Time management can be an ongoing challenge. Just looking at your to-do list can be exhausting. You might need to find more efficient ways to take care of tasks. Start by reducing how much paper you handle. Whether you know it or not, dealing with paper can be a time waster as well as a hidden money leak. Here are some tips to reduce managing it.
Sign up for paperless billing wherever possible.
Paperless billing cuts back on paper clutter and helps you get more organized by default. It’s so much easier to keep things tidy when there are fewer stacks of paper to sort and manage. Not only will you cut back on the amount of paper you handle, it frees up precious time to make more money, focus on more vital tasks or do something enjoyable instead.
Set up an extra email just for your bills.
If you fear that going paperless means your bills will get lost in a sea of spam or sandwiched between deal alerts or “chain mail†forwarded by your aunt if you switch, consider making a separate email just for your bills. It’s a practical way to manage them from one central spot. If you worry that you’ll forget to check it, have the emails go straight to your phone. It can serve as a reminder to pay them and give you ample time to look them over before the due date.
Get off of mailing lists.
I recently signed up to attend an area conference. After rushing to fill out the information, I guess I missed a portion of the fine print. It probably explained in some heavy legal terminology that I would grant permission to have mailings sent to me about similar events. Nothing makes me more angry. It’s like playing whack-a-mole with some of these companies. Once you ditch something, something else springs up.
When I get a few spare moments in my day, I actively call and get taken off such lists. While it takes some time out of my schedule, it reduces the amount of time it takes later to sift through these brochures. I also know that I am helping the environment in some small way.
The Bottom Line
Free up your time with the tips mentioned above. You can potentially take on more work, do less or spend more time enjoying the money you actually make. The time you used to spend opening envelopes, recycling paper and shredding bills or sensitive information can drastically be reduced and your time will be better spent.
Karen is a Nationally Syndicated Personal Finance Writer who sharpens her skills at US News Money. You can also find her placing clients on podcasts and reading about home office organization, productivity and habits.
Due is a payments, eCash, online invoicing, time tracking, global payments, and digital wallet solution for freelancers, small business owners, and companies of all sizes.