8 Clutter Causers to Scan & Digitize to Get Organized

Overwhelmed by paper clutter? Digitizing documents has never been easier in the office or at home. The Fujitsu Scansnap is a great tool to help eliminate paper pile up anywhere. I love my ScanSnap iX500. It's so easy to scan right into a document, email, photo, or even wirelessly onto a mobile device! It can scan up to 50 pages at a time and there is no program to open before you scan, the menu pops right up, pick where you want it to go and the document is right there! You can even scan directly into Word or Excel and edit. Here are some ways the Scansnap can help reduce clutter:Mail: Most mail can certainly (and should) head directly to the recycle bin. Scanning what you need to keep can help eliminate paper pile ups in a big way. The most important part of scanning is making sure those papers have a file folder or category to be scanned into on the computer. Try to avoid scanning directly to the desktop where documents can build up like clutter.Kid's papers: Kids are constantly coming home with papers and artwork. Rather that letting everything pile up, simply scan to a file that you create for each child for every school year. As time goes on, the system will come in handy and become a great childhood memory.Keepsakes: Cards and mementos can be scanned and kept digitally forever. It takes up a lot less space to take a photo of an item and tell a story about it. It's a great way to save for future generations as well.Photos: No sense in having paper photos lying around when they can all be stored (and last longer) digitally. Get all of those old paper photos scanned and organized promptly.Recipes: Take all recipes stored in books and recipe boxes and digitized them all. It's quicker and easier to find a recipe in a hurry when they are digitally organized. It's easier to share them that way too!Receipts: Having a digital system for storing receipts can really tame the paper tiger. Quickly scanning receipts as you go keeps those pesky papers at bay.Bills: If you pay bills online you can simply scan the bill and schedule the payment all upon receipt. No more holding on to bills until they're due and missing deadlines.Office Documents: Everything from client records to contracts, proposals and legal documents. At Chaos To Order, we scan everything to keep it optimally organized.Remember to always have a backup of all digital files. Certain very important documents such as birth certificates, passports, stocks, titles and deeds, save the original in a safety deposit box. For most other documents you do not need the original. Always check with your accountant on exactly what to save based on your own individual needs. Scanning helps to eliminate the paper copy and allows you to have access at your fingertips on the computer or in the cloud. Just remember that it's ok to toss the paper once you scan!Need help making this all happen in your own home or office? With the Fujitsu ScanSnap and the expert organizers of Chaos To Order, we can walk you through the entire process from start to finish.