OH: Week Nine and Ten

With the gorgeous weather we have been having I am a bit behind in my organizing. I have been spending more time outside then inside lately but finally got myself moving on these challenges. 

Organize Your Home: Week 9

Create A Home Mail Organizer

1. Choose a Central Location in Your Home to Gather and Process Mail
     I picked a spot where I can work on paperwork and near my files. 
2. Gather the Right Equipment and Supplies in the Home Mail Center
     The paper shredder, pens, Post-it notes, stapler, cards, address books, stamps, etc. are 
3. Create a Habit of Sorting and Purging Mail Daily
    Before I go to bed I go through the mail and recycle what I can. The rest now goes in the mail organizer. 
4. Designate a Weekly Appointment for Dealing with Paperwork
    Every weekend I go through the remaining paperwork. 

Organize Your Home: Week 10

How to Organize Bills 

1. Gather all the Bills in One Area
    All of our bills are found in our mail area. 
2. Set a Weekly Schedule to Focus on the Household Finances and Pay Bills
    I typically sit down a few times a week to keep caught up on our finances and I pay bills on the weekend at the same time as I do the above challenge. 
3. Organize Bills After Payment for Quick Access When Needed
     After the bill has been paid the bill is put in a specific file - Electric, Gas, Loans, etc. They are put in by date oldest to most recent. 
4. Create an Annual Routine for Getting Rid of Old Paper Bills and Cleaning Out the Filing System
     I do this every summer/fall. 

Now here are the pictures!

Before:

 I went through the Bulletin Board and organized that too! 

I had quite the little pile of paperwork and other random things sitting on the desk. 

I've been working on all the paperwork and trying to get to the end of this pile!

After:

 Organized and cleaned up. 

Our Mail and Bill Organizer! 

I have tried to avoid spending money on these challenges but for $8, this was a great option to get these things off the desk! 

The top shelf is for outgoing mail, birthday cards that need to be sent out throughout the month.

The bottom shelf is for the paperwork/bills I need to go through. 

Now to get started on this current week's challenge!