Keep Your Countertops Clear Of Incoming Mail

 

Raise your hand if you have a stack on of papers on your kitchen counter. Keeping kitchen countertops clear of incoming mail is a battle for most people.

 

I’m definitely guilty of the dreaded pile. The pile that just keeps growing and growing. That I told myself I was going to deal with but keep procrastinating.

 

It’s annoying every time I see it. Then it just becomes so overwhelming that I don’t even want to deal with it. So it grows and grows and my inner stress alarm goes off every time I walk by the pile.

 

Just thinking about those days of paper clutter makes my eye twitch!

 

But those days are done, my friend. I have overcome the paper clutter battle!

 

It takes new habits and a system you can stick with, but in the end, it makes life more simple.

 

So let’s chat about my tips for keeping your kitchen countertops clear of incoming mail.

 

 

Go Paperless

 

If you are still getting bills in the mail, then enroll in paperless billing. While email clutter is still clutter, I prefer this over physical clutter.

 

If you are worried about not getting your bills paid because you feel like you need that physical reminder, let me ask you, why are you not enrolled in automatic billing?

 

There are a ton of reasons why you should automate your bills. This is a very smart financial decision, but since this post is about paper clutter, not finances, I’ll leave that topic be.

 

Seriously, enroll in paperless billing. Just log into each account that you pay a bill for and there will be an option to use paperless billing. You will get an email when bills are due, instead of a piece of paper in the mail.

 

I’ve even gone so far as to set up a Gmail account that we only use for our bills. This way I can deal with all the bills in one place and not have to dig my way through email promotions and other random things that end up in my inbox.

 

If you are really nervous about missing certain bills, have a strong reason why you can’t automate your bills, and just really need that physical paper reminder, then that’s fine. We will deal more with organizing incoming mail in a bit.

 

Sort The Mail As Soon As It Enters Your Home

 

Have a routine for when the mail comes into the house. Check it at the same time every day and then go through it at once.

 

My husband gets the mail every day when he gets home from work. He sits it down on the kitchen table and within 5 minutes I go through it.  

 

I make two piles. Throw away. Do something with this.

 

The throw away pile is obvious, it goes straight to the trash. And I’m strict about this. MOST of it goes in the trash. The only things that don’t are things that need an action to be taken, things to keep for tax purposes, or REALLY important things that need to be filed.

 

Throw away the trash and then deal with the rest.

 

Systems For Mail That Needs To Be Dealt With

 

Have a system for the mail you are not throwing away. This is the mail that can potentially sit on the counter for way too long. The pile that can grow and makes your eye twitch. The pile that causes a lot of stress and past-due medical bills.

 

If there is a bill that needs to be paid and you can’t pay it right this minute, then make a plan for paying it.

 

Get your planner and write down when the bill is due. Then on tomorrow’s to-do list write down that you are going to pay that bill.

 

Your other option is to put a reminder on your phone.

 

Then, put this bill (or whatever it is) in a special place… not the countertop!

 

I have a cute silver envelope hanging on the wall in the kitchen… this is where our “needs to be dealt with” papers go. 

 

 

You could even use a paper clip and keep in in your planner.

 

Since I have a reminder in my planner or on my phone, I don’t need it to be left out to remember to take care of it.

 

System For Mail That Needs to Be Kept

 

If you absolutely need to keep something, try your best to file it away, right away.

 

Our file cabinet is back in another part of the house. When something comes in that needs to be filed, I do my best to get back there right away.

 

Realistically this does not always happen for me.

 

This is why I set up another system in my kitchen that can catch these papers until I get around to filing them.

 

I have a little file hanger on the wall of my kitchen. I do my best to not put things in here, but to me, it’s better than leaving them out. When important documents come into the house that will need to be filed, I put them in the top section of the file.

 

When important documents come into the house, that will need to be filed but will need to be used first, they go into the second file.

 

An example of this would be all of our tax documents. Our W2’s etc. sit is this file system until our taxes are done. Then they get locked away in a larger filing cabinet in the office.

 

Find A System That Works For You

 

Most importantly you want to find a system that works for you. We all hate the dreaded mail pile. Tackle the inevitable and deal with it right away and then build a system that allows you to organize it in a way that works for you.

 

Happy Sorting! More Helpful Resources

 

I hope you found at least one idea that was helpful for you. If you are struggling with organization, clutter, or keeping your house clean. I have tons of resources for you.

 

You can read through the other blog posts that are listed below.

 

Plus, I have tons of free printables in my free printables library. There are tons of helpful routines and checklist.

 

I also have a free 3-day challenge – Declutter Your Bedroom in 3 Days.

 

Or if you are ready to jump all in because you are just sick and tired of the clutter and disorganization. You need my Declutter Guide – Declutter Your Whole House In Your Own Time.

 

Thanks for stopping by! Come back anytime. 🙂

 

Read More:

Kitchen Declutter | Steps For A Minimalist Kitchen

Small Bathroom Organization Ideas That You Haven’t Thought Of

15 Laundry Room Organization Ideas | Get Motivated To Do Laundry

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