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Helpful Hints

 

No matter how overwhelming a situation may seem, there is always a solution!   On this page we will answer some of the questions sent to us by our clients and visitors to our site.   If you have a question or situation you would like us to address, please email us at: helpme@njdespres.com.

 

Check out our BLOG for more great tips on organizing, cleaning, and hoarding recovery. 

"I can't seem to get control of the paper that piles up all over my house.  It accumulates on the counters, the desk, the end tables, the dining room table, the coffee table and every other flat surface of my house.  At this point, I don't know where to begin to try to sort through it all to separate the important stuff from the junk.  Do you have any suggestions?"  Pam from Hope

 

Paper. We had a client with a room-full-o'-paper. Trash bags, bins, boxes, etc. filled with about 8 years worth of every paper item that came into the house. Overwhelming for this person?  To say the least. This person had not been able to file his/her taxes for years as all the related documents were mixed in amongst the other items. Here is how we conquered the piles.Three categories with which to begin:
1. Important- Take action now! (Tax related, bring to safe-deposit box)
2. Keep/file- Papers that client needs and/or wants (pictures, momentos, contracts, warrenties)
3. Shred-  Anything that is not needed and/or wanted

Rule: As we go through each pile, bin, box or bag initially, no one item can be given more than one second of consideration. If unsure, put it in the keep pile.

Once sorted as above:
Take category 1, Important, and separate into further categories- taxes by year and safe deposit box. 
Next, separate each tax year file further, such as by property, business, personal, etc. and then bring to accountant. 
Bring items to safe deposit box.
 
Then, take Category 2, Keep/file, and create File Folders (computer if scanning/ manila if filing) for items that NEED to be kept.  Use the below as a guide.

1. Safe deposit or Fire-proof box: Birth/death certificates, SS cards, Marriage license, CURRENT insurance policy, Appraisals, wills, Deeds, Titles, Trusts.
2. Tax returns- by year for years recommended by IRS (see IRS website- differs according to your situation)
3. Receipts/Warranties- for major purchases and those items still under warranty
4. Real estate/residence records- home improvement, loan agreements, etc.
5. Financial- Annual- Year-end summaries for credit cards, mutual funds, bank statements & other investments by account- for past 6 years.
6. Financial- Monthly- Same as #5 for year by month (past 12 months)
7. Income- Pay stubs, direct deposit stubs for bank accounts, by month for 12 months
8. Accounts- Credit card rec't, withdrawal, deposit slips, ect. for one month- shred after reconciling w/statement.
9. Per Person- Work agreements, medical records, school records, commendations, awards, certificates, etc.

Create a system for things that you WANT to keep:
While sorting ask- Do I have enough of these and will I have time to read/review it? Is the information current? Could I get this again if I found I actually really needed it?
A good analogy here is magazines. How long does it take you to read one magazine? How many magazines do you have? Mutiply the time to read by the number of magazines and then ask yourself- do I have the time to read all these magazines?
Now, categorize what is left and find the best/most appropriate home/use for them.
Pictures- picture boxes, albums, frames, shadow boxes
Recipes- books or boxes
Cards, kids' drawings, etc.- scrap book, album, memory box.
Business cards, envelopes, etc.- address book

Why this system works.
As most of you have probably found out, when you are faced with more paper than you can handle in one day and you try to sort them into 15 different categories right away, the piles get kicked over, mixed up, confused, etc. This method makes for a quick three category system, in which you can sort into bins/boxes to keep it simple. I suggest taping an index card or putting a label on each of the three bins. This is also something you can do while watching tv or talking on the phone.  By breaking the process down into shorter steps with larger categories, it becomes less confusing to begin. 
Nicole
 "We have a problem with clothing.  We have three daughters and to try to save money, I keep the older girls' clothes for the younger girls,  But the closets are so overrun with clothing that no one can find anything, and I end up going out and buying new clothes anyway because I can't find the stuff I tried to store away.  How can I get a handle on it?"  Momof3G

         

Dear Mom-

Thanks for your question.  I am sure there are a lot of other families out there that have the same issue.  First of all, it is time to reevaluate just how many outfits each child really needs.  Depending on age and level and type of extra-curricular activities, look at the volume of clothing your child has with him/her and begin to reduce it. 

1.  Start by eliminating those items that THE CHILD doesn't really like, no matter how you feel about it.  If he/she isn't going to wear it, it is just taking up space.

2.  Take out the things that do not fit well- If someone else will fit in it and wants the item, pack it in a clear, plastic bin labeled with the child's name, the clothing size, and season.

3.  Remove clothing that requires repair.  Now, ask yourself, "Is this piece of clothing really worth the time it will take to fix it?"  If your answer is yes, put a label on it with a "mend by" date and place it in a clear container labeled "Clothing Repairs".  You will now need to schedule the time to make this project a priority by the "mend by" date, or it really isn't worth the time.   If your answer was No, trash it.

4.  Dispose of any clothing with stains.  That's right.  D.I.S.P.O.S.E.  What about play clothes?  Paint clothes?  Such-and-such clothes, you ask?  If you have that many articles of clothing in your house, you don't need to hold on to stained clothing too.  Reducing the amount of clothing will inevitably reduce the stock-piling of laundry and force you to treat and wash clothing on a more regular basis.  Today's good clothes will be tomorrow's play clothes.  And so the world turns.

5.  Next, let's make outfits!  Try to keep clothing that coordinates.  Mix-and-match works best.  If you think about buying a wardrobe in coordinating patterns and colors, you can purchase a lot less clothing but still get a ton of outfits!  This strategy works well with accessories too.  The simple black turtleneck sweater can look just as great with a pair of jeans on the weekend, as it will with a string of pearls and a skirt for Friday night out or under a blazer at work on Monday.  Get it? 

Good, now apply that thought process to everyone's closet and purge.  This can be tough, but you(& the kids) need to ask some hard questions here.  Do I love it?  Do I love the way I look/feel in it?  How many (sets of Gym clothes)(Bridesmaid Dresses)(Black t-shirts)(Bathingsuits) do I really need? 

6.  Now, the clothing that you do decide to keep and pass down should be labeled in clear, plastic totes with the child's name, the season of clothing and the size of the clothing inside.  

7.  Going forward, everyone should have a bag/box in their closet for items that fall into the first 3 steps above- I don't like it, it doesn't fit anymore or it needs repair.  At the end of each month/season, whatever works for you, you will take an afternoon to go through each person's bag/box and repeat as above.  Don't do any shopping until you have unpacked the appropriately labeled bin, and shop smart!

 

Hope this helps!  Remember, don't take it all on yourself.  Get the whole family involved, or if they're unable to because of age or ability, seek out the support of friends or professionals, like the staff here at NJDespres Enterprises!