Here’s a little humor to start off the discussion on going paperless, and 10 great ways to get you there…
First watch this, to lighten the mood. My Mother sent me this video.. I love it. So funny.
Going paperless is still a challenge, even in this age of digital everything. My best advice is to start slowly. Here are 10 great steps you can take – knock them off, one at a time, and by 2014 you might just be paperless!
10 Great Ways to Get You to Paperless
1. Opt Out of Junk Mail Lists
Sign up for a service such as DMA Choice to opt out of junk mail and catalog lists. This is a simple thing to do and it will drastically reduce the amount of mail you receive. It’s free, and so is CatalogChoice.org or you can go with a paid service like Updater.com.
2. Pay Bills Online
Most big banks offer an online bill pay service for free. Just be careful when selecting an online bill pay service if it is not from a known company – there are more than a few scams out there.
3. Sign up for eStatements
Sign up to receive statements online – from your bank, credit card companies and other financial institutions.
4. Curb the Need to Print
Much of the paper you have you will only look at once, so curb your habit to print. Before you hit “print” on that email, document, or receipt, ask yourself if you really need a paper copy of it. Chances are you don’t.
5. Digitize Everything
Invest in a good scanner and digitize all those papers you have including old bills, important documents, even kids artwork. You’ll need 2 key things to make this happen – a good scanner and an online storage service.
6. Create a System for Incoming Mail & Other Paper
Open mail as soon as you get it. If you are brutal about it, to be kind to yourself, you will recycle or shred 80% of it. Have labeled baskets or bin for “Shred”, Recycle, To Read, etc. Remember, to manage incoming paper, the key is RAFT’d.
7. Go eBooks
Read Books with an eReader like Kindle, Nook or even your iPad or Phone. They are easier to use then you think.
8. Purge Old Books
Get rid of all those old books that are “non-keepers.” If they are in decent condition, consider donating them to Goodwill or a similar non-profit. Or start your own Amazon store. Have a goal that every book on your shelf is:
- A book you will read again
- A book you will refer to
- A book you will give as a gift to a visitor
- A book that is a collector’s item; an investment
- A book that is very meaningful or is part of the decor of your home (and these need to be nominal)
9. Minimize Magazine, Newspaper and Newsletter Subscriptions
Have subscriptions to only your very favorite periodicals. Be brutal about it to be kind to yourself. You can always subscribe online or buy one or two issues a year from the magazine stand. Most “free” subscriptions, like from your Insurance company or healthcare provider, can be stopped with one phone call or online request.
10. Convert Owner’s Manuals into iPad “Books”
Most, if not all, owner’s manuals can be found online now, especially the tech related items. They take up space, and how much do you actually ever refer to them? I realized I go online now anytime I have a product issue.
SOURCE: Thanks so much to Eden Godsoe of Skinnyscoop.com for this compilation, with my slight edits.
What do you think? I’ve gotten to 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9. Have you ticked any off the list yet?