Cutting the Clutter in 2010

Are you drowning in a sea of stuff?

Finally get your home and office out of their "mess phase" in 2010 with the great ideas two organizing mavens shared on "The Early Show."

Kristen Connors, owner and founder of Clutter Busters, discussed first how to organize your whole house.

Connors said all basic objects in your house can be sorted into three main categories: what to keep, what to toss and what to give away.

You will find those three categories fit with everything from the dishes in your kitchen to the clothes in your closet, Connors said.

Connors' Tips for Organizing Your Stuff:

CLOTHES:
Here you want to employ the strategies of marry, date or dump. Are you married to the clothing item? Are you just dating them? Or is it time to dump them? Arrange three hampers in front of you to help you decide.

WHAT TO MARRY:
Timeless items that last throughout the years, the stuff you love yourself in, stuff that makes you feel good.

WHAT TO DATE:
This is your maybe pile. For this one you want to think about whether or not this outfit is good for certain occasions. Perhaps you aren't quite sure how you feel about it yet. Perhaps you bought it for a specific occasion, and it's no longer necessary.

WHAT TO DUMP:
It's out of style, you will never wear it again, buttons have been missing for a few months, or perhaps you have outgrown them. (Let go of the skinny jeans!)

HOW TO ORGANIZE:
Start the new year by turning your hangers backwards, so the hook faces you. As you wear the items, wash them, return them to the closet and flip the hangers the other way. This will help you to keep track of your heavy-use items, what did you wear and what you didn't. If there are items you haven't worn all year, put them in the dump pile for next year.

TOYS:
Your kids are not going to be crazy about getting rid of their old toys. They get sentimentally attached to what they have, and they don't like the idea of giving stuff away, not to mention throwing it away. First of all, be honest with your kids; explain to them that we have to get rid of old toys for new ones. Holidays and birthdays are a great time to clean up your old toys.

WHAT TO KEEP:
If you have a younger child that will enjoy the toy, keep it and hand it down. Also, perhaps it's a family heirloom or a collector's item, or your child can't bear to part with it.

WHAT TO GIVE AWAY:
If a child has outgrown it, and they have no younger sibling who can use it, it's time for it to go to another child.

WHAT TO THROW AWAY:
If it's dirty, if it's broken or there have been pieces missing for over a month, it's time to go. Especially if there is no younger child that will use it as a hand me down.

HOW TO ORGANIZE IT:
One great idea is to get games and toys that are in boxes that are stackable. First of all, it looks neater, second of all, it comes straight out of the box, and to the box it will return. In the process of organizing your toys, if you find that there are left over puzzle pieces or toy pieces, and you think they can be put back with the toys they belong with, get a big Ziploc bag and store them for one month. Then place your keep your toys in clear bins and label them and put them on a book shelf, or closet.

BOOKS:
Start by removing every book from the shelf, which allows you also to dust. Ask yourself, "Will I read this or open this book again? Is this a book I want to read aloud to my kids?"

WHAT TO KEEP:
Large books for display, classics, first editions and series are usually going to prove to be worth keeping. Narrow your books to the basics.

WHAT TO TOSS:
Paperbacks that are in bad shape. Old telephone books, too - they will keep coming every year, and everything is online.

WHAT TO GIVE AWAY:
Books you read but weren't to your taste, that you think others might enjoy.

For more clutter tips, go to Page 2.

Sarah Humphreys, executive editor of Real Simple magazine gave the lowdown on what to keep (and throw out) in your office.

Now that the holiday season has come and gone -- your credit card bills, bank statements, stock options and insurance forms are sitting in a pile in your completely unorganized office. Humphreys said now is the time to start 2010 off right by de-tangling the clutter.

THE BASICS:
Everyone has important documents (credit card statements, social security information, etc) that are very important to copy and keep, but must be discarded properly to prevent identity theft.

SCANNER:
Why not go paperless? You can find various scanners that work with your online operating systems for about $200 at office supply stores nationwide that will allow you to scan your important files, make digital files, and save on your computer.

SHREDDER:
Eliminate the anxiety when discarding your important documents. A good rule of thumb is to shred any document that has any of the following information: account number, SS number, name, address/phone number, password/PIN, birth dates or signatures.

DOWNSIZING:
Nearly all of your documents can be divided into three categories: records that you need to keep only for the calendar year or less, papers that you need to save for seven years (the typical window during which your tax return may be audited), and papers that you should hang onto indefinitely

WHAT TO KEEP FOR THE YEAR:
Paycheck stubs, monthly credit card and mortgage statements, utility bills (if they are not needed for business deductions), and monthly or quarterly reports from brokerage and mutual-fund companies for the previous year.

WHAT TO SAVE FOR SEVEN YEARS:
Final credit-card statements, along with your W-2s and 1099s, canceled checks and receipts for all deductible business expenses (such as those for entertainment, home-office equipment, and professional dues), retirement-account contributions, charitable donations, child-care bills, out-of-pocket medical expenses, alimony, and mortgage-interest and tax payments/returns.

WHAT TO HANG ON TO INDEFINITELY (for you and the kids):
All wills, birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, property deeds, social security cards, and other permanent records in a safe but accessible place near your other financial documents, so you and your heirs will always be able to get to them quickly, if they need to.

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT:
If you receive important documents electronically, you don't need to print statements out as long as you can access them for the recommended period of time. If you can't rely on the online system, we'd rely on the scanner to make PDFs of each.

WHAT'S STILL IMPORTANT:
Even though the times have changes, be sure to hold on to your paper copies-you still need them!

CUTTING THE CLUTTER:
Do you really need to save all those ATM-withdrawal receipts, check cashing receipts and gift receipts for presents you know you'll never return? No.

WHAT TO SHRED:
Once you've checked the information as it appears in your online account or on your monthly statement, you can throw away the ATM slip. The same holds true for deposit slips and credit-card receipts. Don't keep sales receipts for minor purchases after you've satisfactorily used the item a few times or the warranty has expired. Keep receipts for major purchases (any item whose replacement cost exceeds the deductible on your homeowners' or renters' insurance).

WHAT TO ORGANIZE:
As bills come in each month, make sure to put them in the same place, every time. Use a filing cabinet and toss everything in. This way, you'll avoid major headaches when you have to pay your bills -- everything will be together.

HOW TO ORGANIZE IT:
Use separate file folders for the major categories of your life: credit, home, utility, tax, medical, college, retirement, etc and file accordingly when each document comes in. When you need to gather statements for each category, everything is right in front of you.