Resources for Eliminating Clutter 2017

Resources for Eliminating Clutter

Contents

Why Get Rid of Clutter?...…………….2

Eliminating Paper Excess……………..3

Guide for Recycling Excess Items….6

Michelle Kinney, Professional Organizer 331.209.0062 • PO Box 907, Elmhurst IL 60126 [email protected] www.bloomorganizing.net

2 © Copyright Bloom Organizing 2017

Why Get Rid of Clutter? Do any of these sound familiar?

“I will need that one day.”

“That was a gift from someone special.”

“I paid a lot of money for that.”

“That is valuable.”

These are some of the reasons people use to keep things around that they do not need, but it all contributes to clutter. Clutter builds up in your home little by little each day. When you finally notice, it’s practically taking over your entire house, garage, or office! What is this clutter costing you?

Peace of mind: When you are surrounded by clutter, it is always competing for your attention. You cannot relax, you feel embarrassed to have friends over, and you don’t have the space to do the things you love. We feel better and live better when our environment is clutter-free.

Storage space: You may not be able to comfortably move around certain rooms in your house. Or you may be paying money to rent a storage locker for excess items that you can’t even access when you need them.

Time: It can be difficult to find things in a cluttered environment. It may be easier to buy another item rather than try and locate it in your home.

Too much space: Could you down-size to a smaller home if you didn’t have so much stuff? Are you using the space or is your stuff?

Relationships: Clutter can affect the people you live with and strain relationships. It may also affect your landlord, your neighbors, and your pets.

Cleanliness: A house with too much stuff is harder to clean. All that clutter collects dust, and more items mean more to maintain.

So where do you start? Set a timer for 15 minutes each day. That adds up to more than 1½ hours per week and almost 6 hours every month!

Use the following list of resources to eliminate excess paper and other items in your home.


Eliminating Paper Excess To get rid of paper, you need to know what documents to keep and for how long. Refer to the

following list for the retention guidelines of most common documents.

Please note: Legal and tax requirements change every year and vary state-to-state. You should consult with your attorney or accountant for specific guidelines.

How long? More details

Auto records As long as you own the car

However, titles should be kept forever.

Bank statements One month (after reconciliation)

Check with your bank to see if these are available online and how far the electronic records go back.

Birth certificates Forever

Keep in a fire-proof safe or safe deposit box. Having the birth certificates for parents and grandparents may be important for immigration and citizenship issues.

Cancelled checks Seven Years Tax supporting documents should be kept for at six years.

Charitable donation receipts Seven years Tax supporting documents should be

kept for at six years.

Deposit/ATM receipts One month Reconcile these items with your monthly bank statement.

Divorce records Forever These documents may be needed for insurance or inheritance questions.



Education records Forever Some employers and certification programs may require transcripts or other documentation.

Greeting cards and letters As long as desired

Once you’ve enjoyed the sentiment of a card or letter, it has served the purpose the sender intended and can be let go.

Home repair & maintenance records Forever

Consult your tax attorney since it may depend on the nature of the project and the tax status of your home.

Insurance policies For the life of the policy

Some types of policies should be kept longer, including life insurance policies.

Investment records Forever Quarterly statements can be kept for one year, but retain the original investment documents.

Legal documents Consult your attorney

Once a case is settled, the documents may no longer be necessary.

Marriage records Forever These documents may be needed for insurance or inheritance questions.

Medical records Forever Keep copies of all test results and health reports.

Medical bills & statements Two years

If tax-related, keep for at least seven years. Other bills and statements may be needed for tax purposes



Mortgage records Forever These documents may be needed for insurance or inheritance questions.

Passports Forever You will need your expired passport when apply for a replacement.

Paycheck stubs One to two years Once reconciled with W2s, they are usually no longer needed.

Receipts (tax-deductible items) Seven years Tax supporting documents should be

kept for at six years.

Receipts (non-deductible items)

One to three months

Discard when the return period ends, and/or purchases have been reconciled with bank statements.

Tax returns & supporting documents

Seven years or more

Keep the actual state and federal returns forever. Supporting documentation should be kept for at least seven years. An audit can be performed up to six years after filing.

User guides & manuals Life of the item Most manuals can be accessed online if needed. Discard those for items you no longer own.

Warranties As long as you own the item

Keep warranties together in an easily accessible location in the home. Use a binder or document box for easy storage.

Wills Forever These documents may be needed for insurance or inheritance questions.


Guide for Recycling Excess Items Here is a resource that can be used for getting rid of excess items that you no longer need. It is by means exhaustive, but provides a starting point for most common household items.

Please note: This type of information is subject frequent changes, and should be verified for the most up-to-date guidelines.

Item Type Resource Info

Arts & craft supplies Check with your local schools.

Athletic shoes Nike Grind (www.nikegrind.com)

Soles for Souls (www.soles4souls.org)

Bedding & linens Humane society or animal shelter

Books Better World Books (betterworldbooks.com)

Prison Book Program (prisonbookprogram.org)

Building materials Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore shop (habitat.org)

Business clothing Check with your local shelter network.

Cell phones LifeCell (lifecellproject.org)

Cell Phones for Soldiers (cellphonesforsoldiers.com)

Computers & tablets Advantage Cartridge (recyclingadvantage.com)

Furniture Goodwill (goodwill.com)

Salvation Army (satruck.org)


Item Type Resource Info

Hauling and junk removal service 1-800-GOT-JUNK? (1800gotjunk.com)

Hazardous materials Earth911 (earth911.org)

Household and personal items

Goodwill (goodwill.com)

Freecycle (freecycle.org)

Ink & toner cartridges Advantage Cartridge (recyclingadvantage.com)

Staples (staples.com) and Office Depot (officedepot.com) *Free membership required.

Medical supplies Medical Teams International (medicalteams.org)

Medicine disposal Check with your city’s police department

Walgreens (walgreens.com)

Shredding services UPS Store (theupsstore.com)

FedEx Office (fedex.com)

Vehicles Check with your favorite charity for information


Meet Michelle I have always enjoyed organizing. I spent hours as a child rearranging my bedroom and organizing my books, clothes, and mementos. It is this passion that led me to graduate school where I earned a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science. As a university librarian, I taught students library and research skills. I also worked for multiple web design companies as an information architect, where it was my job

to organize large amounts of information for area companies, and make sure these websites were easy to use and navigate. My natural desire to help people also led me to work for several years in the not-for-profit world. As a professional organizer, I can combine my desire to help people live fulfilling and productive lives with my skill and training in organizing information and living spaces. Nothing would make me happier than helping you turn your home into a relaxing environment that allows you to live your life joyfully and efficiently!

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Michelle Kinney, Professional Organizer 331.209.0062 • PO Box 907, Elmhurst IL 60126 [email protected] www.bloomorganizing.net

Resources for Eliminating Clutter 2017

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