you're going to shred everything in your short-term paper. You do not need to keep monthly statements," Aarssen said.
For other random papers, Aarssen recommends a household management binder. It can include emergency contacts, school or workout schedules, babysitter information, medical history and prescription lists, take-out menus, coupons, receipts or any other papers related to the management of your home.
If you are drowning in old paper clutter: "Honestly, I recommend hiring a shredding company to come in and in just one fell swoop, load it up into bags," Aarssen said.
Finally, when it comes to your children's artwork, focus on quality over quantity.
"Keep just a key few special things, and that's the way that you can really see and love and appreciate what you have," Aarssen said.
If you want, take a picture of the rest and let it go.
"Your children are only going to want the 'best of the best,'" said Aarssen. "They don't want to sort through hundreds of papers, so do them a favor and get rid of the things now."
To learn more about Aarssen's strategies for dealing with clutter or to take her free Clutterbug quiz to identify your personal organizing style, click here.