Photograph the Clutter

Red Dragon Touring Company: A dance and acting group from the Renaissance fair circuit I joined as a kid. I scanned the outdated binder I had been holding on for years because I wanted the info, but was unlikely to use it.

I don't have a lot of space. I've found that since high school, maybe even middle school, I've had papers. Loose papers everywhere. Back then I had an "important papers box" I kept everything in. Sadly, even with a filing cabinet, things haven't changed much, but now I have a way to at least cut down on the paper pile.

First, if it is important and can't simply be entered on the calendar with details included, it gets to stay in the box until it's dealt with (stuff like permission slips)

Otherwise, Photograph or Scan and Toss! (in the recycling of course)

If it's not worthy of being framed or in some sort of memory book aside from taxes, having a digital copy is probably all you need. Is you child really going to want the hideous blob of a salt dough snowman they made when they were four? Or is a picture good enough? The picture will probably do the job. This works best for me so I don't feel like I have to keep each adorable scrap of mommy and me stick figures which I love.

I often take pictures and so when I need to dig up the phone number of my child's teacher, I scroll from my pictures uploaded in August and bam! It's there.

I understand, not everyone has the digital room for photo storage. Obviously, there are other strategies you can use to keep track of that sort of thing, but as long as they free you from the paper clutter, do it!

Do it! Tell the snowman thank you, and toss it. The photo will be enough. I promise.