Sparkleize the way you live

You’ve just bought a new laptop, printer, cell phone, camera or other gadget. Great! But now you’ve got a bunch of peripheral junk to contend with.

When it comes to accessories, manuals and packaging, most folks are paralyzed with decisions. Will I need this? What should I keep? So they don’t take action and instead find themselves drowning in it.

My advice:

Unpack it right away. Open the box and take all the stuff out.

Break down the box. Unless you plan to return the item, there is no need to keep the box your gadget arrived in. Break it down (I keep a box cutter handy for this purpose) and put it in your recycling bin right away. This act takes less than 2 minutes and saves a ton of space. If you absolutely must keep the box, move it to the attic/basement/garage so it doesn’t clutter your office.

File the instruction manual in a folder in your file cabinet labeled “Instruction Manuals”. Makes it a cinch to find again when you need it!

Bundle up the cords. Loose cords are tangly and confusing. I recommend gently coiling them up and rubberbanding them. You can also try ties or twists. 

Optional bonus task: Label the cord. This can be accompished easily with a medium or large size sticky note. First, write your label on half of the sticky note (e.g., “Travel power charger for cell phone”).  Now fold the sticky note over the cord so the sticky parts of the note seal together and the written label is visible. Reinforce with clear tape if needed. You’ll never again wonder what those cords are for!

Store the accessories efficiently. It’s unlikely you’ll need all of those cords, disks, adapters, etc., but it’s nice to have them around if/when you do. I put mine in a plastic storage tub clearly labeled “Computer Accessories”, which I store in the most accessible part of the attic. The Clutter Coach advises bagging computer and gadget accessories (including manuals and disks) in gallon-size Ziplock bags and “filing” them in your file cabinet.

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

Today is the day to create a bin designated for “mixed paper” in your home office. In most towns across the USA, mixed paper can be recycled with your weekly recycling pick-up. Anything from an attractive basket to a brown paper grocery bag will work well as a mixed paper bin.

Important tip: Do NOT set your junk mail aside for later. Trash the envelopes and anything else with plastic windows or adhesives. Then put it directly into your mixed paper bin, or it will only pile up!

Read more: Create a mail processing area.

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

Let’s face it. Most of us stuff the business cards we acquire into a desk drawer, a wallet, pockets or other random places.  We have no strategy for storing the cards, yet we hope to be able to refer to them again one day.

Idea. As the Great Organization Masters say, “If you can’t find it, you may as well not own it!” And there is no better way to organize those sweet little information-packed cards than in a binder!

Research. I investigated a number of business card storage options at Office Depot and Target, which ranged from $11 and up in price, including fancy leather-bound book-style organizers at over $40!  I finally concluded that it is cheaper and more effective to create your own business card binder.

Solution. I purchased a set of transparent pages with business card pockets, made by Rolodex, for $10.99 at Office Depot. Here is a link to the same product online for only $10.43. These pages hold up to 300 business cards - about twice the amount for half the price of the fancy leather-bound organizers!  I clipped the set into a thin three-ring binder that I already had at home.

It took me about 10 minutes to organize my business cards by type. I used the following categories to group my cards together: Home Repair, Auto, Pets, Health, Friends, Work, etc. and arranged them in the binder. I threw out cards I no longer cared about, as well as cards I knew were outdated and any duplicates.

Results. Voila! My binder is now a super handy directory of contacts which I can pull out whenever I need to! It’s cute too!

Paperwork can be seriously overwhelming. However, you can bring order to the chaos by setting up a mail processing center.

A mail processing center is a convenient place in your house that is well-equipped to help you sort your incoming paperwork and prepare them for one of three operations - ACTION, FILE and READ/CONSIDER.

Below is an example of the mail processing center at my house:

How to process your paperwork and make life easier:

• ESTABLISH a set of three file folders:  ACTION, FILE and READ/CONSIDER. I recommend placing your three file folders in a slotted organizer like this one:

• DEAL WITH JUNK right away. Place any junk mail either directly into the trash or directly into a bin designated for “mixed paper“. In most towns across the USA, mixed paper can be recycled with your weekly recycling pick-up. Do NOT set your junk mail aside for later. It will only pile up!
• SHRED. To avoid identity theft, shred credit card applications, credit card statements, credit card “convenience checks”, and anything with your social security number on it. Shredders are extremely important tool for protecting your identity. Crystal uses this very tough model, which munches up 8 sheets at a time, and even does credit cards!
• ACTION. Identify items that require follow-up of any kind. This will include bills to pay, appointments to schedule, letters to reply to, etc. Put these into the ACTION folder.
• SET A DEADLINE. Use brightly colored sticky notes and your trusty Sharpie marker to give yourself a deadline for taking care of the action and follow-up items. (Example: For a bill due on April 30th, label it “Pay bill and mail by April 21.”)
• ARRANGE. Arrange the action/follow-up items in the ACTION folder in order of deadline. In other words, the closer the deadline, the closer the item should be to the front of the folder.
• FILE. Identify items that require no action but need to be filed. Items to file might include informational items such as letters, notices, records and paid bills. Put these into the FILE folder.
• READ/CONSIDER. Finally, identify items that require no action, don’t need to be filed, but that you’d like to read or consider later. Put these into the READ/CONSIDER folder.
• SCHEDULE IT! Finally, set a regular schedule for yourself to deal with your Action Files! Five to ten minutes of follow-up and filing every couple of days is a great goal.

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STOCK UP. Stock your paperwork processing area with envelopes, return address labels and plenty of stamps to encourage bill paying and reduce procrastination!

Ready to go a step further? Check out Crystal’s guide to overhauling your filing system!

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

I really like the article called “The Simple Wallet: Four Cards and Four Bills” from the financial blog  Money under 30. It has totally inspired me to pare down my wallet. Hope it will inspire you too!

One Sparkleize reader writes:

Dear Crystal,

I have a nice two-drawer file cabinet but I am an unorganized person. Right now both drawers are stacked with various nonsense in no particular order. Can you suggest a method to:

1. Prioritize contents

2. Maintain order and ease of finding

3. Keep everything current

4. Not drive a lazy clutter-hound like me crazy

I want to get rid of decades old bills and weird slips of useless paper, but it’s all a big tangle. Help!

Sincerely,

Disheveled in Durham

Dear Disheveled reader,

Here is my step-by-step advice for organizing your file cabinet, along with a strategy for easy and efficient document management!

You can implement the whole plan, or just a few of the ideas. If you do decide to put the full plan into action, I recommend allowing yourself to take each step one at a time, dividing them into mini tasks if needed, rather than trying to complete all the steps in one day. Keep in mind that each step is a huge accomplishment, so don’t get discouraged!

Personalized plan for file cabinet organization and document management strategy

Suggested list of supplies to gather before you begin:
• 1 box of hanging files
• 1 box of manila folders
• 1 box of manila file folder labels, assorted colors
• 1 box of envelopes (either manila or standard letter-size is fine)
• A few sets of brightly colored sticky notes
• 2 bankers boxes
• 1 stacking file tray (should contain 2 levels, compartments or slots)
• 1-2 Sharpie markers
• 1 large cardboard box or other container to function as a paper recycle bin

Step 1: Develop an outline of your filing system. Decide what file folders are priorities for your cabinet by mapping out the system, keeping it as simple and logical as possible. To give you an example, here’s a map of my own filing system. Note that the bold, non-bulleted items represent hanging files, while the bullets represent manila folders.

Step 2: Create and label the file folders to correspond with the outline you developed in Step 1. But don’t put them in the file cabinet yet!

Step 3: Prepare to sort and file by removing all paperwork from your existing file cabinet and setting it aside.

Step 4: Use the Piles System. To do this:

• First lay out on the floor all of the manila file folders you’ve created in Step 2, preferably in order so you can find them with ease. (For the obvious reasons, try to do this in a room where cats, potbellied pigs or other critters can be prevented from entering.)
• Scoot a cardboard box near this operation to function as a paper recycle bin.
• Now begin sorting your existing paperwork into piles on top of the corresponding file folders, keeping folder names visible. Don’t stop until all documents have been sorted! Do not be shy about using the recycle bin. Ask yourself, “Will I really ever need to look at this document again?!” If the answer is “No” or “Probably Not”, you know what to do! Like I always say, “When in doubt, throw it out!”
• Implement the 5-second rule. As you sort, it is likely that you will get sidetracked and be tempted to read all those long-lost documents. To avoid this scenario, allow yourself only 5 seconds (yes, that’s plenty of time) to glance at the document and decide where it goes! You can read the documents later!

Important note about confidential documents: If any documents you wish to throw out or recycle contain your banking information, credit card numbers or social security numbers, it is best to shred or destroy them. You can purchase a shredder for $50 and up. Alternatively, you can destroy them yourself.

Step 5: Archive the old stuff. The bankers boxes allow you to archive old files. As a rule of thumb, I archive the following:

• Receipts older than six months,
• Tax files older than two years, and
• Paid bills and other paperwork older than one year.

Select a regular interval (for example, once every 6 months) at which time you’ll go through you file cabinet to archive your older documents. Label the outside of your banker boxes so you’ll know what they are! (e.g., “Files from 2007”) Suggested storage areas for banker boxes include attics, basements, closets.

Step 6: Create replacement folders if necessary. Create and label new manila folders to replace the ones you’ve archived.

Step 7: Make a plan. Sustainable file management means sticking with a system, and the only systems worth sticking with are those that are both easy and intuitive! Thus, I recommend using a system that involves a stacking tray like this one or perhaps a slotted organizer like this one.

Whatever gadget you choose to use should have two slots or compartments. You will use one of each compartment for the following:

(1) Action Items. These are items which require follow up of some kind in the near future. Use brightly colored sticky notes and your trusty Sharpie marker to give yourself a deadline for taking care of these items. (e.g., for a bill due on April 30th, label it “Pay bill and mail by April 21”) Then, arrange the action items in the Action Items tray in order of deadline. In other words, the closer the deadline, the closer the item should be to the front or top of the tray. Set a regular schedule for yourself to deal with these Action Items!

(2) Items To Be Filed. This includes paid bills, bank statements, etc. – basically, any documents you want to save. Make a plan to file these items on a regular basis (e.g., every Sunday morning after breakfast). Don’t wait until the pile gets too big! A manageable pile of Items To Be Filed means that your filing task will only take you a few minutes.

Important note: Get yourself in the habit of immediately putting any new documents you receive or acquire into one of the two compartments! No excuses!

Use envelopes to manage your receipts! Grab some standard letter-size envelopes, and label one for each month (“Receipts January 2008”, “Receipts February 2008”, etc.) Each day, transfer receipts from your wallet and pockets directly into these envelopes, and then file the envelopes back in your filing cabinet. Those receipts will never take over your life again!

Additional tips:

• Create an Ideas or Miscellaneous Projects folder. Yes, you will come across random stuff you want to put aside to read or deal with at a later time. This random stuff is the perfect type of item for an Ideas folder. Just be sure to schedule time to check your Ideas folder on a regular basis (e.g., ever six months) so that it does not become too full.
• Scan and file your documents electronically on the Web whenever possible, particularly those you would be really sad and/or inconvenienced to lose in a house fire! Online document storage will also come in handy if you need to access something while traveling. Good sites for online document storage include Backpackit and Box.net.
• Reduce the number of your incoming documents. Ask your bank and utility companies to stop sending your bills via the postal mail. Pay them online instead, and keep an electronic (rather than paper) file of your statements.

Have some more ideas? Write to Crystal and let her know!