Today ends the first full week of “Select-an-Effort: Organizing Tasks for 2023.” Have you made any progress improving the organization of your space so far? If not, don’t worry. There are many more opportunities to come. Today we will turn our attention to your collection of paper supplies.
If you are like most people, your use of digital options has significantly grown in recent years. We are much more likely to text someone than call them, and we are increasingly more likely to send loved ones digital greetings than paper ones. Nevertheless, many people still buy, give, and send greeting cards and personal notes. Here are a few statistics that might surprise you:
- In 2020, the global greeting card industry was $23 billion. (source: PR Newswire)
- American consumers buy about 6.5 billion greeting cards every year. (source: Greeting Card Association)
- The average spending on greeting cards in the US is $29 per year. (source: Statista)
Of course, greeting cards are not the only kind of paper that people are using. Paper supplies include (but are not limited to):
- Notepads
- Reams of paper
- Adhesive notes
- Notebooks
- Greeting cards
- Stationery
- Envelopes
You might have a lot more paper than you think! Are you ready to refresh your stash? Here are three options to choose from today:
Low Effort
Do a quick cull of your collection of notepads, half-used notebooks, sticky notes, paper menus, random receipts, and “free” return address stickers. Trash/recycle what you no longer need.
Medium Effort
After getting rid of the “easy hits,” gather your collection of stationery and greeting cards. Match notes to envelopes and recycle any that don’t have a match. If you enjoy sending greeting cards, consider getting a greeting card organizer to hold your collection.
High Effort
Gather any “supply” paper you have in your house (e.g., notebook paper, construction paper, printer paper, scratch paper, etc.). Recycle any that is torn or bent, or that you won’t use. Decide where each type of paper will be stored. For instance, you might want to have some near your printer, or possibly near a child’s art table. Avoid storing paper in drawers with other items as they tend to slosh around and cover up smaller objects. Instead, you might want to purchase a paper sorter. Paper sorters are available in a variety of sizes and materials, and some are even stackable. Sorters like these help you take advantage of vertical space and keep the various kinds of paper separate.
* * *
Which type of paper is most out of control in your space?
This is something I really need to do. My penchant for not wasting anything has caused me to keep a lot of notepads I will probably never use. I also have some half used that could be consolidated. I will take your uggestions to heart and start to attack this.
This is a common source of clutter, as is your reason for holding on. Those notepads can also be donated, so they don’t have to go to waste!