- Paper. For some reason, this always seems to be the first thing to pile up. College mail, senior picture order forms, iPledge booklets, doodles, church bulletins with sermon notes scribbled in them, notes to myself, drafts of blog posts, summer homework... I can't keep up with it all. My solution? Fill out as many forms and homework packets as possible, then place them in my "paper" folder. I have a single folder that sits on the corner of my desk, where I dump all my papers. It's currently getting pretty full, so I'll be switching to a binder soon, to keep myself organized. As I learn recipes, start filling out financial aid and college applications, write college essays, learn daily cleaning routines for college, and keep a running list of everything I need to remember to do, a binder is simply more organized and practical. It will be no bigger than 3/4 of an inch to save space and put a damper on the clutter.
- Spare Change. Please tell me I'm not alone in this one! I save quarters- I see "value" in those, but the nickels, dimes, and pennies floating around in my purse announce my arrival before I even enter a building. However, I know that these smaller coins can build up over time. I have a small jar that I dump my spare change in. It's not ideal, but it keeps things contained. Once the jar is full, I roll the coins. The reason that I don't roll them as I receive change? I know that if I have to sort the coins, they'll build up in my purse and wallet. If I can just dump them in a jar, regardless of value, I know that I'm more likely to do it.
- Medications. Medications come with bookets, instructions, warnings, coupons, rebates, phone numbers, the packaging, and a million other things. I've never taken a medication with more paperwork than Isotretinion, and there's a lot that I need to reference each week. The packaging isn't compact, either. Unfortunately, medications are something that are difficult to "minimize," unless you have old medications that you stopped mid-cycle. It's not safe to keep those, so get rid of them! For current medications, don't buy in bulk. Buy how much you're prescribed and refill as needed, not several weeks in advance.When buying vitamins and supplements, buy single and larger bottles, to minimize the amount of bottles. If you take several separate vitamins (for example, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E), consider switching to a multivitamin (ask your doctor!).