Day 4: Magazines and Newspapers

Welcome to Day 4 of 31 Days of Organizing and Decluttering!

Yesterday, I had you take a look at the books in your home to decide which ones to declutter. For those of you that did find some, let me commend you because making decisions on books can be difficult. But you did it anyway!!

Today, let's talk about magazines and newspapers. I mentioned in yesterday's post that I have two magazines and no newspapers in my home. Yep, that is it.

The best way to keep these types of reading material under control is to only keep the current version. Actually, the best way to keep these from becoming clutter is not to subscribe in the first place. Saves you time, space and money! For example if you get the daily paper, you would set the previous days paper into recycling when you receive the new one. For monthly magazines, you have the entire month to read the magazine before the next one arrives. Once it does that means the old one needs to go. Of course, it can go sooner, but the need to keep it much longer is usually unnecessary.

Based on my past experience, I very rarely go back and read old magazines. And have you noticed that magazines tend to have similar articles in them from month to month? Many women's magazines seem to want to tell us that next beauty tread, or how this particular exercise will target belly fat. It's something new every month, but yet not new. At least that is how I see it. I really try to avoid those type of periodicals. However, they can be fun to browse.

I know why some of us keep them. We want to try that tasting sounding recipe. Or use it to help us remember to try the new exercise or the vacation spot mentioned. I have made recipes out of magazines, but I have found that it is best to try it that first month I have the magazine. If I like it, then I keep the recipe portion only. In fact, I usually try to find a link to the same recipe online and save that. Or even, type the recipe into a document on my computer.

And a word about newspapers. They are awesome! I have always like it when we have subscribed. They do provide a lot of good local information. Generally, the same information can be found on the newspapers website. Not always, but usually. If you are one that needs to read every last article before it can leave your home and you have a months worth of newspapers sitting beside you, I ask WHEN are you going to read all of them? It is really hard to catch up once you are behind and often by the time you read it the news is old. I suggest letting go of all newspapers in your home that are more than a day old. Read today's paper and start anew.

What do you think? Do you have some magazines to let go of? Are all the newspapers out to the recycle bin too? Could you even go as far as to cancel some of the subscriptions? Let's get those magazines and newspapers purged!