Home Organizing & Cleaning Tips, Hints

 MAIL and Appointment Organization

Keeping track of Bills and Appointments is not an easy chore, but with this guideline to follow on a daily basis, it will make your life stress-free. Keep this guideline in a place where you can look at it often and follow the steps easily and you will always know that you are paying your bills on time and never missing an appointment. 

 For Bills and Mail;

1. Bring in mail- throw away any junk mail right away
2. Open bills- mark due dates on your calendar
3. Put bills in folder so they don't get lost
4. Every Friday- Pay bills right away in the morning
5. All papers that you need someone else to look at- put in the file with 'their' name on it
6. Write appointments on your calendar- this is only for you!

Paying Bills

1. Get out your folder with all of the bills in it
2. Write out checks for the bill
3. Write on the bill (the part that you keep) the number of the check and the date that you paid it.
4. Put this receipt in your file box under the right name (the one you used when you set up the system)
5. Go on to the next bill and do the same thing (start over with number 1)

Appointments

1. Take card and write the date of the appointment on the calendar and whom you have to see and the time.
2. If you make a new appointment, cross out the old one and add the new one. Write the name of the person and the time on the right date.
3. Tape the appointment card to the top of the calendar
4. When you get home from your appointment: throw the old card away, write the new appointment on the calendar, and tape the appointment card to the top of your calendar.

Following these easy steps will make it easy for you to take care of those problems that you have with keeping track of bills and appointments. Hang this paper on the inside cupboard door near your telephone and refer to it when you bring your mail in the house. Go through the steps one-by-one and you will always have your system organized.

Jan Hayner is an Organizing Consultant and Professional Organizer that hopes to make life simple and organized for the ADHD person. Get your free pamphlets '50 Things to organized in 10 Minutes of Less' and 'Guilt Busters for the Working Mom' at her web site Easy Home Organizing.