simply-org.com Blog

ID theft is big business and one that you want to avoid. It can take up to a year to recover from ID theft with countless hours of time spent reclaiming yourself. One of the best actions you can take to control your private information is shredding. We are not yet a paperless society, so manage the paper that holds your personal information and protect your ID.

Here is a guideline list of documents and mail that you should shred to protect yourself from ID thieves.

(Use a Cross-cut shredder)

* Any paper that has your Social Security Number.
* Credit, Debit or ATM card Offers which are pre-printed with your name and address.
* Old Credit, Debit and ATM card statements.
* Receipts that show your Credit or Debit card number and your signature.
* Bank Statements
* Old Checks
* Investment Statements
* Old Passports
* Medical Statements
* Tax Returns(except any accountant will tell you to keep all your old tax returns forever)

Thieves are looking for two pieces of information: Social Security Number and your name. Add that to any bank, credit or financial statement and you are toast.

When in doubt, use good judgment and stick it in the shredder.

How can I make it easier for the kids to do their own clean up?

1. Do a big clean up together to get started.
Seperate toys into obvious and big categories like Star Wars, Legos, tea sets, dolls, etc. While you are going through all that plastic, purge anything they have out grown.

2. CLEAR BINS are better than opaque as the children can easily see the balls, Legos, action figures or whatever toy should go in to that bin.

3. LABEL, LABEL LABEL.
Labels make it so much easier to the kids to clean up on their own later.
Little kids who can’t read: Use photos and tape or glue them to the bins.
Older kids who can read: Use the words.

4. A SET TIME EVERYDAY for clean up will make it more of an expected thing to do than a surprise. Most kids do better with consistency.

As a side note, most Professional Organizers are not fans of trunks or other large boxes as the little items fall to the bottom and are lost forever….