tips for organizing mail?

[Sara Noel]

How do you organize your mail so it's not an overwhelming mess?

[Neeley]

1) Trash the junk mail in the outside garbage can before it even comes in the front door.

2) All magazines go into the basket in the bathroom

3) Utility bills get looked over, immediately write the check and deliver it the next business day(otherwise I forget about it).

4) Bank statements, info on investments and other money related documents get filed in the safe.

5) All of DH's CPA related materials, newsletters, dues, etc... get put on the counter and he takes to work the next day.

6) Samples get opened and put away.

Other than our weekly church bulletin, we don't really get any other mail.

[FrugalMomof3]

We really dont get much mail except junk mail or CC applications... we signed up for all utility bills, etc to be electronic so usually for us everything get's shredded or trashed.

[Laurie in Bradenton]

I've taken us off most junk mail sites. I stand over the recycle bin and shred any that come in.
Bills, Letters and action items go to my desk.
Mags go either by my chair or DH's depending on whos mag it is

Thats about all we get.

Laurie in Bradenton

[LexTysMommy]

I do as the others and open all mail over the garbage. Then bills that I may have go in checkbook and coupons or samples in shoebox in my closet. And file bills right away. I started filing daily in 2007 as a new years resolution and it works great...keeps everything uncluttered.

Find a system that works for you. One that you are comfortable with and will not forget or misplace the bills or action papers. If it may be just one folder that you go through weekly, monthly, or a drawer you stick EVERYTHING and go through that weekly. The goal should be finding what works for you. Garbage when you open is a must for everyone I believe!

[McD]

I throw all junk mail away right away. All financial statements are filed. All bills are placed in a notebook that I always carry with me until they are paid. And magazines are looked at and then placed in the armoire in our entryway or mailed to dh.

[Nada.Leona]

In our apartment, we have a recycling bin right beside the mailboxes. We take out the mail, and immediately any fliers or junk mail that I don't want to review goes into the recycling bin.

After that, the mail comes upstairs. I leave the flyers on the computer desk chair, as and I both like to flip through them. Then all bills are opened and put into an envelope hung on our cork board called "Bills". They'll wait til Thursday (bill day).

Anything else that I see that is still garbage goes right to the shredder.

Ta-Da!

[zakity]

It gets laid on my desk if I am not available to go through it when someone brings it into the house. I open the envelopes and recycle anything that doesn't have personal info on it.

Anything with our names or address on it goes into the recycle/burn basket. It feels really good to use bills and other things as things to start the fires in the woodstove.

Bills and things that need some sort of attention go into the desk drawer and they live there until they are paid or they are no longer needed.

Samples get opened and put away.

Most of our bills are emailed to us since we live somewhere that our mail gets stolen.

[frugalwanttobe]

All junk mail gets recycled.

Bills go into an accordion folder by due date so when I pay the bills I just grab this and bring it to the computer.

I am not into keeping magazines unless I absolutely love something in them so husband and I go through them and then they are put in the back of my car to be given out to family members.

Only quality clothes catalogues are saved. I love looking through Lands' End and LL Beans' Catalogues.

Samples get opened and put away.

[acidcookie]

I don't get a ton of mail, especially since I've been on the OPT-OUT list.

I start opening my mail on the way back in from the mailbox because I pass the dumpster on the way, so I can just recycle the envelopes and any junk without my info on it. My roommates' mail always in the slots of our mail holder. Outgoing mail goes in the top slot for the next time I walk out the door.

Then I sort on the counter what to shred, what to file, and what to reply to in some way. I go upstairs and shred, file, and reply. If I can't get to it right away it goes on my magnetic board or the binder clips on the wall (I use these to hang papers by my desk).

Sometimes I do take the time to write to or call certain places from which I get unwanted catalogs or pleas for money to be removed from their lists. Takes time now, but keeps me from having to sort through that mail later.

[Libby]

I dont get much mail....credit card bill, bank statements and thats about it. The odd postcard, letter etc the rest is junk. I just toss it into the paper recyling bin and if it has my personal info on it, I take it down to my office to shred it. The bills get put aside on my desk until I am able to pay it - on payday.

I clip the bills with a list of other things that I have to pay out of the upcoming paychq. The list has a running total and once paid, I make a note on the bill and file it, toss my list and start a new one with expected amount of pay and next pay day date.

So far its worked - its worked even better now that I've cleared the clutter from this desk!

[claimsgirl66]

I have a decorative basket (from Goodwill) hanging on the wall by the front door which holds my bills, near where I put my purse. I do what alot of you do and sort it as soon as I walk thru the door:

1) bills get put in the basket which I go thru a couple times a month when I get paid
2) Sensitive junk mail like c.c. offers get shredded, which is in the next room. At minimum I toss the stuff on the shredder and then run it later.
3) Other junk mail gets put in the recycling box and I usually drop it off once a week at the local recycling bin
4) Other mail which I need to file or review ( insurance stuff, taxes etc...) I also put in the bill basket and then when I am paying the bills, I file them accordingly in an accordian folder I have sorted out for various paperwork. As I pay the bills a few times a month, the paperwork never sits for too long.