Simple Mail Management

It can be done!
A very simple mail management plan can reduce your stress greatly and will stop the mail mountain.
A few daily steps will do wonders for your kitchen office organization and all but erase mail clutter.

No matter how hard we try to go paper-less; we still receive excess mail via the post in the form of coupons, ads and fliers, magazines, and of course, bills and important documents.

Many of you pay your credit card bills online, which is a great convenience.
Some may pay utility bills online too -- kudos to you!
For this, I recommend marking your calendar (in your kitchen office area) with the due dates or pay several at the same time, but before each due date :)
Remember, to check the calendar, so you don't forget to pay them online.

Let's get started with simple mail management:

1. As soon as you get the mail from your box; deal with it right away.
It really will only take a few minutes :)
It may not be a great idea to grab the mail when you leave the house or while in the car. Things can tend to scatter and get lost in the black hole of the car -- that annoying car phantom likes to walk off with the mail too!

2. Throw all the trash ads and drivel. Just chuck 'em!

3. Sort through what's left:

Paper bills -- put the due dates on your kitchen calendar and outside the envelope.
**Store the bills in a cute basket or small bin somewhere obvious to remind you.
**About a week before their due date; pay them.
**You may want to mark the pay date as well as the due date on the envelope and your calendar.

Coupons you saved -- Ask yourself, "Will I use this?" "Will I go to this store and use this coupon?"

If the answer is no; you know what to do with it -- Chuck it!

If the answer is yes; put it in your purse or wallet for grocery shopping or easy access when visiting that store.
You may want to use a zippered pouch or file for your coupons. If it will be used for the house, like carpet cleaning or chimney cleaning; post it on your kitchen bulletin board as a reminder to use it :)

Pizza coupons -- Post on the bulletin board so you will use before the expiration date or any other coupon, for that matter, with an expiration date.
These can also be stored in a bin in a desk drawer or another cute basket, but don't forget you have them! :)
You may file them straight into your purse for your next pizza night.

Catalogs and subscription magazines --
These can go in a cute basket or bin -- I think you're getting the idea!
I like to store items in cute baskets and bins :)
They're a nice way to store ugly clutter and are a boon to simple mail management :)
Place this basket or bin by your favorite reading chair, next to your bed or in the bathroom -- wherever they will be read :)

Important paperwork -- Start a file; label it or add the update to an existing file. Store these in a file cabinet close to the kitchen if possible, so it is at your fingertips when needed.

If you can't file it right away, put it in a basket on your desk for later.

If you put items in the same place every time; then, they won't get lost, and you'll know exactly where to check when it's needed.
You will have discovered the mystery to simple mail management and overcome the mail mountain!

The basket on your desk for later filing allows for grace in your mail management. You could put bills in there too, if in a hurry; just remember to return to it within a reasonable amount of time and deal with it :)

4. Use a bulletin board in your kitchen to post items that require an immediate response.

This serves as a reminder every time you answer the phone or pass by the bulletin board.

Take action on those items that require a response -- if you can't do it right away; write it down on your calendar or planner, so it's not forgotten. Keep it posted on the bulletin board until it's dealt with.
Don't put anything over top of it! :)

5. Keep simple office supplies near your phone or desk area in the kitchen for easy access.
Keep stapler & staples; tape & dispenser; paper clips; post-it notes; pens, pencils & sharpener; scissors, lined paper, and file folders.

DONE! That was pretty painless, wasn't it?!

You should be on your way to a very organized kitchen office area with some simple mail management.
To the journey,
Julie :)

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