How to Recycle Anything. 5 Steps to Simpler Record-Keeping. Step 1: Toss Verified Receipts and ATM Slips Nearly all of your financial papers can be divided into three categories: records that you need to keep only for the calendar year or less, papers that you need to save for seven years (the typical window during which your tax return may be audited), and papers that you should hang onto indefinitely. For instance, do you really need to save all those ATM-withdrawal receipts? No. Once you've checked the information as it appears in your online account or on your monthly statement, you can throw away the ATM slip.
The same holds true for deposit slips and credit-card receipts. Don't keep sales receipts for minor purchases after you've satisfactorily used the item a few times or the warranty has expired. "Typically the entire year's activity is listed in detail on your final, end-of-the-year statement, making every other statement redundant," says Ed Slott, a CPA in Rockville Center, New York. Accordion File Folder and Glove Compartment Organizer. A Media Center Makeover. Organize Your Broom Closet. A Coat Closet Makeover. Real Simple Organizing Products. Clutter-Busting Secrets of the Pros. Create a Gift-Wrapping Station. Organize Your Vacation Photos. Systems for Managing Your Mail. Cassette Case as Cord Organizer | 2 Clever Ways to Organize Your Cords. 6 Ways to Brighten Up a Playroom. Organized Home Office.
Surprise Storage. Surprise Storage for the Living Room. A Messy Playroom Gets Organized. 20 Mudroom, Laundry Room, and Garage Organizing Tricks. Set Up an Efficient Laundry Room. Transporting and Sorting Few moments are more absurd than the times you beg your loved ones for their dirty laundry. That's why you should put a few receptacles in strategic locations that will make transporting and sorting clothes easier, says Linda Cobb, author of Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean ($10, amazon.com).
A hamper, a basket, or a bin should go in each family member's bedroom or bathroom. Even if you can't get every family member to do his or her wash, you can save time by giving everyone a portable receptacle. Dabbing, Pouring, Restoring Keep everything you need near the washer, on a shelf preferably at eye level. Arrange products from left to right in the order you use them. Photo Storage. Mail Organizing Checklist.