Get Organized: Part 4

In the January 2011 issue of Better Homes and Garden, Berit Thorkeloson suggest that you make this year a year to get organized. These expert tips will help you shed all that unwanted stuff as quickly and painlessly as possible. It is also a great way to show your kids how to get and stay organized. Below are 5 more tips:

1. If you're having trouble letting go of clutter, whether it's too many things in your house or too many things in your house or too many commitments eating up your time, think about what it requires you to sacrifice.  Less stuff means less to organize and less money spent.  Fewer activites means less running around and more family time.  Laura Wittmann, author of Clutter Rehab

2. "Go clean your roo," can mean lots of things, Give your kids a list of exactly what you expect, and let them check off the task as they are done."  Scott Roewer

3. Fit a cardboard banker's box with 13 poscket folders.  At the end of the school year, go through your child's artwork and school papers together to select only as many favorites as will fit in one folder.  memories from an entire school career will fit neatly on a shelf.  Julie Morgenstern

4. Keep a folder labeled "Tax Documents" where you sort your mail.  as statements come in, slip them into the folder.  When tax time comes, everything you need is in one spot.  Meredith Schwartz

5. Perform daily triage on incoming papers and mail.  Set up a desktop file box or wall-mounted file holder, with three folders: To Read, To Do, and To File.  Sort the keepers into one of the categories, then recycle the rest.  Schedule a weekly tiem to deal with the contents of each folder.  Laura Wittmann