How to Get Control Over Your Mail

Last month I talked about the best ways to organize under your kitchen sink. That got me thinking about another area of my kitchen that truly has no business ever being as cluttered as it often is… the countertops! If your household is anything like mine, you almost always have piles of mail trying to accumulate on the kitchen island. I get it! The papers and flyers and magazines and bills and coupons and straight up junk arrive daily and there isn’t always time to go through it immediately. I certainly recommend (especially if you have school-aged children) setting up a Family Command Center but the other thing you can take control of to help combat the paper clutter? Your mail!!

The kitchen island is certainly a high-traffic area of your home, and that’s why mail tends to (rapidly) accumulate there. Instead of simply setting the stack of deliveries on your counter, designate a specific area in your home for incoming mail. (Again, it’s a great idea to make this specific place part of your Command Center!) Choose a time that you can dedicate each day to sorting through the day’s mail. Try to keep the time the same; consistency is key to creating a habit and avoiding the dreaded piles!

Your system should also include a specific day of the week for paying bills and handling other important correspondence. Having separate bins, folders, or trays for each type of mail will also allow your system to thrive. Once mail is brought in it can be quickly sorted into categories such as: bills, personal mail, junk mailers, etc. This way, you’ll also have a clear visual of which items (and how many) are time-sensitive when the established day to tend to those bills rolls around each week.

I know for me personally, it’s the junk most often overtaking my mail (in both my mailbox and my inbox!) While it may be impossible to eliminate all junk mail forever; it is possible to reduce it drastically. You can do this by opting out of soliciting mail. You can use an online service such as DMAChoice.org to opt out of junk mail, or, you can contact each company directly to adjust what shows up and/or how frequently certain mail will arrive.

Another thing you can do to cut back on daily mail (and reap other benefits) is to go paperless. If you’re accountable for things such as bills, consider going paperless to reduce the amount of physical paper you are receiving. Not only does this help save paper and eliminate a countertop stack, but it also makes it much harder to miss collection dates or misplace important documentation. (I recently wrote about Organizing Your Email Communication at work, but if your inbox at home is just as messy as your physical mailbox these tips will still make a difference to your personal email!) If you are tactile and prefer a printed copy of important items such as bills and financial statements, you are still able to opt-in to paperless correspondence for less important mail (such as store coupons and flyers).

Once your mail is sorted and you’ve paid a bill or are no longer in need of a specific piece of mail, these items need somewhere to go! My blog post breaking down the best ways to Fight Paper Overflow will provide you with some general guidelines on how long to keep certain documentation if you’re unsure about some items. But you’ll want to have a filing system with labeled, designated folders. This system should include sections for common and important mail such as tax forms/paperwork, insurance documents, medical records, house/property documents, etc. As we always recommend, make sure to label your categories and subcategories clearly. And for those with ADHD, use our experts’ advice for Office Organization and ADHD. Sorting your mail and filing with a color-coded system will make a world of difference for you!

You should shred any papers or pieces of mail you decide you don’t need to keep after you’ve filed away “must-save” items properly. Make sure to shred and not just throw away all mail or paper that has any sensitive information on it (birthdate, social security number, banking info, passwords, etc.)

Especially if you travel often, whether for work or personal, you might choose to have your mail forwarded or consider using a virtual mailbox to manage the incoming mail while you’re away. Forwarding services can be especially helpful for those who have multiple residences where they receive mail.

If the tips in this blog (and in the others linked!) seem “easier said than done” don’t be afraid to call in a professional! We’d be happy to connect you with one of our experts to help set up your mail filing system, family command center, inbox files… or all three! Our own inbox at info@sortedout.com is well organized and waiting for your needs and questions to find their way to us. We’d be happy to make a few calls and develop a system to help you to take control of this one aspect of life that can be managed!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia