The 3 Costs of Paper Clutter
It is so easy to accumulate…
stuff.
It’s deceiving how much enters our homes especially the hidden costs of paper clutter.
Thin pieces of paper stacked day after day becomes a significant pile by the end of the week. What seemed to be an innocent few sheets of paper soon takes shape as a massive to do list.
That’s the thing about paper. It’s deceptive. When stacked it looks very slim and manageable. But one on top of the other signifies some action or some decision that needs to be made;
keep or
discard or
take further action?
The pile ends up being a lot of work.
You’ve been there before. I’ve been there too. You may be dealing with it now.
Our paper clutter weighs on us, but in more ways than you may think.
There is an emotional weight that paper clutter puts on our shoulders.
Looking at stacks of papers feels like doom and gloom because each piece of paper represents unfinished business.
Beyond the emotional and physical toll paper puts on us, ultimately there is a cost to keeping paper clutter.
Costs of Paper Clutter: Paper Clutter Results in Late Fees
Finally, after weeks and months you muster up the courage and will to get through that stack of papers.
As you tackle the pile, with each piece of unopened mail you realize that your bills are past due. Even worse, you incurred late fees due to non-payment.
This is an example of a direct cost of clutter. When we wait to address our papers, we are more likely than not to receive late fees.
This feels like throwing money down the drain and it doesn’t feel good.
Many documents are time sensitive so opening and processing our mail, timely, has a financial impact on our lives.
An even bigger consequence than a late fee, is going without important resources. By not paying your water, gas, or electric bill on time, you not only incur a late fee, but you risk losing service altogether which is far more devastating.
Costs of Paper Clutter: Paper Clutter Results in Missed Opportunities
When we think about the opportunity cost of keeping paper clutter, it’s important to consider what you lose in the process.
The cost of a missed opportunity is high because it feels like regret.
For example, if we had taken care of our papers, we might have known about a certain special event that was going to happen sometime in the future.
By not staying on top of our paper clutter, we can miss the opportunity to attend the event. Losing our chance at an opportunity gets us down and we wonder about the what-if scenarios.
Alternately, by waiting to process our paper clutter, you may also miss out on early payment deadlines. Adding these costs up can amount to a large sum. That’s like leaving money on the table.
Costs of Paper Clutter: Paper Clutter Results in Expired Coupons
Expired coupons are also a missed opportunity, but this one really matters if you’re low on cash or couldn’t otherwise experience something unless it was at a discount.
This is how I feel about Chuck E Cheese’s. I know this sounds random, but hear me out.
Growing up, the only way that my family could afford to go to this place, was with a coupon.
In the Sunday paper my sister and I would carefully cut out the coupons for a family meal deal.
It came with a large pizza, 4 drinks, 1 trip to the salad bar and an order of breadsticks. Without a coupon it would be financially difficult for my family to go.
My sister and I pinned the coupons to our fridge so that on the chance my parents allowed us to go, we could go at a discount.
If we hadn’t pinned the coupons and kept it front and center, we simply could not afford to go.
Our paper clutter has a cost and it’s important to acknowledge this, no different than the other clutter in our homes.
Guidelines to Paper Clutter Maintenance
I can’t talk about the cost of paper clutter without sharing my tips on addressing the paper.
Paper Organization Guideline #1
Try to address the paper almost immediately after coming in contact with it.
If you’re at a store, and you’re purchasing something that you really don’t need a receipt for, choose to forgo the receipt.
You don’t need that additional paper and it’s likely to become clutter in your handbag or wallet. Applying this rule stops the paper clutter before it comes into your home.
Paper Organization Guideline #2:
For other paper items such as the mail, create a daily routine around addressing the papers. This could be a ritual of sorts, where you go through the mail every evening after dinner.
Paper Organization Guideline #3:
Marketing materials mailed to you that don’t interest you can be halted. Reach out to the sender to take you off their mailing list.
It might take a bit of extra time and energy to get off the marketing list, but at least you are saving yourself from handling future papers in the mail.
Paper Organization Guideline #4:
Rather than keeping papers that contain information you need physically in your home, consider taking a picture of the important information. Then set a reminder to handle the item or take any further action that is needed.
Or better yet, handle the paper item right then and there, making any necessary decisions in that moment.
Paper Organization Guideline #5:
Try to digitize reoccurring bills and papers. Instead of getting a paper copy mailed to your home, receive it electronically through your email or have the amounts directly drafted from your bank account or credit card.
You’ll thank yourself for taking a few steps on the front end to minimize the paper clutter on the back end.
Paper Organization Guideline #6:
For all papers that you absolutely need to keep, consider storing them upright rather than stacked in piles. Remember, piles are deceptive and many things get lost in those piles.
I have yet to find a client that loves paper clutter, but with a system and actionable steps, paper clutter can be manageable.
If paper clutter has already overrun your home, take it easy and step by step. The clutter did not materialize overnight so the honest truth is that it won’t disappear overnight either. Chip away at it to get the reset you desire.
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Check out this video about the costs of paper clutter and how the sneaky sheets of paper affect our bottom lines as missed opportunities and often feels like we are leaving money on the table.
Southern California based Professional Organizer, Sandy Park, owner and founder of Tidy with SPARK shares her joy of organization with her clients.
She serves clients in Orange County as well as the hundreds of thousands of followers on her combined social media platforms. Connect with Sandy through her website or by connecting through her social channels.