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we want to hear from you! send us your feedback at sweditor@buglenewspapers.com Wednesday, OctOber 12, 2016 | bugleneWspapers.cOm
cOlumn >> cOme tO Order
Pare down the paper invasion time for an annual “review and pare down” routine I’ve recently taken on the self-assigned duty of spending a minimum of 5 minutes each day de-cluttering my office. “Ah ha!” you’re probably thinking, “Even the professional can’t keep her office organized.” Not so fast, dear reader. My office is actually very well organized – it’s just time for my annual “review and pare down” routine. But rather than doing it in big chunks, I’m breaking this project down into small steps to get it accomplished. Five minutes a day (OK, it’s so much fun that I typically spend 15 minutes a day) may not seem like much, but over the past three weeks I’ve pared down two file drawers and should have my project completed by the end of the month. Inspired by the multiple bags of papers I’m recycling and the shredder that’s been working overtime, here are some ideas about how to reduce the amount of paper flowing into your life: jettiSon junK MaiL Junk mail can disguise itself as fun or interesting items, but it’s still junk if it’s not something you’ve invited into your home. I’ve used both of the fol-
COMe tO OrDer By Sue Becker lowing free services and they’ve definitely helped lighten my mail carrier’s load: • CatalogChoice.org is a one-stop website to simplify the process of unsubscribing from unwanted catalogs. • OptOutPreescreen.com will help you opt out from receiving credit card or insurance offers. reduce tHe nuMBer of receiptS Consider whether you need to get a receipt for each of your purchases. If it’s not for something you may return (e.g., gasoline), you won’t need it for reconciling your debit or credit card statement, it’s not for a major purchase or item under warranty, and you won’t need it for budgeting or tax purposes, you can most likely decline receiving a receipt. Your overstuffed wallet will thank you. ponder Before You print Before automatically hitting the print button for emails and computer-generated documents, consider whether you really need a paper ver-
sion. Maybe setting up a better filing system for your emails and electronic documents will help you trust that you’ll be able to find those items when you need them, saving you the time, trouble and paper to print them. coMputeriZe Your credit card BiLLS and otHer financiaL StateMentS Do you need physical copies for tax or legal reasons? If not, maybe you can access them online and free up lots of space in your file cabinet. MiniMiZe MaGaZine SuBScription Be ruthless in evaluating which magazines you actually read, and unsubscribe from those you don’t. If the current issue shows up before you’ve read the prior issue(s) consider paring back on the number of subscriptions you have. Do you get several publications on the same subject? Maybe you can decide which one offers the best information and unsubscribe from the others. I’d love to hear what other ideas you have to pare down your paper flow. sue becker is a certified professional Organizer in chronic disorganization who helps individuals and businesses discover the simplicity, harmony, and freedom of being organized and productive. she also speaks to companies and organizations about how to get organized and make the most of their time. sue can be reached at www.pilestosmiles.com or 630-3737400.
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