5 Simple Mail Organization Ideas
Among the many never-ending messes in the home (see: dishes, dust bunnies, dirty laundry), the great tide of incoming snail mail might be the most irritating—and difficult to wrangle. But fear not, catalog lover: With these five smart solutions, you can totally take on the mailman and emerge victorious.
1. Designate a drop spot
Make sure all incoming mail has one singular landing strip (no sprinkling the kitchen counters and coffee table, please). Whether you go with an exposed wall organizer or a dedicated drawer, deal with your mail in that spot and that spot only.
2. Buy a mail-only recycling bin and shredder
And place it as close to your landing strip as possible (think: a lidded basket beneath a foyer table). That way, you can make a habit of going through your mail and pitching what you don’t need immediately—before it infiltrates other areas of the house. Worried about sensitive information ending up in the wrong hands? Keep a small paper shredder stored in a nearby closet, so you can also destroy important documents ASAP.
3. Sort mail in dedicated containers
If you get a ton of mail, set up discreet bins or wall-mounted baskets by category in a utilitarian spot (a closet, a study, the pantry). Think: One file folder for personal correspondence, one for bills, one for magazines and catalogs and one for things you need to file. Label them and sort through monthly.
4. Take advantage of digital solutions
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and switch to paperless billing for your phone, cable, utilities, etc. Next up: download a scanner app, like Turboscan or Scanner Pro, to keep easy-access records of important documents and lastly, don’t forget to use the non-profit Catalog Choice to opt out of unwanted catalogs and junk mail.
5. Keep stamps close at hand
From your student loan statement to that form your accountant needs you to send back, it’s a truth in life that mail begets mail. Keep things moving by always having stamps on hand, preferably tucked away neatly near your drop spot. Look at you, sending that school registration in on time.
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