Organizing Mail and Bills

• When removing mail from your mailbox, quickly look through it to identify those items you don't need or didn't ask for, like advertising and bulk rate mailings, and immediately throw them away.

Use this file (figure B) for time-sensitive information like bills, invitations with directions, airline tickets and birthday cards.

• Materials needed: 12 folders labeled with the months of the year and 31 folders numbered 1-31 for the days of the month.

• Airline tickets — If the tickets are for a trip you're taking two months from now, place them in the appropriate month's folder.

• Invitations with directions — If the party is on the 14th of the month, write the event on your calendar and place the directions in the folder labeled 14.

• Birthday cards — Never forget to send that card! Buy cards in advance and place them in the appropriate month folder.

• Bills — When you place your bills in the manila envelope, write yourself a note to pay that bill, and place the note in the "Payday" or other appropriate folder. (Be sure to allow for mail time.)

• At the end of the month, take everything out of next month's folder and file each item in the appropriate daily folder.

• Check your punch-up file each morning. It can be placed in a drawer, but if you need it in view so it's not "out of sight, out of mind," put it in a step-up file on your desk or counter.