How many times have you had to forego returning merchandise to a store because you couldn’t locate the sales receipt? Or how many times haven’t you been able to take advantage of a manufacturer’s warranty because you couldn’t find the sales receipt showing proof of purchase?

Now is the perfect time to end your sales receipt clutter and your hunt for lost ones by placing your sales receipts in a 4 x 6 box with a lid. Add an A to Z alphabetical file card index inside the box so you can organize your receipts by store name. If you have a Target receipt, place it behind the letter “T.” If you have a Bed Bath & Beyond receipt, place it behind the letter “B.” If you have no reason to keep the receipt toss it.

I recommend using a box that is decorative or stylish so it looks like it is part of your décor. If your box is tucked away in a cabinet or drawer, it may take too much effort to use it consistently. One of my favorite lines of storage boxes is the Cargo line (pictured) as they are sleek and stylish and available in six colors.

If your receipt is for an item with a warranty, photocopy the sales receipt and attach it to the item’s manual and warranty. If you don’t photocopy the receipt, you may find that in just a few months your receipt is so faded it appears blank. Most sales receipts these days are on thermal paper. Thermal paper images will fade eventually making your sales receipt blank.
Don’t wait any longer to organize your receipts. Perhaps you can use items you already have on hand. Find a small box and cover it with fabric or paper to match your décor. Label blank index cards with the letters A through Z and place them inside.

I recommended purging your sales receipt storage box every 6 months. You can to it effortlessly while watching a television show.

Happy receipt organizing!

Sometimes the simplest things can make life so much easier. In this case, I am referring to the Command™ Quick Clips from 3M. The Quick Clips can be used at home, in the office, or at school to simply hang up papers or photos where you never thought possible.

The Quick Clip is a small clear clip that adheres to almost any smooth or semi-smooth surface, such as walls (with paint or wallpaper), wood, metal (your refrigerator, washer, or dryer), tile, glass, and mirrors. Command™ strips allow you to decorate and organize damage-free with no tools, nails, or screws needed. The Command™ strip has special adhesive technology, so when you are ready to remove the Command™ adhesive strip, simply pull straight down and as the strip stretches, the adhesive releases. Walla, the adhesive strip is off with absolutely no surface damage.

When it comes to Quick Clips, all you really need is your imagination as you decide where best to hang a schedule, a list, a photo, or a piece of your child’s artwork. You can put a Quick Clip inside your kitchen cabinet door, on your stainless steel refrigerator, or on your cubicle walls at work.

If you are considering trying the Quick Clips by Command™ or other Command™ products, take advantage of $5.00 in coupons from 3M at www.commandcoupon.com. The coupons expire June 22, 2009, so hurry on in now to a store carrying 3M products. You’ll be sure to find Quick Clips at Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer, and Menards. Command™ products can also be found at a variety of other stores including grocery, hardware, office supply, and craft.

Happy paper hanging!

Over the past few years more and more retail stores and restaurants are offering coupons. This is great for the consumer but it can be a daunting task keeping these coupons organized.

First of all, don’t mix grocery store coupons with non-grocery store coupons. Grocery store coupons should have their very own organizer and a totally different type of organization that isn’t being covered here.

Now for your retail store and restaurant coupons (like Bed, Bath, & Beyond and TGI Friday’s), keep them together in an organizer that allows you to have dividers with alphabetical separations. You’ll want to organize your coupons alphabetically by the name of the retail store or restaurant. A coupon for Chico’s would fall behind the letter “C” while a coupon for Macy’s would fall behind the letter “M” and a coupon for TGI’s Friday would fall behind the letter “T.” You can group 2 or 3 alphabetical letters together, i.e., AB, CD, EFG.

If the store begins with the word “The” don’t file it under the letter “T”, instead use the next main word. You will find that some coupons are so large that they need to be trimmed on the sides. Use an organizer similar to the one pictured above. You can find this particular organizer at Office Depot. There are 13 divided compartments and 13 small paper tabs that group alphabetical letters together.

Now that you have taking the time to organize your coupons, you’ll want to make sure that you use them. To increase your chance of using the coupons, I highly recommend keeping your coupon organizer in your car at all times.

Please note, if you use the type of organizer pictured above, place a tiny piece of Scotch™ tape on each side of the clear tab to hold the white paper tab inside. If not, when the organizer is tipped, the paper tabs may fall out.

Happy coupon cutting,

As Professional Organizers, we often get asked how long to keep a particular type of paper. Online there is an easy to follow record retention guide. On this chart you’ll find that Bank Rate recommends keeping your check stubs for “One year, and then when you receive your annual W-2 form from your employer, make sure the information on your stubs matches. If all information matches, shred the stubs; if not, demand a corrected form, known as a W-2c.” 

Remember to record the direct deposit in your account register as soon as possible so you can reconcile it with your bank statement or online records.

I wish you organizing success!

In the past 5 days I have the pleasure of presenting Paper Management twice, once each in the suburbs of Philadelphia and Allentown. As a Professional Organizer, I find that paper management is the number one needed service, whether at home or work.

One of the biggest struggles with papers is determining what to keep and what to toss. During the seminar we covered the retention period of every type of paper in your house. If you are hanging on to papers because you’re not sure what to toss and what to save, click here  to see what the financial experts say.

I also covered how to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by registering with the Direct Marketing Association. One woman in attendance raved about how this method decreased her junk mail and catalogs. If you would like to reduce your mail and/or catalogs go to the DMA’s website to register.

If you were in attendance at either of these two seminars, please post your favorite tips or methods that you learned. Also, post your questions or let us know what you have accomplished so far.