Paper accumulates so quickly. Think about how many pieces of paper you encounter on a daily basis–the flyer from the local coffee shop or your child’s school, receipts from the day, the shopping list and the day’s mail.
This is the stuff that clutters our lives and our minds. Create a place for personal and business papers, keeping what you use most readily available. For example, bills up front and tax files in the back or the bottom drawer. Keep your debit and credit card receipts until your statements come; reconcile the transactions, shred the receipts and file the statements. Set a regular time for archiving and purging your files. Usually once a year works pretty well. Determine how long you will keep particular things and remember that some things you have to keep for a specified number of years depending upon what they are. Check with your accountant for guidelines.