Simple Paper Clutter Organization! | Minimalist Family Life (2018)

[@peggyflowers6755]

I put scotch tape on file folder tabs, and put the adhesive label on top of the tape. If I need to change or remove the label, it comes right off, and I can reuse the folder.

[@TheMinimalMom]

That's a great idea!

[@lindasnow5269]

@@TheMinimalMom I use the smaller sticky notes for temporary file labels. Works great!

[@soumya3510]

Thanks. I was thinking abt exactly same thing

[@bettylou3709]

My daughter is very ill. She has hundreds of pages of mail that come in every month. We have to keep every piece. At the moment I am keeping them in boot boxes and each box is one month. Doctors even in this digital age do not communicate with each other very well and they forget important information. I have to track everything.

[@simplesgood7694]

Bettylou That is a huge job for you. I think monthly boxes is a great idea since that would hopefully be the most current information. Do you have a separate tray for any mail that requires action? I pray Jesus’ blessing for you and your family in this very difficult time.

[@lemon1653]

I’m so happy this isn’t another “turn everything digital” video. Digital files turn into an even bigger mess to me. Thank you!

[@beccismith4454]

Lemon I agree, there is the approach of keeping paper things paper and digital things in digital form feels good! I have digital copies of some things that I need for job applications, which are often sent online. But still have paper stuff as well!

[@flomoody1465]

I find digital clutter so vexing and it's so much easier to accumulate

[@fluximagery6500]

Lemon yes! This! I love that I’ve found her. Amazing and so helpful. My home is becoming calmer. Yes! ☺️😌

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

Same here

[@ericagoehring1089]

I made a health binder with a divided section for each family member and even the pets. It has been SO helpful. I punch holes in things like doctor visit summaries, doctor's notes, etc. I love that it is tidy and easily contained.

[@Chariots1981]

I am so glad to find someone with the same mindset about digital and paper stuff. So many people recommend converting things to digital but my paper stress just becomes digital stress. Thanks for your recommendation of keeping paper stuff paper and digital digital. Makes total sense and, best of all, simple!

[@ABeautifulHorizonTV]

"Out of sight, out of mind." That is how my brain works too! I've watched a few of your videos now and we are so similar with our systems and needing to keep things simple! 😄💖

[@salliegreenleaf1734]

me too!

[@loriturner4558]

Hi Dawn, Been watching for 4 months. Did a major “rage” purge throughout my house. I appreciate how practical you are. My home feels great and I need to work more on clothes. Your videos are perfect in terms of amount of content. I especially love your delightful, fun, sweet and Christian personality. Enjoy your videos with Diana with scripture reading and heartfelt prayer. So today I subscribed! This the first channel I’ve subscribed to. Thank you, Dawn. Lori

[@natashamiesse]

Thank you for the reminders and fresh inspiration! I got "horizontal surface clutter syndrome" from my mom 😂 (totally made-up term from a friend who suffers the same). I also have to force myself to deal with things immediately, and often make a pit-stop at our outdoor recycling bin when making my way from mailbox to house. I also keep very little now--because it's a drain seeing piles of paper everywhere. And I try to do very few homeschool things that require a loose sheet of paper. My kids know now that if they tear out a sheet from a workbook/coloring book, it will end up recycled almost immediately. I also don't keep any coupons anymore, because my sanity is worth more than just saving $1 here and $1 there. And I remind myself how much I was willing to spend to hire a mother's helper...yeah, I just toss anything that had gotten me to the point of needing more help. Less stuff=less work=no need for help. It's been such a quicker process for me to get there because of all your videos. Thanks again!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Love this: "horizontal surface clutter syndrome"... you are definitely NOT alone!!! And thank YOU for the encouraging words, they mean more than you know!!! 💕

[@gemaffs]

I've have been in paper clutter hell for as long as I've been an adult. You've freed me. I'm so grateful to you. Subscribed, of course. Can't wait to binge watch more of your videos. Thank you so very much! Eternally indebted to you!

[@sarapawsonherrington2595]

You have given me what I needed to move forward with over 50 years of paper clutter, no kidding!! Thank you. I feel like you filled in the missing pieces, like how my brain works more like yours does. I am very grateful!

[@Beezer.D.B.]

Yay! Finally someone mentioning the possible downside(s) to all-digital file keeping! Take it from someone who’s been around since before digital, I’ve watched the potential, and more importantly experienced the downsides of digital storage. Case in point (though there are many!): I keep my credit card statements to help with budgeting and at tax time...then, after reporting a possible fraudulent purchase on my card, a new card was sent. However, what happened almost at once was my online account was swapped for the new card (which I didn’t even have yet) and all statements for the old card was gone. A few years later, my card went to the new chip (and new number) and the vanishing online statements repeated. Enough people must have complained because the last time there was a change, they just added new transactions with the old under the new number. Fortunately, I foresaw digital problems long ago and kept my paper statements coming in the mail. (Unfortunately, they are stacked in monthly piles somewhere...which is why I am here, lol!)

[@bitrudder3792]

Beezee DB - I love Freedom Filer (which is can be used for either micro OR macro organizing) because it is so easy to separate papers we might want to keep by how we use/toss them. Example - grey top tabs are for action - if you want a place to designate “pay” (or even “reconcile” before paying if that helps you) , original agreements for an account with rules, penalties, etc, in a red tabbed folder for the account so you know to keep it for as long as you have the account; changes in agreements on Orange The color of things that you replace periodically (and you can either toss it or file it in an archive after that), light blue for current and previous year of tax related support docs, green topped for current statements customized by how often you hold them (odd/even month/year), and dark blue archive folders that can be labeled on a purging cycle for the cycle you want to toss them on (say every 5 or 10 years, or forever). Makes it SO easy. They also came out with a binder system, more vertical happy storage. You can be as detailed or as general as you want to come up with this color system That helps you identify papers that you must keep versus those that you can let go of, Or put into archive storage boxes for easy retrieval in an emergency.

[@Beezer.D.B.]

@@bitrudder3792 Thanks LCH! A year later, and I still haven't tackled ALL of my paper problems, but getting there. I'm going to revisit the Freedom Filer more seriously. My only problem with it...and this is trivial (unless you are color-anal, which I am, lol) is that the color coding seems all backward. Red, being the brightest color among them, would also be the 1st color to capture the attention of the eye, so really should be for the ACTION file which needs attention. Grey, the dullest and least visible color of the group, would be better suited for the ARCHIVE or the "way in the back" file, as I like to think of it. But again, that is really trivial and wouldn't bother most people.

[@bitrudder3792]

@@Beezer.D.B. - I love that you wrote back! I totally get the color-nerd thing! I think of it this way: if you are setting up a file system that is going to be more or less permanent, why not design it to please yourself? You are the one who has to look at it, day after day, and year after year! My first two ventures into Freedom Filer were quite frankly due to being a color nut, myself! At that time, they had the instruction manuals online in pdf format, so I figured out enough to create the system in a DIY way. I also did one set for a family member that dislikes primary colors, so I created labels in WORD using pastel versions of the colors and then shopped for soft, faded colors of folders to go with them in a random fashion. (Scored some discontinued Smead folders in soft pale blue, soft mint green, soft lavender, and recycled some of my old brown-paper-bag colored ones and bought some soft gray ones). Both of those projects were hugely time consuming, but fun. When I finally bought the actual system, it was a BREEZE compared to designing and printing and cutting up little paper tabs and wrapping them around the usual cardstock tabs so that my own thin labels would not slide out. And if you ever have a question, call the company. Leave a message, if they run true to form you will get a fairly prompt return call. I've twice talked to the owner of the company at length after calling with a simple question, he was so nice and pleasant to talk to! I'm so color-picky, I have slooowly invested in white hanging folders from the Container Store because I don't like how the FF color tabs look with standard green or brown folders. In retrospect, I would do them with the Smead hanging gray folders (it has the lighter, more silvery version of gray compared to Pendaflex, or it did at the time I checked it out). The Smead product just glides better than the C.S. product, and is much less expensive. I get a lot of slightly bent-metal white ones that wouldn't glide right, and if the sturdy cardboard of the C.S. folders aren't folding just right, they hang open at weird angles instead of hanging politely and neatly. But I have to admit - these colored tabs with white folders make my heart sing. FF has that option to mix fifth cut tabs with third cut tabs or folder labels, and it occurred to me to research those third-cut size Avery labels with colored bars on top. It would be another coordinated DIY option to do on its own or to combine with FF tabs. That said, printing on FF stickers is super easy, and you can print even just one label at a time if you want, and I love that. As I get older, I reflect on making a FF type system with extra large fonts. I think that is the main "downside" for me at this point - being able to easily read the labels in the bottom drawer of my desk because of vision changes and these annoying progressive lenses that make everything I look at through the lower edge of them hyper-magnified for reading, not for looking at things a little further away, much less far away. Knowing what I now know, I may simply buy the blank supplemental set and re-do the system in a bigger font in the future, maybe focusing on the third-cut size so I can use a large font and not be limited by a small label. I love that FF has a binder system now, but not enough to get it because I like hanging binders, and the only ones that fit in my drawer without dragging are Wilson Jones poly bound hanging binders - and the spine only has a small label area. Maybe if I had a different file drawers, I could use some of the white hanging binders with view panels....I'd rather have all my bank and credit card statements easy to sort through in order in a binder, for example. Medical records can be better in hanging binders, too, anything that you want to flip through easily, and don't mind taking an extra step to file in a binder. The FF binder system has some sort of pocket system to make filing go faster, and uses regular view binders that sit on a shelf. Random thoughts on how I use my FF system \ - I made an action file tab called "Shred" so that I don't have to have a pile of things to shred, or run to the shredder repeatedly. (We've already had a family member victimized by identity theft, and don't want it to happen again.) It is really handy, and I only shred when the folder gets a little bit full. - I have one for "Scratch Paper" because I like to re-use scratch paper from junk mail to do quick drawings on. And it is right there when I want to scribble out a new design idea, or do a quick list or take notes when my notebook has strayed away from my desk. - I also have a box of orange tabbed hanging folders to change out certain categories of magazines and catalogs that I like to keep on hand, which can be convenient and ensure that I don't hang on to stacks of those things. --We had pipes burst during the freeze, so the action folder called "estimates" is busier than usual - but having the folder handy is what makes it all work. - The action "events/tickets" folder means that if we forget the address/directions to a wedding, we know where to look for the information on the way out the door, and proof that we should be allowed into the reception for those fancy schmancy events. - the action "legal" folder is a good place to leave jury duty info, will/estate/executor info in progress, that traffic/parking ticket... By the way, Action files are grey instead of yellow (the missing color that they don't use). It is so that people can have the files in a desktop box or sorter without the color jumping out to ruin their color scheme. There is no rule you can't do the system differently, and flip-flop the grey and the red - you would just have to ignore the part of the label that tells you that one is action and one is permanent. Or design your own! What are you doing in your filing that you love?

[@Kim_Mera]

My brain works just like yours, I leave things outside to see them. If I don’t see it I don’t do it. Thank you so much for sharing this video

[@thibodeaux99]

As soon as I get a bill in the mail, I go on the computer and set it up to pay. I scheduled the pay date for a few days before the due date. Since I take advantage of equal monthly billing on my electric bill, I have it set it up to pay the same date each month. Things like my water bill which runs basically the same amount each month, I add an extra $5 or so and set it up to pay the same day each month. Those few extra dollars each month add up and build a cushion so if I have an unexpected increase in the bill, I’m covered. Bills are paid on time, things are not overlooked and I do not have that feeling of dread that I may have forgotten something. As long as I have enough money in the bank, I’m golden. Lol. Thanks for your hard work and sharing all this with us.

[@pidpit]

No way I would store important papers digitally. I'm with you!

[@carolyngurney5376]

I love your idea of dating folders. I also like that you put the year-date on your KZbin videos. You have so many practical solutions. My biggest Ah-ha moment is “managing our inventory.”

[@peggyriley23]

1. You Eyes! Not only are they beautiful, they are so expressive. 2. LOVE your honesty, "I forgot about picture day the last two years!" Your honesty is refreshing. It makes people drowning in clutter, like myself, willing to listen and give it a try. 3. Also they way you honor different systems and provide your spin (About your daughter's Art gift) without judging really helps beginners to dip their toes in instead of getting defensive and coming up with excuses. I'm good at that!! 4. OK, I'm drinking the kool-aid...here I go!

[@jillygirl2024]

I filled 2 plastic grocery bags with paperwork & will have more when I told through my " filed" papers tomorrow - it was hard as I but I kept asking " How hard will this be to replicate?" - thanks for giving me " permission" to let go

[@danniosgood1362]

I can't thank you enough! I used to be so organized (then I had two boys 16 months apart and am now pregnant again!) and my paper clutter has gotten away from me! I have a crate and large box full of papers I have to go through, plus a file crate that needs to be purged of old info. I know most of it will be recyclable, but just the thought of having to look through each and every piece of paper drains me mentally. You've given me the motivation to get it done! I know I will feel much better afterwards, and the guilt of not doing it will finally be gone too! I'm totally subscribing! Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

So glad to hear this! And your babies are close together! Ours are all 19 and 20 months apart-- it was crazy while they were little but now they get along SO well I couldn't imagine it any other way :)

[@jennbogardus]

The concept of not over categorizing is awesome. Thank you for sharing! I just subscribed and I'm so excited to find a minimalist mom on YT!!

[@heathergirtz2750]

Paper clutter is definitely our biggest clutter problem in our house. Between junk mail and my kids coming home with way too much paper, it seems never ending. I think quite a few of these tips will work well for our family. Thanks!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Awesome, so glad to hear this!!!

[@daisybuchanan5378]

Yes Dawn ! I think like you. I put junk in recycling, open bills, file anything I need to, right away. I have improved so much in handling paper. I used to dread it and procrastinate. No more. I feel in control. Thank you !

[@giverny28]

Great video. You mentioned "only touching once". My grandmother told me this year's and years ago. It really helps if you just work on this in life. One thing I do to use this principle is with junk mail. It bugs me beyond when my husband checks the mail and sets the huge stack of junk mail on the counter. When I check the mail I pass the outdoor trash can on my way in the house so the junk doesn't even make it into the house. I just know once I come in I will be bombarded with all the other life things...kids, cooking, etc.... and the likelihood of junk landing on a surface to be dealt with "later" is more likely. So why wait?

[@Britgirl58]

This virus has made me better at doing this - not perfect, but better. Because we are not sure about the transmission routes I have continued to be careful handling outside mail. So when I get the mail I stand over the trash bin. I open each envelope, decide there and then if its something I need or if its for hubby. If I don't need it, it goes straight into the trash. All the open envelopes go straight into the trash. After that, I go to wash my hands!

[@bluesouthpaw6326]

I have to say that you're the only person I'm subscribed to on KZbin. No joke. I don't have much time to sit on my phone. But i do make time for your videos because most of them are very helpful as we are way too similar. And i don't need to "favorite" a video or "save" for later because all the videos that i care about referencing on KZbin are your videos. It's like waiting for a certain day of the week for your favorite shows new episode to air on tv. That's how excited i get about your new videos you post.💙💜.

[@TheMinimalMom]

You are SO kind!!!! I always smile when I see a comment of yours pop up because I know it will be encouraging! Thank YOU!! 💕

[@flomoody1465]

@@TheMinimalMom I discovered you through Darci Isabella - love the content from both of you ❤️

[@lydiamoody6096]

I finally found someone whose brain works like mine 👍😃 thanks for the tips!

[@naylacanellas697]

Hi! My husband and I are retired and have 2 grown children that have children of their own. I love love love your minimalistic approach as I am in the process of getting rid of too much stuff that I've had for years. I get cards from our grandchildren and drawings that I like to display in different areas but I don't plan to keep them there forever. Right now I'm dealing with hospital and doctors papers and all sort of bills but I liked your idea of getting rid of some of them, according to your scale. I will continue checking on you as I love the way you explain everything. BTW... I just found you.

[@Electric09eel]

I am loving all your videos. My son is a Vet and I am his ft caregiver and have very little time to get and stay organized. Thank you for your tips advice on ummmm Everything!!!

[@pdxoregon1]

God bless you for caring for you son, and God bless him for his sacrifice to our nation. Please take good care of yourself. Love, from Portland, Oregon.

[@petmomful2260]

When my kids were growing up, I had a file for each one. I put award certificates, autographs, funny stories they wrote, special school papers, report cards, etc. I did not keep everything. When they were older, like in their early 30's, and had their own places, I gave them their file and they enjoyed looking at it and laughing. Now it is up to them whether they save it or not. I enjoy your common sense approach. I am purging my house and find your videos quite inspirational. Right now I am doing photos. I am going to scan and digitize from now on.

[@fayburkettboie7244]

I have a difficult time discarding paper, thinking I might need it later. Your concept using the question, is the paper easy, medium or hard to replace- when deciding whether to discard-is so simple, that I might be able to make a dent in my huge paper clutter. First time subscriber on any youtube channel! Thank you! Keep up the good work!

[@beccaschlomann7592]

This is the paper clutter area I struggle with (the stuff I truly need to keep) and you’ve given me a lot of good ideas and motivation. Thank you!! 😊

[@beccaschlomann7592]

And label makers help a lot! For me, it helps a lot to just make everything look neat and consistent and that makes me want to keep things in my house neat.

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, I agree now that I have one!!

[@Ariesgirl_13]

I love the idea of using clipboards for things that need immediate attention. Great video!

[@sancop]

I love that you brought up school picture day. My youngest son brought home his pictures from 3rd grade and they looked awfully familiar. He wore the exact same shirt as 2nd grade. (Sigh). Same shirt. Same haircut. Same pose. Same background.

[@prynsys03]

What helps me for my son's school stuff (because I missed picture day too!) is this: I created an email address that I only use for my son's stuff (school, sports, activities, etc.). I use gmail so there is a calendar attached to that account. 2-3 weeks before school started, I added all the important days to the calendar, like no school, minimum days, picture day, etc. I put reminders on the important ones. Once I figured out the days the homework folder and library books are due, I also created a repeating reminder, so I don't forget. My personal calendar is Yellow. My son's calendar is blue. So now, when I look at my calendar on my phone or tablet, I know who has what going on when. And more importantly, I don't forget picture day!

[@mrsjudys]

We did this years ago and it makes life and my brain much happier. We have two bins....file bins. One for the stuff you have to keep and one for taxes. But you found something I can let go of. I have a binder with all our manuals nicely stored in plastic sleeves. Never have I ever used them. We look everything up online. Yet, when I got my new washer I carefully stored the manual in my binder. Duh! Recycling that unnecessary item right now! Thank you!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Hahaha, that's awesome!! Thank YOU!! 💕

[@jennylhenry78]

Me too! I have an entire file bin of manuals. And I have cleaned them out randomly tossing the things we no longer have. But never once did I say why do I even have all these?!! Because so true that if I needed something I'd look online before ever thinking to look in that bin. I know what I'm cleaning next!

[@ashleyreed3865]

Fellow Realtor here (In Utah) I work full time and I'm a mom. I don't have family close by to help with kids and my husband is an attorney that works long hours so I would love a video with how you organize your work and time. I love the idea of clip boards for current listings or under contracts that's so much better than the folders I'm using now. Any other tips on how to balance mom life and the crazy unpredictable schedule of a real estate agent?? A lot of people say don't mix home and work life but I feel like that's the only way I can keep track of everything. I feel like the house is the first thing that gets neglected so I hope minimizing helps a lot there.

[@andreapavinscott4213]

Great video, thanks! Could you share with us how you manage photos please? 😉

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES! Upcoming video!

[@salliegreenleaf1734]

I have a plan for mine which is to scan them digitally, hang a few that are special and organize all the scanned ones in some way, probably not chronologically. Then get a digital picture frame and plug in the SD card and actually see the pics! I have already gone through the pics once and tossed out pics of family that is not my own immediate or my/spouse's siblings. That cut the amount way back. Most pics stay in a box or now on a phone, computer or cloud doing no one a whole lot of benefit.

[@dhines3804]

Wow - you are just hitting it out of the ballpark with all of your tips! You have a very unique style and way of thinking through decluttering and minimizing things! Every videos leaves me with at least one new idea/tip. And they are very doable too! I'm very excited to put your ideas into action!

[@caseythompson5130]

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like you gave the permission to get my paper clutter and be brutal to it. I feel AWESOME!!!! I will never live in paper clutter again!

[@cybernetica28]

It is so funny to me that you mention putting off getting the lable maker. Because, I got one like 6 years ago and I just opened it yesterday. I thought was going to be to overwhelming doing lables. Bit it is so easy.

[@deniselogeot3784]

Fantastic video! I so enjoy your common sense approach to minimalism and am in the process of setting up our family and business paperwork systems, so this video is timely!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Oh good! I'm so glad to hear this!!!

[@kbkb3358]

Thank you for this video and the one on Shopping List/Menu simplicity. Both of these videos have been so very helpful. I was able to (for the first time!!! and I have been trying to for years) simplify my paper! And now I feel like this is manageable and sustainable. Wow!!! So thankful! I have found your videos to be the most helpful- thanks from Australia 🇦🇺!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YAY!!! This is SO awesome to hear!!! And glad to hear they help in Australia as well ;)

[@kristyhickey7104]

@@TheMinimalMom Another Aussie who loves your videos. So practical and easy to use - exactly what I need! Thank you!

[@veronicadavis9619]

You are the opposite of a hoarder! Your house is gorgeous, clean and spotless! Thank you for sharing how to fix the paper pile up situation because I just organized my room but I'm having a hard time with only keeping things that fit under the bed with the exception of the closet. I think this video solved the paper part! Now I have to decide what to get rid of so everything will fit under the bed! lol!

[@Sdewebb]

Every video you make it leaves me wanting more. ❤️ I refreshed KZbin all day long waiting for this video and I'll do the same with the next.

[@byerlyracheal]

Same here! I kept wondering how soon this video would post

[@bluesouthpaw6326]

Glad I'm not the only one obsessed with her videos.🐸

[@TheMinimalMom]

Wow, thank YOU!!! That means more than you know!!!! :)

[@TheMinimalMom]

You guys are just the greatest, thank YOU!!!! 💕

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU for being one of my number one fans (next to my mom of course, I know she's reading this! ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 💕

[@judijordan1138]

Seriously the best and most beneficial video on paper clutter! Love your channel!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU!!! 💕

[@sentatsantilis2591]

I just came across part 1 of this video on KZbin’s Home page & watched it & this part. Both of the videos are very helpful & have given me the game plan & motivation I need to tackle my organized, but bursting file cabinet. Thank you for making this video! 💕

[@michelleneuman579]

I love your no nonsense style. I also take junk mail from the mailbox and put it directly into a recycle box before it comes into the house.

[@chasingmilliseconds3019]

I’m a very visual person, your clipboard system looks great! Thank you for sharing different strategies.

[@barbaracarbone4658]

Thanks. Sounds good. I like how you broke it down in parts. I'm inundated with paper. Lol. I gotta organize. Ty.

[@kelleybeecher1779]

I loved this video. I'm fairly new to your channel and trying to watch all your videos. I too am a paper person but I'm trying to learn how to manage it and be intentional about it. So grateful to find someone that says it's ok to still do paper files. Thanks so much!

[@lizlafferty1278]

The day before yesterday, I looked up your first video in this series, and was impressed with a number of things about the help you provide. Thank you for being a good communicator and organizer of good ideas/plans and for sharing your gift with us. Last night, I completed "papers organization" using the priority focus: replacement value to us. That concept settled our whole issue for us. Again, THANK YOU. I wish I had learned from you when I was still teaching classes; the organizer seminars freely set up for us Teachers didn't nearly come close to the efficiency of your method.

[@lme9743]

You are so inspiring. I too get overwhelmed very easily when I see a pile of papers or bills. It always sits on the kitchen counter haunting me. I like your system as I prefer to deal with it in 5 and move on.... Thanks for sharing!!!

[@joygill1799]

You think like me! What a relief to know I'm not alone in the struggle. This is the 1st of your video's I've ever seen, but I'm looking forward to seeing more!

[@carprincess]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips on paper clutter. I have such a difficult time with organizing my paperwork

[@Pamela-B]

Thank you. I’ve considered digital but the thought of scanning all that paper was more daunting than just going through it and decluttering it.

[@bibianesproule6585]

Wow great content, I'm very much like you with my organizing. I can't have it so complicated or I just won't follow it. I found filing cabinets a struggle as everything was getting cluttered and overloaded so I switched to binders as I can see everything better and find it faster! Love all your tips!!👍☺️

[@TheMinimalMom]

Oh yes, that is a good idea about binders! And thank YOU!!! :)

[@jeanniebirdwell8510]

Not sure when I first watched this video, but thanks for the inbox suggestion. I've been drowning in paper. Just cleared off my desk to start over, and I set up an inbox. I've emptied it twice already - yay! This should help me keep track of all those stray papers that need something when I get a minute. It's a joy to empty it and move on to something fun. I recall a manager in my corporate life who told me I needed a single to-do list. I've tried many a format, but still haven't settled on one solution. Someday.

[@lesliedaubert4250]

Thank you ! I file by paper. Some things go at the end of the year, some stay forever. Safer in my house than on my computer.

[@LadyBeeSting2434]

I’m glad I am not the only one that cannot go to digitize every thing. Great tips, yes, mine is get that clutter out of the kitchen:) I need to minimize my categories.

[@Roos_Loves_Parrots]

Hi Dawn, thank jou zo much for al the video's. I stated 6 years ago to minimalism, but stil i am bussy whit it. After seeining your video i minimalized 7 binder of the in total 15

[@shaunaferguson6102]

Yes! Once in the "to do" outta sight outta mind! An "inbox" doesn't work for me either....but a bright orange folder for some reason helps! Freedom filer is an amazing system and very inexpensive! It has changed my life.. very much like your system!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES! I have heard good things about the freedom filer! It is a few too many folders for me, but I'm so glad you have found something that works!!! :)

[@melissaschaub1275]

I really think your method is going to help me finally get a hold of the clutter in my house once and for all, and it not return! I have been good about getting rid of a lot of it, being exhausted, and before I know it, it doesn't look like I have worked on anything yet. Very disappointing... I know once the clutter problem is no longer a problem, I will be able to keep my house clean quicker and have time to do the things I really would like to do finally! Thank you for sharing your system!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES! I remember when I was in the thick of simplifying and felt like I was just treading water, we hosted Thanksgiving and my sister-in-law was like "your house is so neat"...I couldn't believe she had noticed a change...I think I had just been too close to it for too long! I'd get one dresser cleaned out only to be reminded of the three others that still needed to be done...it was defeating at times, but stick with it and soon you will look around and FEEL the difference and realize how far you've come!

[@melissaschaub1275]

Treading water is exactly how it feels. There seems to always be something that prevents me from completing what I have started like taking care of grandparents (deceased now), aging parents, and myself because I suffer with chronic migraines usually 3 times each week, all while working with my son who has autism improve in so many areas with therapies. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement and throwing me a life raft!

[@oatssettle846]

I didn't know you were a paper person like me. So thank you for some good tips. I appreciate it!

[@sarasardina597]

I listen to your videos on my surround sound while decluttering!!! Love your videos. :)

[@TheMinimalMom]

That's awesome, thank YOU!!!

[@lorettavalenta]

Thank you for doing this video! I struggle with paper clutter and I love your very doable tips!💕 All your videos are so helpful and inspiring!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you Loretta, this means so much to me!!! :)

[@sharonschirman4190]

Watching this as I'm tackling the massive paper mess in my office area.

[@inairby4freedom]

I love to hear the kids in the background

[@marianrolewicz2287]

I like that you mentioned how paperwork can get you overwhelmed. I have the same issue. Thank you for all the good ideas and tips. I am hoping that this will work for me.

[@melissajohnson2693]

I absolutely love your channel! Thank you. Sharing your methods has been so helpful. I'd love to see your ideas for storing office and craft supplies. I feel like I haven't found a system I actually like.

[@mayrablanco2013]

I needed to watch this video today . . . first time watching your channel. I loved the video. You explain everything so easy and real. Thanks for all the tips. My office is a mess and I work from home too, therefore I have double issues. I have to tackle it!

[@TheMinimalMom]

You can do it!!! 💕

[@thecatniplife]

The type of paper that overwhelms me and clutters up my kitchen table is all the things I print out because I want to keep them as ideas. Things like gardening designs, recipes to try, cat rescue related topics to read and then possibly implement. I save more than I can deal with at any one time but I don't want to lose the thought. They get lost in piles and if they go in a drawer they are out of sight, out of mind. I've tried to start using Pinterest to save ideas rather than printing them. Then when I'm ready to tackle a particular project like getting a new sofa or rebuilding the chicken coop roof, I know where to go for ideas. I think this might help but I haven't yet broken the habit of printing things I see online that I may want to try. One of the things I keep a lot of paper on are home renovation ideas since I am in the process of redoing pretty much every area of the interior of the house in the next couple of years.

[@tammymitchell4770]

Thanks a bunch for the clip board idea & the suggestion to handle mail only once...Brilliant!!

[@svitlanaivanenko9042]

Excited about the next video on baby boxes!

[@annturmel5068]

My husband works for the postal service and when he sorts through the mail at home he finds all the presort standard stamped envelopes and throws them out immediately. Its simply junk mail sent to everyone in hopes they will get someone interested in whatever they are selling. He also throws out all flyers at the house because he sees piles of it going to every household. I love it when he cleans out the junk mail before I try to sort it all out!

[@lfuentes4098]

Great advice. I have piles of paper everywhere. And I have a filing system I don't use. Lol. I am definitely getting rid of it and using your simplified system. Thank you.

[@mandersdaro8136]

oh my gosh....i wish i had known to file like this years ago. I have a thousand (ok, not quite that many) files and haven't used them in years because it's so stressful!!! Time to purge down and make it simple!! Thank you so much! Another great video :-)

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU, I greatly appreciate that and best wishes getting through your old files, you can do it! ;)

[@robynw9810]

I am a new fan! Great information here. If you can do it with 4 kids I can do it with 2. Thank you. You give me hope.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU!!!

[@ritayee570]

Loving these videos. I have a paper jungle and it's draining. Great tips I can start implementing. Love the simplicity. I too am a paper person, but now becoming very selective with what gets saved. Thank you for the epiphanies!🤗🙌🏼

[@jillshippy5157]

This was so helpful for me. I am just like you regarding paper vs digital. I am very visual as well. Out of sight out of mind. THANK YOU for sharing!

[@tracyeldredge1050]

Yay! Newly obsessed with your channel, like just three videos in and loving your style and take on minimalism and organization! I am a natural born shopper and collector of "stuff", buy your videos speak to me in a non-threatening way, lol. So thank you for sharing your journey and I can't wait to catch up on all of your channel! Thank you from Northern California! - Tracy

[@loriwhitbord9860]

Enjoyed this series of videos. I have an area that troubles me the most that was not addressed. Docs put on hold that should be shredded. Many things I would love to discard need to be flagged. Love your style and presentation thanks.

[@kaitlyntyler]

I love your videos! You’re very relatable and the way you talk through simplifying things makes it seem much more achievable to me. Thank you!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU, I greatly appreciate that!!! 💕

[@kimho5548]

Can’t wait to try your Ideas! I am always overwhelmed & this seems like it would help me. Thank you so much!!

[@puzzleperfect_homes]

Thats so funny, I'm the same way!! I love cooking more in a clean kitchen.

[@chrislinnon4476]

Your videos are great! I really appreciate your practical comments regarding fine tuning a system that works for each person.

[@pamelamolina5623]

I only want to add one thing. It is important to keep your insurance policies. I had 2 floods due to broken water pipes. An attorney had to reference the policy once. Also life insurance...if I’m dead my family needs the policy.

[@808Blessed1]

Aloha!! I really enjoy this video you explained everything well. Mail, Home , School anykind of paper this was my problem what to do with it trash or keep. Much Mahalos for sharing.👍

[@lizharley5723]

DON'T OVER CATEGORIZE. Thanks for introducing me to my phrase of the week. I can't wait to organize my filing cabinet. It is not cluttered but there are too many file folders with too many categories which makes filing a chore. House insurance and car insurance can go together as an example. Plus on one of your other videos, I can put 7 years income tax returns into a separate small bankers box to simplify the project.

[@wastrnad8251]

It was nice to watch and learn a bit of how others handle their clutter. Being a senior and widower I can say that over the years one accumulates a great deal of things which take on varying levels of importance as time matches on. Some of the discarding is difficult cause of wonderful memories you may have and those items that trigger the memories that put a smile on your face. That smile can quickly turn into a heartfelt tear that is large enough to gain momentum and roll all the way down you face. I would suggest though, based on experience, that important papers and backup papers be maintained for 10 years. This was the recommendation of my account. IRS can go back 7 and then you can find out, actually 3 more years. The paper to save are those that validate what you claim on the tax form. Simple tax returns are not a problem but when you itemize you need to substantiate what on paper - your backup data. That usually translates into receipts. So all in all, there are other places that you might need to validate something. This is a stickler because it deals with when you grow old and want to collect social security. Long story made short I needed data that showed beyond doubt that my wife was actually my wife. I had old photos and letters that dated though the decades and included other relatives like my grandmother. This culminated in a 550 page document that I presented. So its important to remove clutter but be care and ask yourself might I need it 30 or 40 years from now? Some things just cannot be replaced or resurrected years down the road.

[@iamsusankate]

W A Strnad Thank you for your thoughtful insight. I am so sorry for your loss of your wife... I truly am. I haven’t lost a spouse as you have, but in the last 5 years, several of my loved ones have passed away, including Grandma, Mom, Dad, my aunt, and several friends (and 3 cats, whom I also loved very much!)! Some of my greatest finds were birthday cards with the words “Dad” and “Mom” written in their own handwriting! I will treasure those forever! Also, my cats’ paw prints that the vet did in ink, will be cherished as long as I have anything to say about it! I’m planning on having silver jewelry made of the aforementioned signatures and paw prints as soon as I can afford it. I fully know that I am VERY sentimental. I also realize that my grief, especially since I have lost so many in such a short time, still feels very fresh... One of these days, I may be able to part with sentimental paper items, but I don’t believe it will happen any time soon...

[@sallywhite1012]

Thanks for all the great tips. I’m going to start on our paperwork tomorrow

[@karengonzales3271]

Another awesome video! So what I need! Grateful I found your channel is just perfect for me!

[@mk-sw9ow]

Hi Dawn, I'd like to see a video on what you get other people's kids for birthday partys♡

[@TheMinimalMom]

Great question! I'll be tackling this in a Christmas gifts for kids video coming up in October yet :)

[@rjaneellis]

I’m definitely guilty of over labeling 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think I assume it will make things easier to find, but really it seems to overcomplicate things. My husband has his own business and I do all the office work...unfortunately I tend to keep way too much paperwork because I’m worried I’ll need it later. Thanks for the video, it has inspired me to go through and reorganize our paperwork.

[@TheMinimalMom]

I'm really glad to hear this and best wishes!!! :)

[@simplificatuvida]

Hitting the LIKE button before watching, ´cause I KNOW I will love it!!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

You are the GREATEST! Thank you for being so encouraging!!!! :) :) :)

[@Arely10R]

Hey, Mrs. Ladybug didn't think I would find you here in an English video.

[@ErinNDo]

Awesome video!!! I totally needed this. I am not great at staying on top of paper clutter but it totally stresses me out. Being consist is hard but important for my mental health. Simple is best. Yes, agreed, I like things organized but I am not good at thinking up simple systems to organize things. Or it’s that having tiny people around me distracts my brain from following through!!! Haha. Love love love your channel. Your ideas are so different from what I usually see and it really resonates with me and makes it simple.

[@TheMinimalMom]

THANK YOU for the kind words, I greatly appreciate it!! 💕

[@naomijensen8416]

Super helpful, thank you, Dawn! I love your systems and tips!

[@andreavolore]

I am taking advantage of the Shelter at Home time and organizing a lot. This is very helpful. Thank you. Be well.

[@carrief9395]

Once again great tips! Paper clutter is my nemesis 😫 Really looking forward to that next video!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Hahaha, you aren't alone! I thought toys were the biggest struggle for people, but turns out it is paper ;)

[@austinwilloughby3439]

We are farmers and have a business! I'm always afraid ill need all those tax papers and receipts for an audit! So I have boxes stored Got to get a handle on the filing. I think I make too many folders so I'LL change to your way and try it ! THanks ! Keep inspiring ! Going to get a label maker! Maybe

[@lifelovejourney]

Can you do one on cleaning, bills, kids chores, homework. I implemented the first week of my meal planning and it has changed my life!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YAY! So glad to hear this and yes, yes, yes and yes!! Thank YOU!! 💕

[@chibistk]

These are great executable tips. Thank you!

[@lindag5076]

Here in Maryland, being a Business/Farm Owner, my accountant says I must keep any business receipts for 7 years and some things like pertaining to our home/office 10 years. I would think you tubers get a home office deduction also. Even IRS says businesses must keep receipts 7 years. . I wish 1 year 😬 BTW I ❤️ your clean simple office....

[@tw9195]

You and I are so much alike!! I feel like I have found someone who shares do-able ideas! Thank you!