Decluttering paperwork from your home can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to know what to keep and what to throw away and there’s always that fear you might need something further along the lines and then not be able to find or have to go through the hassle of getting copies. Here are some tips on how to declutter paperwork and figure out what you really need.
How To Declutter Paperwork
Here are some documents you should always keep:
- Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Certificates.
- Car documents like V5 and MOT certificate.
- Documents relating to your mortgage or will.
- Pay slips and letters from HMRC.
- Tax records if you’re self employed.
- Recent bank statements as these are sometimes needed as proof of address.
While it’s important to keep these documents when they are in date, there does come a time when they can be discarded. For bank statements, wage slips and P45s it’s recommended they are kept for a minimum of two years. For items relating to tax, they can be shredded or destroyed two years after the end of tax year they relate to.
General Paperwork Decluttering
General paperwork is the type most likely to end up cluttering up your home. From circulars to insurance documents it can feel like something new is popping through your door every single day.
When going through your paperwork it’s worth asking yourself the following questions:
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Is it in date? There’s no point keeping information relating to a holiday from three years ago or insurance documents from a car you no longer own. Brochures from most companies change several times a year so if it’s older than six months it’s likely prices etc are now out of date.
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Can the information be found online? If you have online banking then most bank, mortgage and savings related information can be found there.
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Is it something I’ve changed my mind about? It can be easy to keep leaflets and other bits of information thinking they are something we’ll get around to doing one day. Often the info could be found online or it’s just not something we’ll end up needing.
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Could I make my own digital copy? You could do this by taking a quick photo on your phone or creating a file on your computer for the information. Less paper clutter but the info is there if you do need it.
Instruction Manuals
While we often use instruction manuals for the set-up of an item, it’s pretty rare we use them again after. Also, the majority are now available online, especially if the item is from a well-known brand.
Do a quick Google of the product name and number – if there’s a digital version online then you can throw away the manual without worrying about what you’ll do should you need it again.
How To Declutter Paperwork
To get started with Decluttering paperwork there are a couple of approaches you can take depending on how much time you have and how badly you want to get the job done.
Some people like to tackle a small amount each day for 5-10 minutes. This is perfect if the thought of the job is overwhelming.
I like to do jobs like this in one big hit. I’ll dump all the paperwork in the kitchen and go through it all until the job is done, no matter how long it takes.
With either approach, you’ll want to sort the paperwork into piles which you can work through once everything is sorted.
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Urgent – This pile is for anything that needs your urgent attention such as bills that need paying.
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Filing – Item that needs to be kept and filed away.
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Recycling – I tend to add envelopes, leaflets and anything that doesn’t have personal information onto this pile.
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Shredding / Burning – For out-of-date paperwork with personal information on.
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Other – You may have the odd thing that needs to be put somewhere else in the home / mailed etc.
1. Keep Files For Your Family
I find the best way to file for the documents we do need to keep is to have a separate file for each member of the family for their documents (like birth certificates) and one general household file for bills.
2. Declutter Paperwork By Going Paperless
One way to stop a build-up of paperwork in the first place is to go paperless and also opt out of marketing materials.
If you have online banking the majority of the information you need can be found in your online statements which you could print at home or request copies of if you need them.
If you’re worried about missing on on special offers, most companies have email lists you can sign up to for the latest deals and new items being released.
3. Disposing of You Decluttered Paperwork Safely
One worry I know a lot of people have when it comes to disposing of old paperwork is making sure it’s done safely to ensure that no-one can steal their personal details. Shredding is one way to make sure documents are well disposed of. You could also burn them if you have a log burner or outdoor chimnea.
If you want to keep on top of things, you should declutter paperwork every three to six months, as well as make sure documents are filed or dealt with appropriately as soon they drop through your letterbox.
