Getting buried in paper? Catalogs, junk mail, bills and flyers can get overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a system in place to deal with them as they come in. The longer you leave them untouched, the worse it will get. Sometimes, all you need is a week for things to get out of control.

A good way to deal with them is to first attack the paperwork you already have. Go through everything and divide the papers into a few general piles. Things that have to be dealt with immediately, like bills or permissions from your child’s school, should go on a pile. Catalogs, discount coupons and other papers you’re not sure if you’re going to keep should go on a second pile. You can go through the pile later on and decide what to keep and what to toss.

Each new piece of paper that comes in should go into the appropriate pile immediately. Don’t relegate the process until the next day or you’ll end with a new mess of papers to deal with. When opening junk mail, do it next to the waste basket and immediately throw away or put aside for recycling anything you don’t want or need to keep.

Buy containers to store your paperwork. Receipts you need to save for tax purposes should have their own place, as should office paperwork and personal mail. If you receive magazines and catalogs through the mail, have a special basket designated for them. Also, go through them on a regular basis and recycle or donate those who have been around for a while, so you can make space for the new issues coming in.

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Whether you work from home, run your own business or simply want a place where you can sit down to sort your bills, a home office can turn into a welcome haven. While having a dedicated room for it would be ideal, even a small corner in the living room or kitchen can be turned into a home office if you’re willing to make some sacrifices in space and design. Here’s how to set up a home office in five simple steps:

1. Choose the location. Make sure it’s in a quiet area where you’ll be able to concentrate and out of the way from major family traffic. You can convert a spare bedroom into a home office if possible or have a room play both duties.
2. Buy furniture that fits the space. Don’t buy the furniture first and then choose the placement, or you might be stuck with a piece that doesn’t fit properly or wastes space. For small areas in the kitchen or living room, a small rectangular table with a drawer or a corner desk should be enough. If you can have your own room, consider an L-shaped desk, so you can maximize the surface space.
3. Make a list of the equipment you will need. If budget is tight, start with the basics and then add other pieces as money becomes available. Essential items include a computer, phone (with its own line if you’re running a business), printer (or invest in a 3-in-1 scanner, printer and fax machine) and answering machine. You will also need a hutch or a filing cabinet where you can store office supplies and paperwork.
4. Invest in a good lamp, so you can work without straining your eyes. Even if you have good overhead light, get a desk lamp.
5. Personalize the area. Make it inviting so you will want to spend time there. Add some picture frames with either personal photos or images you love. Make sure your chair is well padded, especially if you decide not to go with a standard office chair. Keep small baskets and penholders on the desk so it’s easy to organize everything at the end of the day.

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As you prepare to pack and move, you probably are keeping track of the big things, such as buying moving boxes, contracting the moving company and getting your stuff packed. In the chaos of the move, however, it’s easier to forget the smaller things. Things that can make the move a lot less painful and the start of your new life a lot easier.

1. Let everybody know you’re moving. This includes the post office (so they can forward your email), magazines you subscribe to, friends and family members, and bill collectors and credit card companies.

2. Talk to your insurance company to inform them about your new address and to ensure coverage continues without interruption.

3. Call companies to schedule turning off your utilities at your old home and turning them on at your new address. You can arrange this in advance and simply give them a date and time (morning, mid-afternoon or end of the day).

4. Find out in advance if you need special paperwork to move your pets with you. If you are planning on stopping en route and sleeping in a hotel, make sure to call in advance and find out if they accept pets. Make a reservation if possible.

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While there are many articles everywhere on how to deal with clutter, few address a more important issue: How to prevent clutter from happening in the first place. By taking care of your possessions and making sure you don’t buy more than you need, you can deal with excess and prevent chaos from taking over your home.

Here are five ways to get you started:

1. Ask yourself a series of questions before you buy something. Do you really need it? Is there something you already own that can serve the same purpose? Do you have the space for it? Can you get rid of something to make space for the new item? How long are you going to use it? If this is something you will only use once or twice, can you rent it or borrow it instead of buying it?

2. Determine where the item is going to be placed. Not the general room or area of the house, but the specific location, such as “second shelf of the living room bookcase.” If you can’t find a specific location for it, it should be considered clutter.

3. Have a place to store it. If you’re buying Christmas decorations, cleaning supplies and products or a new set of china, make sure you have enough cabinet space or drawers to put these items away when not in use. Moving boxes make great for storing stuff you don’t use often.

4. Have a designated place for things you deal with regularly. Have a tray near the main door where you can dump mail as soon as it comes in. Or place a container near the entrance where you can put umbrellas, or a small wood rack where you can store shoes.

5. Get into the habit of donating things you no longer use or need. Don’t wait until they pile up so high that it will take you days to get through them. Go through your closet, your bookshelf and your garage once a week and make a bag of things you can give away. Drive the bags to the nearest thrift store at least once a month.

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If your house is in complete chaos, the idea of making sense of it all may seem overwhelming. However, there are some basic things you can do to get started in organizing and cleaning up your home.

STEP ONE: Prioritize

Look at what needs to be done and make a list with two columns: big changes and small ones. Big changes will include anything that requires purchasing furniture or driving to the library to donate a pile of books. Small changes will include organizing the kitchen drawers or clearing up the desk.

STEP TWO: Do it one room at the time

Things will get overwhelming fast if you think about everything that needs to be done. Choose one room and get to work on that one. Only move to the next one when you’re done or when the next step requires you to buy something or go out of the house. Start with the rooms that you use the most.

STEP THREE: Separate into piles

Divide everything that is lying around into three piles: everyday or often use, used seasonally, never used. Anything that goes into the third pile should automatically be put aside to donate or throw away.

STEP FOUR: Be ruthless

Discard anything that you don’t truly love, won’t use or is broken, especially if you already have a replacement and are just holding on to the older item “just in case it can be repaired one day.” It won’t, so let it go.

STEP FIVE: Find appropriate storing

Things will never be organized if you don’t have a proper place to store them. Whether it’s shelves, cardboard boxes or full pieces of furniture, having storage space means you’ll be more likely to put things away, rather than letting them pile in the corners.

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Buy a few good pieces of furniture. If you have lots of paperwork, countless books and piles of files, you need adequate storing space. A plain glass desk may sound appealing, but it will do you no good when it comes to organizing your office. Instead, buy a good desk with lots of drawers, shelving units with deep-set divisions and a filing cabinet that will accept thick files of all sizes.

Establish work zones. Make your desk a work center and store supplies and books in a different corner. If there are items, such as files and books, that need to be moved from place to place every day, get a few “transition” baskets and make sure things eventually return to their rightful place.

Keep frequently-used items handy. If you only use your scanner once a month, there’s no much sense in having take space on the desk. Instead, store it away on a drawer or cabinet. Printers, fax or other items that are used everyday should be near the computer and easily accessible.

Create a mail-processing area. A basket for incoming mail and a different one for mail that needs to be sent out is the bare minimum you’ll need. Keep envelopes, stamps and labels in a box or drawer nearby.

Do not allow non-office stuff to make its way into the room. It’s easy to let toys, magazines and empty coffee cups to linger around. You probably can’t expect to keep junk out of the room all the time, but make it a goal to get things out by the end of the day so they don’t accumulate.

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A home office is efficient way to take care of business at home. Though most people shudder at the thought of bringing their work home with them, having a home office can be both beneficial and another angle for design in the house. Whether actually working from home or just using the space for keeping tax records and bills in the same place, a home office can make life a bit easier.

The first question that might come to mind is where to put the office, especially when every room is already occupied. In this case, pick a section of a particular room. A corner of the family room perhaps.

Then decide how you would like to outfit the area. The desk can be anything from a simple table to an antique roll top desk.

Another consideration is a quality light source. This can mean overhead lighting or some type of lamp, whatever seems more comfortable. Make sure you choose a source that will light the area well so when pouring over important bills everything can be seen clearly.

Other considerations include file cabinet, printer/scanner/fax machine, a lockable, fire-proof box for extremely important documents, and any other office supplies that might be needed.

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