Gaining Space

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What to do with those old magazines

Do you have piles of old magazines lying around?

  • Maybe they’re unread.

  • Maybe they’re read, but they have dog-eared pages and Post-it notes sticking out the sides.

You don’t throw them out because they have information in them you’ll need later, right?!

The solution to piles of magazines

1) Scan them and keep them online.

  • Scan the pages using Scannable or simply take a photo of the page you want to save.

  • Then, choose an app or online file hosting service like Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, or whichever online tool you’re comfortable with.

  • Create an online folder called “magazine clippings” (or similar) and give each file a detailed name (so it will be easily searchable later).

  • Note: Don’t try to be fancy. These files are for YOU, not for your boss or the butler, Geeves. Don’t use a word like “auto” when you talk like “car.” Name your files something that YOU will remember. What words will come to mind in the future when you’re looking for this information?

Or...

2) Decide you are never actually going to need that information

  • Ask yourself how long that pile of magazines has been left untouched. Are you really going to reference these someday? No? Then...

  • Recycle all those magazines in one fell swoop.

Getting rid of the magazines may be difficult for you…. which is why I offer you option 1 above.

Then you may say, “But scanning everything is going to take FOREVER!”

To that I say...

If the information is important enough to keep AND clearing the clutter and getting out of overwhelm is also important to you, then it’s worth your time!

Doing this was the best thing I ever did for my home! 😍

3) Set boundaries for the future

Decide what your ‘magazine retention policy’ will be.

I’ve allowed myself ONE MONTH to keep magazines.

Once the new issue arrives, I must be finished with the previous month (or recycle it anyway).

* * *

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