October is American Magazine month, and magazines are a big part of the challenge when it comes to paper clutter.
The numbers of the top 100 American magazine subscriptions is staggering, in the billions! It’s no surprise then, that there are literally billions of magazines that come into our homes and businesses every month.
With these kinds of numbers, and with the busy lives that we lead, it’s difficult to understand how anyone has time to keep up with the reading associated with the materials that come through our doors every month.
Storing all this unread material can be costly, and can also turn into a fire hazard.
Stopping the clutter before it starts is the best way to manage paper clutter. The tips below provide a means to do just that. If you don’t stop the madness before it begins, your piles can become mountains that can topple over and create an avalanche!
Review Magazine Subscriptions:
Take a look at all the magazines you have in your house. You may have subscriptions for some, and others may be purchased when you are waiting – in line at the grocery store or perhaps at the airport waiting for a flight to board. Decide whether you want to continue getting subscriptions to all of these magazines. If you haven’t found the time to read several past issues, chances are that you won’t read the current issues either. Cancel subscriptions for those, or purchase an online subscription if available.
One In One Out Rule:
When you receive the current issue, discard the past issue. Please consider recycling for discarding anything that you can. This can be done in various ways. If you have curbside recycling, this is the most convenient way. Or you can remove the label and leave it at any waiting room when you visit – doctor’s or dentist’s offices, auto repair, etc. Please get their permission first.
Waiting rooms – this is also a great time to catch up on your reading so that your subscription doesn’t go to waste.
Reference Material:
Trade magazines can be a source of reference for the industry in which you work. These magazines need to be kept to refer back to specific articles or information, or do they? Even in this electronic age, we don’t always use technology to its full potential. Instead of keeping a stack of magazines, tear out the articles that you need for future reference, scan them and save them on your computer. Create a folder called reference materials and label each document with the date and name of the article.
What strategy do you use to manage your magazines?
