I am 1099 self employed and save every thing in hopes of claiming it come National Embezzlmnt Acknowledg Day. Too much paper for sure. I hope I can implement this... I just downsized to sm place and have very little storage, one bedrm is piled with boxes.
I'm a cricket and I tried for years to find the ''perfect'' detailed paper management system. Turns out papers stress me out and the less time I spend dealing with it, the better my overall mood is! I've been maintaining it for 4 years now, it works beautifully! I do action twice a month and it takes less than 15 minutes. Love it!
Oooh! I recognized an analogy that clicked for me, and hope it will help someone else: Long term storage (filing cabinet or whatever) is the freezer. The fridge is short term, and leftovers are action items! Can you tell I’m heating up leftovers after watching this? 😂😂😂 Thanks for helping us, Cas!
yeah as someone in the us with multiple chronic illnesses, if you live in the US especially if you have chronic illnesses of any kind you should have a medical binder or box with all your medical stuff because you will need to be able to access it easily without having to search through other stuff. this is especially important if you are disabled and/or on disability or are trying to get financial aid of any kind from the government for medical, bill, or food assistance etc. because you might have to keep more paperwork and medical information than most people. it's a bit different in every state but making a medical box and binder was really necessary for me to make my life easier.
Yes! I have thousands of medical & ditectly-related financial & assistance papers... That's what causes my multiple roadblocks to organizing, & I have to think way too hard. It's incredibly frustrating & difficult.
Agreed! I just had to pull bloodwork from ten years ago to get approved for a new treatment. Not having this positive result of my disease would have been devestating as my old treatment strips or cleans the blood and I may not test positive now...
OMG CAS!!! . . . THANKS SO MUCH!!! . . . I STRUGGLE with PAPER BIG TIME!!! I watched your 5-sort method about 5 times over the past 4-days!! It was hard a first. I needed to take a nap the first couple times but I stuck with it. I've watched and sorted ALL of my piles of paper!! 🤯 I can't believe I got it all sorted!! Thanks so much!!!
A great tip for kids’ artwork/stuff they bring home at the daycare/kindergarten stage from my cousin: she strung up a small clothesline in the corner of her daughter’s room (2 cup hooks, string, clothespins) and then EVERY TIME SOMEONE CAME TO THE HOUSE….her daughter got to choose an art piece to give them! So much of it just LEFT THE HOUSE and her daughter felt very proud to share her work. Once it got “full”, my cousin would grab a few things for the memory bin and the rest got recycled.
OK so I watched this a couple days ago and downloaded the free PDF. As well as finally took the Clutterbug quiz. I’m a BEE!!! Then today I used this process and cleared so much stuff, sorted everything. MIND BLOWN. This is the absolute best system I have ever found. I cannot believe how well this worked. Thank you Cas for this phenomenal tool.
Me too, plus I have a terrible habit of not opening my mail (it's overwhelming!). BUT, this means that I usually find some treasure when I do go through the piles--often it's a check or a gift card! So that is motivating! You can do it!
Your 5 sort system saved me. I was on the way to become my parents in that regard, binders and binders full of paper. It's how I learned it, everything is important and everything goes in binders in categories. It took so much time to upkeep that of course there were piles of paper everywhere. I had no idea how to tackle it and when I stumbled over your 5 sort system it didn't even take me one weekend to get rid of most of it. I did adjust it a bit over the last year to make it even simpler for my needs, though. I noticed that I often was over-thinking the categories references vs short-term. So I combined those two and now put all of that in one bin, calling it my "time will tell" category (so sprinkled a bit of minimal mom in there 😉 ). I go through it whenever it starts to overflow, which is roughly every 1 to 2 months, takes me 10 minutes. I usually throw away around 80%. Making the decision to get rid of something is so much easier with a bit time passed. The rest I keep in there to decide another day. Occasionally, I notice something sticking around in there, then I will find a permanent home for it - but that really doesn't happen often. Even references often get updated and become unnecessary after a while. Maybe this can also help others who are prone to over-thinking or easily get decision fatigue.
OMG thank you so much for this video. I always told myself I would never be like my mom. She has collected papers for years old bills from years ago, just clutter. I was getting to that point. I have tried numerous paper organizations just to be like you said a pile here of this a pile here of that and feeling overwhelmed your five system organization oh my God, for the first time in over a year I have had a laundry basket full of paperwork from when I went through it 2021 just following your process, I got through it in five days. where for the first time in over a year, I got through all that paperwork. I am literally sitting here, just crying because you made it so easy. thank you for all of your videos because they do make a difference. I have a lot of clutter that just by watching your videos and following some of your processes I’m slowly but surely getting through it all It’s a work in progress and I still have a long way to go, but at least I have a starting point thanks to you. Thank you for all you do.
I was literally about to sort my paper piles and cleaning off my desk and somehow this video came up on UA-cam. THANK YOU for this system. It makes so much sense and saves me TONS of time m
We sometimes spend months living in our RV for my husband's surveying job. Because space is so limited, I started scanning (or taking a picture) of receipts, etc. and keeping all of my files in Dropbox. We like it so much better that even when we're home and have more room, we just keep electronic records only. I do pay most bills online and you can definitely get your receipts electronically that way. I've rarely had to go back and look something up to prove I payed it, (but it is an added bonus that I can access everything even if I'm not home and won't be for months) but it was really easy to just type in what I was looking for as opposed to digging through actual paper.
Great idea to scan items! I have a free app on my phone that I scan specific items and can email those items if need be. But I never thought of scanning the important documents too! Great idea. Thank you.
@notnow7973 I've seen several app options, but I've never used them . I just save everything to Dropbox. It works for scanned images or pics, and it's easy for me to sort into categories and separate things on company credit cards.
@@notnow7973 I just use Dropbox for storage and set up electronic file folders that match what I was used to doing with paper files. That was easier for me since I didn't have to change my system, but I've seen several apps available.
I miss this during the live but I wanted to share that when I have a receipt for something that I bought and it has a manual, I photocopy the receipt and staple both of them to the manual and then I put that in reference. I used to keep them separate and then they couldn't remember which one I did it in
when I noticed that receipts fade to where you cannot read them anymore, I started writing on them, the purveyor, the amount, how I paid for it, whatever details might be important for the future. Then I photocopy that so that even if the actual receipt faded, The exact details would be legible even if the original ink was fading off and hard to read. And yes, staple it to something to link it to a warranty or the ability to return it or whatever. Or put it in the tax file etc.
Several years ago I downsized and had two bins of paper, one from my mother who passed years before. It took a while but got it done. Amazingly, my categories are much like yours. I toss junk mail as soon as I get home. Bills and things that need immediate attention go in my command center spot for when I get paid. I know what receipts I need for government forms, so they have a place to go. I need them once a year. Then I have one file drawer: Warranties have a file, along with certain things that refer to a new appliance. Insurance has a file. Important documents are in the fire safe box. There are a few memory items, I call that my “hero file”. This system has worked so well for me for years. I shred whatever has identifiing information. Pictures etc have a place, eventually I will sort them. Not high on my priority list. Recipes are in a binder in page protectors, occasionally I purge them too…. When I feel like it. Your system is sound, it has worked for me for years.
😢 you just changed my life! I have five bags of papers, mail, coupons, Christmas cards etc. that I thought would take me sooo much time to go through. It was sitting in our office for months but I didn’t know what to do next. (I actually kinda of separated them in your categories:) great minds think alike) And guess what?! I finished separating everything in your categories!!!!!! Like in no time! I printed out your labels and grabbed five bins I had I just took one bag at a time while this video was playing. No mess, no drama! YOUR ARE A GENIUS 😊 I cannot thank you enough. How do I buy you a cup of coffee? Seriously, thank you so much. What you do matters.
This is excellent. I have already tried the method with 5 categories and for me, it does stop decision fatigue. I was able to sort a box of paper quickly. Now, I have many more boxes of paper to go through. Lol. I wish I new this method when my children were young, it would have made the paper issue more simple for me. Thanks, Cas.
I moved into my current house 4 years ago and I brought paper clutter with me from my old house, my mother’s paper clutter I inherited and my husband’s grandparent’s paper clutter he inherited. I have been utilizing my city’s paper shredding program they have 4x a year. So far I’ve gotten rid of all of my mother‘s paper clutter and almost all of my husband‘s grandparents paper clutter now I just got to work on mine. I haven’t let any new paper cutter come in every time I check the mail. I make sure I shred it right after.
CAS Thanks soooo much . I’ve Just totally Decluttered my Office / Art Room one handed as my right arm is disabled permanently due to a Work place Bullied injury at no fault of my own & I suffer PTSD Also , so I chose this Journey as a Decluttering my Demons as I Declutter my/ our Home Sanctuary for me & my Husband ,with his help when he is home in the evenings , he does for us what I can no longer manage & he is totally on board , in this venture . also as he is my Carer . 👌✨🙂👍🙏today I am Super proud of our efforts . We Started on our Bedroom and over the last 2 weeks we’ve done the 15 minute Blocks of Decluttering. Rest my arms have a cuppa then I/ we get right back into where we left off . . Lefaving my Office/art room till the very last Room to tackle 🎉 . And today I finally walked out feeling very accomplished 🎉 . Wow I feel very accomplished & our home feels oh so much lighter .
I was skeptical at first because I need way more help than the "Sunday basket". You addressed some of my concerns with your "inspiration: basket" or the recipe basket and recognized those of us who seem to love paper 😊 I also like the way you acknowledged how some of us are afraid to throw out old financial statements. Realistically, it will take more than 1 day to sort my decades worth of " Doom" boxes. One problem many of us have is sorting through our "To Do List". 90% is trash, but there might be an important piece of information on it, like a phone number or the name and phone number to a service person. I now put those phone numbers in a special notebook, but doing this takes energy and sorting through these piles feels like swimming in quicksand. From my personal experience, doctors don't always have access to each others notes. Trying to get your medical records transfered to another hospital or doctor can be quite stressful too. In the past, my doctor appreciated when I gave her a hardcopy of tests or doctor's notes because she didn't always have that info on her computer.
One thing that helped me was hiring a professional organizer to help me specifically go through my "doom" closet of paper about 5 years ago. It was really the magic of body-doubling, but also the reassurance of having a professional who had her eye on the plan and who could sort without having to think about each piece. It took us about three 4-6 hour work sessions to go through it all, but we went through about 20 years of papers and mail. Plus, she set up a long-term file bin for me that is portable, so I can grab it in an emergency. And she put in empty, labeled folders for several years in the future, which made it really easy for me to keep up with once a year (at tax time). Medical stuff I have digitized and saved to my Google drive so it is always on my phone. I've been in so many situations where being able to pull it up saved me so much time and money; it's been completely worth the minimal amount of time it took to copy it all into one folder.
I get overwhelmed just looking at all the papers that have taken over my house. 😢 After my Dad died I went through my parents paperwork and they had stuff from almost 7 years after they got married… including utility bills and receipts. It was interesting seeing the prices from 1958 in 2002 but I had to make sure there were no important papers and documents in there. There was. 😮 Military Records are something you definitely want to keep permanently. I eventually found out that I had PTSD from something that happened during my military service. The same thing has happened to a number of veterans who I know.
The best video I’ve watched and learned a new system for all the papers in our home. My husband has a ton of his own papers regarding his employment and education and I have 2 different businesses that require me to keep papers for 7 years. Plus all the household paperwork and things have become overwhelmed. I never touch the husband’s paperwork as he only knows what he needs and/or wants to keep. I love learning and this has been an absolutely amazing new system for paper. I will be utilizing this video as a reference over and over until it all sinks in. I’ve never heard paper separated as you mentioned in this video. You just made my life with paper easier. Thank you so much Cas ❤
Thank you for giving this "Bee" permission to not be perfect and to be good enough! Looking forward to finally getting this done! This is going to be a game changer!
A quick update...my 20 year old son and I just worked on my paper for 9 hours! Almost done. I had unopened mail from over 3 years ago. I had gone through an awful divorce and depression, and I guess I stopped opening mail until about 6 months ago. It's been a long day, but it's freeing to get this off my back!
Das ist der beste Rat mit Papierflut fertig zu werden, den ich gefunden habe - und der schnellste. Ganz herzlichen Dank dafür! Und die Tipps, was wohin gehört, sind echt Gold wert. Eine chronologisch geordnete Box hat man sehr schnell durchsucht, während das Durchsuchen des Papierkrams im ganzen Haus ewig dauert. Ich werde die short term boxen nach Jahren geordnet nach Gebrauch einfach wegstellen. Super Tipps und sehr gut erklärt. 😊😊😊👍👍👍
Oh my… How’s this for ADHD… I started the “5 Sort Method” paper declutter a few days ago by printing out the instructions and category labels. Then day before yesterday I located sorting bins for each category (had to dig thru a closet decluttering project I started but didn’t finish over a year ago to find them) and put them on my dining table (because I eat on my sofa). Yesterday I put labels on bins for each category and brought my first paper pile to the table to be sorted but needed a nap. Today I started going through the pile but got off track trying to decide where I was going to put them AFTER sorting (BIG MISTAKE!) This led to pulling out different kinds of accordion files, then a sturdy file box, then some lovely empty decorative flat boxes with lids. This led to pulling out blank printable file labels. This led to trying to decide what to print on the labels. THEN I remembered you said to first JUST SORT PAPERS INTO 5 PILES! LOL!! Welcome to my world🙄
This feels like a miraculous idea to me! I have had a lifelong problem with paper clutter which makes me soooo stressed, disorganized and ashamed to have anyone come to my home. I just haven’t been able to find a way to manage it easily so I don’t. Listening to you felt like someone had lifted a massive weight off me! This concept seems so doable for me. A million thank yous for your suggestions and explaining it such an easy-to-follow way!!!
OMG!!!! This is AMAZING!!!! THANK YOU for coming up with a system that we can try to implement. Everyone, I’ve talked to has a paper problem. No one ever, EVER has been able to say they have a good system. My husband and I will be watching this on our next day off together & implementing this. Thank you so very much!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤
What am I doing this weekend? I am getting my husband to watch this video!! Thanks Clutterbug!!! Lucky for me it's a long weekend here so he'll have loads of time to do the steps!! Best weekend ever!! WOOHOO
@@jackieo8693 it took him 40 minutes to do one drawer in the filing cabinet (all kinds of mixed papers) The oldest thing...a receipt from 1981!!! I'm so proud of him. He liked the clutterbug categories.
This was so timely. I was cleaning my room & there sitting in the corner is a box FULL of different papers. I was like ‘I don’t even know how to begin to sort & get rid of stuff.’ Thanks so much!!
I have binders for manuals and I always staple the receipt to the manual/warranty’s so I don’t have to hunt for the receipt if there ends up being an issue. 👍
I find that a binder with *snap close* sleeves works awesome for my Action items. I put current bills in one sleeve, upcoming bills in another sleeve, a sleeve for tax items, a sleeve for items that are in progress or waiting for a reply, and a sleeve for our checkbook. This is very user friendly for my family so when a bill comes in they know right where to put it and it doesn’t get lost in any other mail. 😊
Okay, taking a deep breath and trusting you on this! I am forever piling and hiding from my papers. Every other system I've tried or looked into has been way overcomplicated (I'm single with no kids). Hoping this is the one that will finally work! Thank you for your clarity Cass!
@@danderson4613 Last night, I took the first step, which was just gathering ALL my loose/piled papers into a laundry basket, opening all the unopened mail, and throwing away any trash/shredding. Having the trashcan and the shredder next to me as I worked was key! It took about an hour (I was also clearing off a table that had a lot of non-paper piles, so just the paper probably took half an hour). I set aside the clear reference stuff (appliance manuals, which I actually do use), and so 80% of what is in the basket will be "action" things. It made a much smaller pile than I feared, a lot were duplicates, and I feel like I can absolutely tackle step two when I have another pocket of time at the end of this week. Gathering it all and just focusing on trash/shredding was *super* helpful for my brain. Most of my "action" items are medical bills that require multiple steps to actually address, so they're scary and I get overwhelmed quickly. But going through just opening envelopes and clearing out the trash was an easy step and it showed that I really only have a handful of bills I need to address, not the mountain I thought. That being said, I live a pretty simple life, so I don't have much stuff in the other categories. I also hired a professional to help me sort through a doom closet about 5 years ago, and she set up a long-term paper file for me, so those pieces aren't as daunting as they might be for someone starting from scratch. And don't forget that "reference" is a category you can go back through and detail sort once you've got the rest handled. Once it is its own pile, it sorts itself easily, in my experience (and a lot of it turns out to just be trash!). Oh, and I'm a bee, if that helps! =)
Ive been trying to go through my papers but get overwhelmed and then quit. Now that I've seen your method it makes sense and I'm gonna get on it. Thank you for this inspiration I really needed.
I have not felt well and have been sick most of the day but that is not the real problem l have fibre myalgia and other health issues but l have not been able to have my eight tablets most for pain relief so this is not to good but l thought what can l do to help my self l thought l will listen to my friend cas she as the most lovely voice thank you for being you and helping me to day. I do need to do my paperwork but l am just listening to day but will follow advice another day sending my love ❤😊
When i learned I could use a shoe box for papers instead of a filing cabinet (I’m a lady bug) my paper world changed!! I finally got organized!! And it works!
When my last parent passed, I filled an ENTIRE 30 yard dumpster with paper they had saved since they married in 1950. (And I had to find all the important documents first.) I will NOT do this to my kids.
I’m so sorry you went through not only the grief of losing your parents, but the stress of having to go through all of those years of papers. It will be the same for me. I keep offering them my help to do it all together while they still can, and they are almost 80, but they tell me I’m being negative and that nothing is going to happen to them. Not good 😔
You could be me 'adz' I said exactly the same thing and from the same time frame. I still have 15 boxes to go through. It has been so overwhelming over the last year. I won't give up, minimised my life as well as cleared out the parents thing. There is comfort in knowing some has completed it. Bless you.
Judith from Australia here. Just started listening to this post and I am hooked before the nine minute mark! You had me at the “ you don’t have to look at it one day a years”… (clearly referring to the short term pile!). Already downloaded the info doc you so kindly prepared for us! Will get back to you with before and after pics when I’m finished sorting my nightmare office! Thankyou… Thankyou … Thankyou….
Thanks for this! I listened while decluttering my kitchen, and it's given me motivation to tackle all the boxes of paperwork lurking in my home office closet.
Thank you for taking the time to do this! This is going to significantly improve my and my husbands life. We are both neurodivergent and paper makes our brains static mush 😂 I gathered an entire tote of all the paper around the house and get to do this weekend!
You listed the 5 categories and it was like a light bulb had been switched on - in my head I was like "of course!". I didn't even need the explanations for the categories, just the titles. Love it!
Paper is our #1 clutter issue. We tackled the literal mountain of papers about 2 months ago and it took so many hours we’ll never get back. Honestly, the amount of receipts we thought we needed to keep…for 8 years(???) was appalling. I’ve been hoping to find a manageable system like this, so thank you Cass!!!!
Well my papers looked pretty and organised ha … i now have several bags of shredded papers and wayyy less paper. Less systems and less complications. I need to finish it but the decluttering feels so good! Thanks Cas!
I started watching this video a few months ago and I’m finally here now to watch the rest of it. I just downloaded and printed your free ebook and feel that the categories, along with the detailed explanations, are going to provide me with the tools that I need to power through my many piles of paper clutter. Thank you!❤
I wanted to thank you. I just took another class on paper organizing. It seemed good up front but I struggled with some concepts as time went on. Your “system” clicked right away and made more sense and works better for my brain. Thank you thank you!!!
I don't know how many times I am going to have to watch this, but this is the 2nd time and I'm sure there will be more before it all sinks in. Thanks for all you do and this amazing organization system--I am determined to make it work!
I watched this twice, it was SO helpful. Please make videos of you sorting through your papers regularly! I want to see all kinds of papers. I think the more I see it sorted, the easier it is. The reference stack is my weakness though. I put everything in reference and then get overwhelmed having to go through it all, and when I do, I put it right back in reference because I still think I might want to reference it. 😂 help!
thanks so much Cas! You always deliver! I love your videos you are straight to the point & keep it simple, I love it & I am soo pumped to go do this now. The sad & kinda funny thing is that every time I would have guests come over I would take a box & clear the major paper piled counter & fill the box ...unfortunatley I have about 10 to 20 of those boxes throughout the house! But I am excited to go through them now & get rid of excess junk too!
YAY! I could be the poster child for those who NEEDED the amount of detail in this video, so THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I’ve made several attempts at tackling my paper mountain but always became overwhelmed and couldn’t stick with it. I tried several different systems but I couldn’t stay focused long enough to make any of them work. They all seemed to zap my energy. Your “5 sort” system sounds doable to me and I’m hopeful I will be able to stick with it without becoming confused, “stuck”, and needing a nap! The sooner I get out from under this heavy load the sooner I can move on with my life. 🙏😮
I’m feeling so good about myself! I’ve watched many of your paper sorting videos and in one (I think it was you) you mentioned that it sometimes helps to have another person in the room with you, a “body double” when you’re trying to sort and figure out what’s what. SO TRUE!! I had someone come today and she helped me SO MUCH. There were several times I know I would have just been overwhelmed & shut down had she not been there to support and urge me on with her gentle suggestions. PLUS she suggested we use the last 20 mins to clean up & put it out of sight so I wouldn’t have to look at it until our next work day (later this week). Thank you so much!
I have 2 sets of wall pocket files for my short term - 1 for business and one for personal. And in my personal, I have a section for upcoming events - tickets to an event, reservations for camping, the paperwork you need to take for whatever (medical, travel, etc). When I’m getting ready to go out to an event, I know exactly where those things are. If they are in digital format, I have an Upcoming Events file on my phone. This sub-category has been a life saver for me.
Your systems are helping me so much! It used to take me several weekends to accomplish what I did yesterday. And not all of yesterday I had time left over to make dinner then Scout out some storage shelves. Today I dropped off my donations, picked up some boxes and started in my closets, my next stop is my desk and files. When I saw this video I decided to watch it while cleaning the closet, I'm ready to tackle desk.
Cas, I can't thank you enough for this simple system!! I finally made real headway in my paper clutter! Watched the video yesterday and got to work today! 🙌 I have more work to do but I can't tell you the relief I feel to just have started this. It definitely helps lessen the overwhelm.
Extremely helpful video! I suffer from paper piles everywhere because I don’t know what to do with it. This is going to make things so much easier. Than you, Cassie!!!
About 20 years ago I put an empty file folder in a drawer labeled with the current year and put anything worth saving in there. It takes about 5 minutes to pull out items for the taxes. Then a take a minute to cull through the rest. One file for the year! It has worked for me for 20 years💥
Oh I needed this! I was spinning my wheels trying to figure out how I was gonna start on my paper mess - it Was actually causing me to stop Decluttering--I felt like I hit a brick wall... So thank you!
This was so good. Omg! I organized two spots that was stressing me out in less than 30mins. Thank you so much! Going ti go through more of your videos.
Thank you, Cas! I was hesitant to start because I thought it would be too hard or wouldn't work for me, BUT I was able to clear out 3 huge office boxes and 20 yrs of paper in ONE DAY!!! There is so much weight lifted from my shoulders. You are amazing!! Thank you so much ❤
One thing I am good at is tackling the paper mail as the postman delivers it. I open everything, chuck away all the stuff I don't need, throw away all the envelopes and only keep the letters I need but then I am not so good at categorising it then but I am getting better.
Thanks, Cas! Your organization styles (I’m a Cricket-Bee) have changed my life-though I’m still fighting hard against the need for my organizing to be perfect. Learning the differences has helped me understand my parents’ needs as well (Mom is my opposite-Ladybug). Started your suggestion (I think you called it a Sunday basket) with a shoebox for papers last year. Although I don’t even access it monthly, the morphed paper piles are gone-whoo hoo!!! Just printed pages 5-6 of this Paper Organization 101 for future reference-the entire virtual ebook is saved on my device. On page 5, which describes the categories, I added “maintain weekly, monthly, etc.” to the appropriate blue bar category line. That way I didn’t lose the maintenance information from page 3. This is significant to paper hoarding me, because I’m only adding one sheet of paper to my home.
Thank you, Cas. The more that you explained this, the more it made sense to me. I think that I have it in my head now, and plan to use this method of keeping track of our papers! You are so appreciated for your caring for others!
On the cat... my husband said that if the litter box is covered they will not use it until they are comfortable, which can be weeks. We never start with the lid on and our cats have taken to them immediately. Also, grab his paw and pull it in the litter like they would outside. My kids were surprised at how quickly our stray took to using the litterbox.
Thank you thank you thank you so much…I’m autistic and paper clutter has been freezing me up for years because I couldn’t find the right categories to put everything in, this method finally gave me peace and I did it in just a week! God bless you 💕
Thanks Cas, I needed this so much right now as I shifted the papers around each corner of my living room each week. Now I have made a start. These categories are life savers
Paper clutter is the bane of my existence! Thanks so much for this, Cas!
Action
Short Term
Memory
Reference
Long Term
Recycle
Just listening now, but wanted people to know these categories 😊
Thank you
Thank you for doing this.
I am 1099 self employed and save every thing in hopes of claiming it come National Embezzlmnt Acknowledg Day. Too much paper for sure. I hope I can implement this... I just downsized to sm place and have very little storage, one bedrm is piled with boxes.
I'm a cricket and I tried for years to find the ''perfect'' detailed paper management system. Turns out papers stress me out and the less time I spend dealing with it, the better my overall mood is!
I've been maintaining it for 4 years now, it works beautifully! I do action twice a month and it takes less than 15 minutes. Love it!
I share your sentiments, my fellow cricket! I HATTTTTTEEEEEE paper😅
Oooh! I recognized an analogy that clicked for me, and hope it will help someone else:
Long term storage (filing cabinet or whatever) is the freezer. The fridge is short term, and leftovers are action items!
Can you tell I’m heating up leftovers after watching this? 😂😂😂
Thanks for helping us, Cas!
That makes sense!
That's BRILLIANT! Gsh, thank you SO much!!
too cute
Great analogy!
😂 Love it!
This is what I've been working on for the last few days (started on Wednesday)... 6 bankers' boxes FULL... it's Friday and I'm down to 1 1/2!
Amazing!! I bet you feel so much lighter!!
Woohoo! Hope you feel a sense of accomplishment and also less cluttered! 😊
yeah as someone in the us with multiple chronic illnesses, if you live in the US especially if you have chronic illnesses of any kind you should have a medical binder or box with all your medical stuff because you will need to be able to access it easily without having to search through other stuff. this is especially important if you are disabled and/or on disability or are trying to get financial aid of any kind from the government for medical, bill, or food assistance etc. because you might have to keep more paperwork and medical information than most people. it's a bit different in every state but making a medical box and binder was really necessary for me to make my life easier.
Yes! I have thousands of medical & ditectly-related financial & assistance papers... That's what causes my multiple roadblocks to organizing, & I have to think way too hard. It's incredibly frustrating & difficult.
Agreed!❤
Agreed! I just had to pull bloodwork from ten years ago to get approved for a new treatment. Not having this positive result of my disease would have been devestating as my old treatment strips or cleans the blood and I may not test positive now...
OMG CAS!!! . . . THANKS SO MUCH!!! . . . I STRUGGLE with PAPER BIG TIME!!! I watched your 5-sort method about 5 times over the past 4-days!! It was hard a first. I needed to take a nap the first couple times but I stuck with it. I've watched and sorted ALL of my piles of paper!! 🤯 I can't believe I got it all sorted!! Thanks so much!!!
Great job! So glad it helped!!
A great tip for kids’ artwork/stuff they bring home at the daycare/kindergarten stage from my cousin: she strung up a small clothesline in the corner of her daughter’s room (2 cup hooks, string, clothespins) and then EVERY TIME SOMEONE CAME TO THE HOUSE….her daughter got to choose an art piece to give them! So much of it just LEFT THE HOUSE and her daughter felt very proud to share her work. Once it got “full”, my cousin would grab a few things for the memory bin and the rest got recycled.
OK so I watched this a couple days ago and downloaded the free PDF. As well as finally took the Clutterbug quiz. I’m a BEE!!! Then today I used this process and cleared so much stuff, sorted everything. MIND BLOWN. This is the absolute best system I have ever found. I cannot believe how well this worked. Thank you Cas for this phenomenal tool.
Welcome from a fellow Bee!
How do you download & print the free PDF's? I am not haveing any luck.
UGH....I'm one of those that mix important with junk. This gives me hope of sorting through the piles. Thanks, Cas. ♥
Me too
Me too, plus I have a terrible habit of not opening my mail (it's overwhelming!). BUT, this means that I usually find some treasure when I do go through the piles--often it's a check or a gift card! So that is motivating! You can do it!
@@carly2764 Oh my God, I do this too! And I too have found some treasures. 🤭
Your 5 sort system saved me. I was on the way to become my parents in that regard, binders and binders full of paper. It's how I learned it, everything is important and everything goes in binders in categories. It took so much time to upkeep that of course there were piles of paper everywhere. I had no idea how to tackle it and when I stumbled over your 5 sort system it didn't even take me one weekend to get rid of most of it.
I did adjust it a bit over the last year to make it even simpler for my needs, though. I noticed that I often was over-thinking the categories references vs short-term. So I combined those two and now put all of that in one bin, calling it my "time will tell" category (so sprinkled a bit of minimal mom in there 😉 ). I go through it whenever it starts to overflow, which is roughly every 1 to 2 months, takes me 10 minutes. I usually throw away around 80%. Making the decision to get rid of something is so much easier with a bit time passed. The rest I keep in there to decide another day. Occasionally, I notice something sticking around in there, then I will find a permanent home for it - but that really doesn't happen often. Even references often get updated and become unnecessary after a while. Maybe this can also help others who are prone to over-thinking or easily get decision fatigue.
OMG thank you so much for this video. I always told myself I would never be like my mom.
She has collected papers for years old bills from years ago, just clutter. I was getting to that point.
I have tried numerous paper organizations just to be like you said a pile here of this a pile here of that and feeling overwhelmed
your five system organization oh my God, for the first time in over a year I have had a laundry basket full of paperwork from when I went through it 2021
just following your process, I got through it in five days. where for the first time in over a year, I got through all that paperwork.
I am literally sitting here, just crying because you made it so easy.
thank you for all of your videos because they do make a difference.
I have a lot of clutter that just by watching your videos and following some of your processes
I’m slowly but surely getting through it all
It’s a work in progress and I still have a long way to go, but at least I have a starting point thanks to you. Thank you for all you do.
You're so welcome!
I was literally about to sort my paper piles and cleaning off my desk and somehow this video came up on UA-cam. THANK YOU for this system. It makes so much sense and saves me TONS of time m
Cass, thank you so much 🙏 You helped me more in one hour that countless other people in years. You truly have a gift.
We sometimes spend months living in our RV for my husband's surveying job. Because space is so limited, I started scanning (or taking a picture) of receipts, etc. and keeping all of my files in Dropbox. We like it so much better that even when we're home and have more room, we just keep electronic records only. I do pay most bills online and you can definitely get your receipts electronically that way.
I've rarely had to go back and look something up to prove I payed it, (but it is an added bonus that I can access everything even if I'm not home and won't be for months) but it was really easy to just type in what I was looking for as opposed to digging through actual paper.
Great idea to scan items! I have a free app on my phone that I scan specific items and can email those items if need be. But I never thought of scanning the important documents too! Great idea. Thank you.
Scanning on computer? Or do you use an app? Which app do you use?
@notnow7973 I've seen several app options, but I've never used them . I just save everything to Dropbox. It works for scanned images or pics, and it's easy for me to sort into categories and separate things on company credit cards.
@@notnow7973 I just use Dropbox for storage and set up electronic file folders that match what I was used to doing with paper files. That was easier for me since I didn't have to change my system, but I've seen several apps available.
I miss this during the live but I wanted to share that when I have a receipt for something that I bought and it has a manual, I photocopy the receipt and staple both of them to the manual and then I put that in reference. I used to keep them separate and then they couldn't remember which one I did it in
when I noticed that receipts fade to where you cannot read them anymore, I started writing on them, the purveyor, the amount, how I paid for it, whatever details might be important for the future. Then I photocopy that so that even if the actual receipt faded, The exact details would be legible even if the original ink was fading off and hard to read. And yes, staple it to something to link it to a warranty or the ability to return it or whatever. Or put it in the tax file etc.
Several years ago I downsized and had two bins of paper, one from my mother who passed years before. It took a while but got it done. Amazingly, my categories are much like yours. I toss junk mail as soon as I get home. Bills and things that need immediate attention go in my command center spot for when I get paid. I know what receipts I need for government forms, so they have a place to go. I need them once a year. Then I have one file drawer: Warranties have a file, along with certain things that refer to a new appliance. Insurance has a file. Important documents are in the fire safe box. There are a few memory items, I call that my “hero file”. This system has worked so well for me for years. I shred whatever has identifiing information. Pictures etc have a place, eventually I will sort them. Not high on my priority list. Recipes are in a binder in page protectors, occasionally I purge them too…. When I feel like it.
Your system is sound, it has worked for me for years.
😢 you just changed my life! I have five bags of papers, mail, coupons, Christmas cards etc. that I thought would take me sooo much time to go through. It was sitting in our office for months but I didn’t know what to do next. (I actually kinda of separated them in your categories:) great minds think alike) And guess what?! I finished separating everything in your categories!!!!!! Like in no time! I printed out your labels and grabbed five bins I had I just took one bag at a time while this video was playing. No mess, no drama! YOUR ARE A GENIUS 😊 I cannot thank you enough. How do I buy you a cup of coffee? Seriously, thank you so much. What you do matters.
I think this will be life-changing, for me too.
This is excellent. I have already tried the method with 5 categories and for me, it does stop decision fatigue. I was able to sort a box of paper quickly. Now, I have many more boxes of paper to go through. Lol. I wish I new this method when my children were young, it would have made the paper issue more simple for me. Thanks, Cas.
I moved into my current house 4 years ago and I brought paper clutter with me from my old house, my mother’s paper clutter I inherited and my husband’s grandparent’s paper clutter he inherited.
I have been utilizing my city’s paper shredding program they have 4x a year. So far I’ve gotten rid of all of my mother‘s paper clutter and almost all of my husband‘s grandparents paper clutter now I just got to work on mine. I haven’t let any new paper cutter come in every time I check the mail. I make sure I shred it right after.
CAS Thanks soooo much .
I’ve Just totally Decluttered my Office / Art Room one handed as my right arm is disabled permanently due to a Work place Bullied injury at no fault of my own & I suffer PTSD Also , so I chose this Journey as a Decluttering my Demons as I Declutter my/ our Home Sanctuary for me & my Husband ,with his help when he is home in the evenings , he does for us what I can no longer manage & he is totally on board , in this venture .
also as he is my Carer . 👌✨🙂👍🙏today I am Super proud of our efforts . We Started on our Bedroom and over the last 2 weeks we’ve done the 15 minute Blocks of Decluttering. Rest my arms have a cuppa then I/ we get right back into where we left off . . Lefaving my Office/art room till the very last Room to tackle 🎉 . And today I finally walked out feeling very accomplished 🎉 .
Wow I feel very accomplished & our home feels oh so much lighter .
I was skeptical at first because I need way more help than the "Sunday basket". You addressed some of my concerns with your "inspiration: basket" or the recipe basket and recognized those of us who seem to love paper 😊 I also like the way you acknowledged how some of us are afraid to throw out old financial statements.
Realistically, it will take more than 1 day to sort my decades worth of " Doom" boxes. One problem many of us have is sorting through our "To Do List". 90% is trash, but there might be an important piece of information on it, like a phone number or the name and phone number to a service person. I now put those phone numbers in a special notebook, but doing this takes energy and sorting through these piles feels like swimming in quicksand.
From my personal experience, doctors don't always have access to each others notes. Trying to get your medical records transfered to another hospital or doctor can be quite stressful too. In the past, my doctor appreciated when I gave her a hardcopy of tests or doctor's notes because she didn't always have that info on her computer.
One thing that helped me was hiring a professional organizer to help me specifically go through my "doom" closet of paper about 5 years ago. It was really the magic of body-doubling, but also the reassurance of having a professional who had her eye on the plan and who could sort without having to think about each piece. It took us about three 4-6 hour work sessions to go through it all, but we went through about 20 years of papers and mail. Plus, she set up a long-term file bin for me that is portable, so I can grab it in an emergency. And she put in empty, labeled folders for several years in the future, which made it really easy for me to keep up with once a year (at tax time).
Medical stuff I have digitized and saved to my Google drive so it is always on my phone. I've been in so many situations where being able to pull it up saved me so much time and money; it's been completely worth the minimal amount of time it took to copy it all into one folder.
Cas! You are great for the ADHD learner and... love how short and sweet your videos are!
I get overwhelmed just looking at all the papers that have taken over my house. 😢
After my Dad died I went through my parents paperwork and they had stuff from almost 7 years after they got married… including utility bills and receipts. It was interesting seeing the prices from 1958 in 2002 but I had to make sure there were no important papers and documents in there. There was. 😮
Military Records are something you definitely want to keep permanently. I eventually found out that I had PTSD from something that happened during my military service. The same thing has happened to a number of veterans who I know.
I have been listening to this while working. I will have to come back and watch it later. I have it saved in my declutter file on UA-cam
The best video I’ve watched and learned a new system for all the papers in our home. My husband has a ton of his own papers regarding his employment and education and I have 2 different businesses that require me to keep papers for 7 years. Plus all the household paperwork and things have become overwhelmed. I never touch the husband’s paperwork as he only knows what he needs and/or wants to keep. I love learning and this has been an absolutely amazing new system for paper. I will be utilizing this video as a reference over and over until it all sinks in. I’ve never heard paper separated as you mentioned in this video. You just made my life with paper easier. Thank you so much Cas ❤
this is the how to get organized video. I have been searching and waiting for all my life. 😂❤
Thank you for giving this "Bee" permission to not be perfect and to be good enough! Looking forward to finally getting this done! This is going to be a game changer!
A quick update...my 20 year old son and I just worked on my paper for 9 hours! Almost done. I had unopened mail from over 3 years ago. I had gone through an awful divorce and depression, and I guess I stopped opening mail until about 6 months ago. It's been a long day, but it's freeing to get this off my back!
Cas is showing us some tough love today, Folks!
I love it
This was such a game changer for me! You are of my favorite UA-cam channels to watch. Thank you ❤️
Thank you, Cas! I didn't watch this live, but I'm pretending you're in my family room with me telling me what to do.
Das ist der beste Rat mit Papierflut fertig zu werden, den ich gefunden habe - und der schnellste. Ganz herzlichen Dank dafür! Und die Tipps, was wohin gehört, sind echt Gold wert. Eine chronologisch geordnete Box hat man sehr schnell durchsucht, während das Durchsuchen des Papierkrams im ganzen Haus ewig dauert. Ich werde die short term boxen nach Jahren geordnet nach Gebrauch einfach wegstellen. Super Tipps und sehr gut erklärt. 😊😊😊👍👍👍
Your voice is so comforting!
Oh my… How’s this for ADHD… I started the “5 Sort Method” paper declutter a few days ago by printing out the instructions and category labels. Then day before yesterday I located sorting bins for each category (had to dig thru a closet decluttering project I started but didn’t finish over a year ago to find them) and put them on my dining table (because I eat on my sofa). Yesterday I put labels on bins for each category and brought my first paper pile to the table to be sorted but needed a nap. Today I started going through the pile but got off track trying to decide where I was going to put them AFTER sorting (BIG MISTAKE!) This led to pulling out different kinds of accordion files, then a sturdy file box, then some lovely empty decorative flat boxes with lids. This led to pulling out blank printable file labels. This led to trying to decide what to print on the labels. THEN I remembered you said to first JUST SORT PAPERS INTO 5 PILES! LOL!! Welcome to my world🙄
I can relate
This feels like a miraculous idea to me! I have had a lifelong problem with paper clutter which makes me soooo stressed, disorganized and ashamed to have anyone come to my home. I just haven’t been able to find a way to manage it easily so I don’t. Listening to you felt like someone had lifted a massive weight off me! This concept seems so doable for me. A million thank yous for your suggestions and explaining it such an easy-to-follow way!!!
You can do it!
I’m optimistic
OMG!!!! This is AMAZING!!!! THANK YOU for coming up with a system that we can try to implement. Everyone, I’ve talked to has a paper problem. No one ever, EVER has been able to say they have a good system.
My husband and I will be watching this on our next day off together & implementing this. Thank you so very much!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤
What am I doing this weekend? I am getting my husband to watch this video!! Thanks Clutterbug!!! Lucky for me it's a long weekend here so he'll have loads of time to do the steps!! Best weekend ever!! WOOHOO
Same!!
I'm super impressed that you can get your husband to watch a video! What's your secret lol
@@jackieo8693 it took him 40 minutes to do one drawer in the filing cabinet (all kinds of mixed papers) The oldest thing...a receipt from 1981!!! I'm so proud of him. He liked the clutterbug categories.
I keep rewatching this as I purge boxes from my move! Just so great for reminder!
This was so timely. I was cleaning my room & there sitting in the corner is a box FULL of different papers. I was like ‘I don’t even know how to begin to sort & get rid of stuff.’ Thanks so much!!
She chastised right when my OCD was about to kick in! Thank you for helping me while keeping the content fresh and enjoyable!!!❤❤❤
I have binders for manuals and I always staple the receipt to the manual/warranty’s so I don’t have to hunt for the receipt if there ends up being an issue. 👍
I find that a binder with *snap close* sleeves works awesome for my Action items. I put current bills in one sleeve, upcoming bills in another sleeve, a sleeve for tax items, a sleeve for items that are in progress or waiting for a reply, and a sleeve for our checkbook. This is very user friendly for my family so when a bill comes in they know right where to put it and it doesn’t get lost in any other mail. 😊
Okay, taking a deep breath and trusting you on this! I am forever piling and hiding from my papers. Every other system I've tried or looked into has been way overcomplicated (I'm single with no kids). Hoping this is the one that will finally work! Thank you for your clarity Cass!
Have you tried it yet?! I’m nervous as i feel i need more than 5 categories!!! Please 🙏🏻 update how it was for you doing this if you can. Thanks!
@@danderson4613 Last night, I took the first step, which was just gathering ALL my loose/piled papers into a laundry basket, opening all the unopened mail, and throwing away any trash/shredding. Having the trashcan and the shredder next to me as I worked was key! It took about an hour (I was also clearing off a table that had a lot of non-paper piles, so just the paper probably took half an hour). I set aside the clear reference stuff (appliance manuals, which I actually do use), and so 80% of what is in the basket will be "action" things. It made a much smaller pile than I feared, a lot were duplicates, and I feel like I can absolutely tackle step two when I have another pocket of time at the end of this week.
Gathering it all and just focusing on trash/shredding was *super* helpful for my brain. Most of my "action" items are medical bills that require multiple steps to actually address, so they're scary and I get overwhelmed quickly. But going through just opening envelopes and clearing out the trash was an easy step and it showed that I really only have a handful of bills I need to address, not the mountain I thought.
That being said, I live a pretty simple life, so I don't have much stuff in the other categories. I also hired a professional to help me sort through a doom closet about 5 years ago, and she set up a long-term paper file for me, so those pieces aren't as daunting as they might be for someone starting from scratch.
And don't forget that "reference" is a category you can go back through and detail sort once you've got the rest handled. Once it is its own pile, it sorts itself easily, in my experience (and a lot of it turns out to just be trash!).
Oh, and I'm a bee, if that helps! =)
Ive been trying to go through my papers but get overwhelmed and then quit. Now that I've seen your method it makes sense and I'm gonna get on it. Thank you for this inspiration I really needed.
I have not felt well and have been sick most of the day but that is not the real problem l have fibre myalgia and other health issues but l have not been able to have my eight tablets most for pain relief so this is not to good but l thought what can l do to help my self l thought l will listen to my friend cas she as the most lovely voice thank you for being you and helping me to day. I do need to do my paperwork but l am just listening to day but will follow advice another day sending my love ❤😊
When i learned I could use a shoe box for papers instead of a filing cabinet (I’m a lady bug) my paper world changed!! I finally got organized!! And it works!
When my last parent passed, I filled an ENTIRE 30 yard dumpster with paper they had saved since they married in 1950. (And I had to find all the important documents first.) I will NOT do this to my kids.
You were not alone. I dealt with the same issue when my parents passed away
I’m so sorry you went through not only the grief of losing your parents, but the stress of having to go through all of those years of papers. It will be the same for me. I keep offering them my help to do it all together while they still can, and they are almost 80, but they tell me I’m being negative and that nothing is going to happen to them. Not good 😔
You could be me 'adz' I said exactly the same thing and from the same time frame. I still have 15 boxes to go through. It has been so overwhelming over the last year. I won't give up, minimised my life as well as cleared out the parents thing. There is comfort in knowing some has completed it. Bless you.
Preach it! ❤
Yes! Going through it once (I'm on year 3) makes the misery really clear. Im culling down to the basics for my poor child. Will not do it to her.
I live in the country. I started a fire. I burned all my shit . It felt good 😅😅
Judith from Australia here. Just started listening to this post and I am hooked before the nine minute mark! You had me at the “ you don’t have to look at it one day a years”… (clearly referring to the short term pile!).
Already downloaded the info doc you so kindly prepared for us!
Will get back to you with before and after pics when I’m finished sorting my nightmare office! Thankyou… Thankyou … Thankyou….
Thanks for this! I listened while decluttering my kitchen, and it's given me motivation to tackle all the boxes of paperwork lurking in my home office closet.
If anyone is wondering if this works … IT DOES!! Been following Cas’ paper system for 3 years. Amazing!
Thank you for taking the time to do this! This is going to significantly improve my and my husbands life. We are both neurodivergent and paper makes our brains static mush 😂 I gathered an entire tote of all the paper around the house and get to do this weekend!
You listed the 5 categories and it was like a light bulb had been switched on - in my head I was like "of course!". I didn't even need the explanations for the categories, just the titles. Love it!
Me too!!!!😊
Paper is our #1 clutter issue. We tackled the literal mountain of papers about 2 months ago and it took so many hours we’ll never get back. Honestly, the amount of receipts we thought we needed to keep…for 8 years(???) was appalling. I’ve been hoping to find a manageable system like this, so thank you Cass!!!!
You are such a gem! Paper is by far the toughest to declutter. Thanks for simplifying.
Well my papers looked pretty and organised ha … i now have several bags of shredded papers and wayyy less paper. Less systems and less complications. I need to finish it but the decluttering feels so good! Thanks Cas!
I think the name you have given to your cat 'Mr Bojangles' is SO CUTE!
Finally! This is the video that finally got me organized! Thank you thank you!🙏 🙏 everything just made sense!
I started watching this video a few months ago and I’m finally here now to watch the rest of it. I just downloaded and printed your free ebook and feel that the categories, along with the detailed explanations, are going to provide me with the tools that I need to power through my many piles of paper clutter. Thank you!❤
I wanted to thank you. I just took another class on paper organizing. It seemed good up front but I struggled with some concepts as time went on. Your “system” clicked right away and made more sense and works better for my brain. Thank you thank you!!!
I don't know how many times I am going to have to watch this, but this is the 2nd time and I'm sure there will be more before it all sinks in. Thanks for all you do and this amazing organization system--I am determined to make it work!
Thank you sooooooo much for this. I have literally been searching for paper organizing videos for the past two weeks. You saved me. Thanks again.🦋💎🦋
You are so welcome!
I watched this twice, it was SO helpful. Please make videos of you sorting through your papers regularly! I want to see all kinds of papers. I think the more I see it sorted, the easier it is. The reference stack is my weakness though. I put everything in reference and then get overwhelmed having to go through it all, and when I do, I put it right back in reference because I still think I might want to reference it. 😂 help!
❤ Thank You for sharing all your knowledge in simple & fun way 💐
This is a god send. I will be implementing this ASAP. I am drowning in paper. Thanks Cas.
"Filing by Piling" i love that!!!!
thanks so much Cas! You always deliver! I love your videos you are straight to the point & keep it simple, I love it & I am soo pumped to go do this now.
The sad & kinda funny thing is that every time I would have guests come over I would take a box & clear the major paper piled counter & fill the box ...unfortunatley I have about 10 to 20 of those boxes throughout the house! But I am excited to go through them now & get rid of excess junk too!
YAY! I could be the poster child for those who NEEDED the amount of detail in this video, so THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I’ve made several attempts at tackling my paper mountain but always became overwhelmed and couldn’t stick with it. I tried several different systems but I couldn’t stay focused long enough to make any of them work. They all seemed to zap my energy.
Your “5 sort” system sounds doable to me and I’m hopeful I will be able to stick with it without becoming confused, “stuck”, and needing a nap! The sooner I get out from under this heavy load the sooner I can move on with my life. 🙏😮
Wow! The concept of not mixing reference with other categories was my aha moment! What a great and practical video- thank you!!!!❤
I’m feeling so good about myself! I’ve watched many of your paper sorting videos and in one (I think it was you) you mentioned that it sometimes helps to have another person in the room with you, a “body double” when you’re trying to sort and figure out what’s what. SO TRUE!! I had someone come today and she helped me SO MUCH. There were several times I know I would have just been overwhelmed & shut down had she not been there to support and urge me on with her gentle suggestions. PLUS she suggested we use the last 20 mins to clean up & put it out of sight so I wouldn’t have to look at it until our next work day (later this week). Thank you so much!
Cheap(er) option for pretty boxes than container store versions... Get a case of file boxes, then paint them a pretty color, and slap a label on them.
I have 2 sets of wall pocket files for my short term - 1 for business and one for personal. And in my personal, I have a section for upcoming events - tickets to an event, reservations for camping, the paperwork you need to take for whatever (medical, travel, etc). When I’m getting ready to go out to an event, I know exactly where those things are. If they are in digital format, I have an Upcoming Events file on my phone. This sub-category has been a life saver for me.
Ok, I am watching this again. This is very good and, quite frankly, inspiring!! Thank you 😊
This is where I need so much help!!!! Thanks Cass!
Your systems are helping me so much! It used to take me several weekends to accomplish what I did yesterday. And not all of yesterday I had time left over to make dinner then Scout out some storage shelves. Today I dropped off my donations, picked up some boxes and started in my closets, my next stop is my desk and files. When I saw this video I decided to watch it while cleaning the closet, I'm ready to tackle desk.
10 minutes in and I'm sold on this method. 5 boxes for sorting...yes
Cas, I can't thank you enough for this simple system!! I finally made real headway in my paper clutter! Watched the video yesterday and got to work today! 🙌 I have more work to do but I can't tell you the relief I feel to just have started this. It definitely helps lessen the overwhelm.
Fantastic! I’m so happy for you!
I struggle in this area 😢
Thanks for your help!
Happy to help!
Great! My husband will be glad I now have a system for paper. Just listening to this session lets me know I have lots to trash/shred! 😂😂😂😂❤
Extremely helpful video! I suffer from paper piles everywhere because I don’t know what to do with it. This is going to make things so much easier. Than you, Cassie!!!
About 20 years ago I put an empty file folder in a drawer labeled with the current year and put anything worth saving in there. It takes about 5 minutes to pull out items for the taxes. Then a take a minute to cull through the rest. One file for the year! It has worked for me for 20 years💥
Oh I needed this! I was spinning my wheels trying to figure out how I was gonna start on my paper mess - it Was actually causing me to stop Decluttering--I felt like I hit a brick wall... So thank you!
Same here
THANK YOu. Just cleared the dining table of one years junk. ❤Much more to go but I now have a system.
Thank you for this video😊❤ I was lost sitting with multiple papers and bills stacked on my desk! Yikes
God bless you for answering my need today. 👍😁
This was so good. Omg! I organized two spots that was stressing me out in less than 30mins. Thank you so much! Going ti go through more of your videos.
Could you please do a video on creating a household binder? That would be amazing.
I've done a few of those! Here's the most recent: ua-cam.com/video/hMOl6DQ3Fok/v-deo.html
@@Clutterbug thank you so very much.
Thanks for this free download! It’s a really great resource for starting a new and better filing system🎉❤
After watching this, I set a goal to go through at least 100 pages a day and delete 50 emails. You are my inspiration.
Thank you, Cas! I was hesitant to start because I thought it would be too hard or wouldn't work for me, BUT I was able to clear out 3 huge office boxes and 20 yrs of paper in ONE DAY!!! There is so much weight lifted from my shoulders. You are amazing!! Thank you so much ❤
One thing I am good at is tackling the paper mail as the postman delivers it. I open everything, chuck away all the stuff I don't need, throw away all the envelopes and only keep the letters I need but then I am not so good at categorising it then but I am getting better.
This is awesome! I’ve been sorting along with this video and I’ve already gone through half of three years of paper!
Thank you so much Cass for your wonderful video and the e-book. Much appreciated. xxxx
Cas, this is SOLID GOLD! Thank you so much (from one of the ones who prints EVERYTHING) This is brilliant! (printing the eBook now)😂
This is genius! So helpful! I have too much paper to go through and this is so easy, so I’m starting tomorrow and I’m excited! Thank you, Cas!
Thanks, Cas!
Your organization styles (I’m a Cricket-Bee) have changed my life-though I’m still fighting hard against the need for my organizing to be perfect. Learning the differences has helped me understand my parents’ needs as well (Mom is my opposite-Ladybug).
Started your suggestion (I think you called it a Sunday basket) with a shoebox for papers last year. Although I don’t even access it monthly, the morphed paper piles are gone-whoo hoo!!!
Just printed pages 5-6 of this Paper Organization 101 for future reference-the entire virtual ebook is saved on my device. On page 5, which describes the categories, I added “maintain weekly, monthly, etc.” to the appropriate blue bar category line. That way I didn’t lose the maintenance information from page 3. This is significant to paper hoarding me, because I’m only adding one sheet of paper to my home.
Thank you so much! This is fabulous. Just what I have needed.
Thank you, Cas. The more that you explained this, the more it made sense to me. I think that I have it in my head now, and plan to use this method of keeping track of our papers! You are so appreciated for your caring for others!
On the cat... my husband said that if the litter box is covered they will not use it until they are comfortable, which can be weeks. We never start with the lid on and our cats have taken to them immediately. Also, grab his paw and pull it in the litter like they would outside. My kids were surprised at how quickly our stray took to using the litterbox.
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you thank you thank you so much…I’m autistic and paper clutter has been freezing me up for years because I couldn’t find the right categories to put everything in, this method finally gave me peace and I did it in just a week! God bless you 💕
You're so welcome!
Thanks Cas, I needed this so much right now as I shifted the papers around each corner of my living room each week. Now I have made a start. These categories are life savers