The Top 5 Ways I Reduce Paper Clutter in My Home

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Last updated on July 25th, 2024 at 08:48 am

I talk a lot about paper clutter around here. I mean, it’s the #1 household item that everybody’s got, right? Because I’m sooooo tired of paper, I’ve been making a clear effort to reduce the paper clutter in my home.

I get mail, hubby brings home notes and receipts, kid brings home artwork …when does it end?!

Although I purge paper often, I can’t really get rid of some papers I might need for reference. So I’ve gone mostly digital.

This doesn’t work for everything in my life, but it does help with some. I still like owning physical cookbooks and pretty notebooks for jotting things down, but it’s nice to be able to scan the information I need into a device and throw away the paper.

So here are my top 5 hacks to reduce the paper clutter lying around the house:

Online Statements

I get so much physical mail every single week that it’s a pain to open it. Don’t you hate seeing that stack staring you in the face?

So to end some of the agony, I signed up for online statements so at least that puts a stopper to some paper walking through the door.

Most bills can be paid online, so you don’t even need the envelope these companies send for you to mail your check.

There’s one way to reduce the pile of paper on your counter.

A couple years ago I set up online bill pay through my bank, and I’m never going back. It’s so much easier to see all my utility bills in one place rather than having to log in to different accounts.

By the way, if you get a ton of junk mail, you can use this website to opt-out of all those annoying credit card offers that have to go in the shredder.

You’re welcome.

Digital coupons

Not gonna lie. I throw away paper coupons.

Seriously! You don’t need them!

Everybody has digital coupons nowadays. If it’s somewhere you shop often enough where you have an online account, there’s usually a place to “download your mobile coupon” while you’re standing in the checkout line.

You probably use Target’s Cartwheel app. But did you know you can get discounts on groceries by using an app like Ibotta?

I use it every week. It’s so much easier than clipping coupons (which I never do, although I know some people are really into it).

I guess that solves the problem of, “I left my coupon at home! Again!”

Ebooks

All my girlfriend’s have been reading Jennifer Fulwiler’s book One Beautiful Dream. It was on sale on Kindle for $1.99, so I sent out a message to let them all know. One of the girls replied, “I only read actual books I can hold and smell and write all over…lol.”

I used to feel the exact same way …until my kid came along. I was looking for something to do sitting in the dark, waiting for her to fall asleep. An ebook was a perfect solution. I didn’t need extra light and it doesn’t make any noise (you know, paper).

You know what else is great? They don’t take up space on your shelves and they’re often cheaper than physical books. Plus, you can still highlight them, add notes, and they’re SEARCHABLE!

That means I can look up my favorite Anne of Green Gables quotes whenever I’m in the mood.

Ah, joy.

Emailed/Digital Receipts

So many places will let you have a receipt emailed instead of handing you a piece of paper. I’ve seen it at my bank and at most small businesses. 

I recently began using the Monarch Money app to file all my receipts. Now I can easily find receipts since I can simply search by category, date, or merchant. No more digging through piles or searching through massive paper folders!

Read the complete post on how I ditched my receipt pile with Monarch here >>>

(Total random thought: Do you ever need to find something in your house and wish you could just pull up a search bar to figure out where it is? This is probably coming with those smart home things, huh? Am I the only one that finds that both helpful and kinda freaky?)

The Cloud

I’m not a binder person. (I know, you’re staggering in shock, aren’t you?) I just can’t get over the utilitarian aesthetics of binders, I don’t care what color or pattern you put on them. Maybe it’s a leftover aversion from school?

Whatever it is (let’s not read too deep into it), I’d rather keep my “binders” …wait for it …digital.

I use both Evernote and Google Drive for nearly all my stuff.

I keep recipes, digital receipts, and home maintenance type stuff in Evernote. The biggest reason I use Evernote is its ability to take pictures of papers. I can toss the originals and be able to search for what I need.

Google Drive is great for my business because I can link other apps to make my business run more efficiently. Plus, file sharing and storage are awesome.

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Those are the top 5 ways I reduce paper clutter in my home by going digital. You can’t deny the convenience of online statements, mobile coupons, ebooks, emailed receipts, and online storage.

Do you use any of this stuff to help you reduce your paper clutter? What else do you use? Let me know in the comments below!