A major source of clutter for many people is magazine subscriptions. One of the best ways to cut down on stacks of magazines all over your house is to tear out only the pages that contain information you want to keep.  This is a great project for a lazy evening in front of the television or when you just have a few extra minutes.

I recently flipped my way through an enormous stack of old magazines. It felt great to tear out pages and recycle the rest. I sorted the loose pages into the following categories based on my interests:

+ Home Decorating

+ Gardening

+ Organizing Ideas (predictable, I know)

+ Fitness

+ Recipes

+ Craft & Gift Ideas

+ Holiday Entertainment

After tearing and sorting, I added clear plastic page holders to four three-ring binders, inserted a labeled tab page for each category, and inserted the pages in the plastic.

I grouped all of the “home” categories together in a 2-inch binder, the “recipes” got the same treatment because the stack was very large, and “organizing” and “fitness” are now stored in easy-to-carry 1-inch binders that I can flip through quickly and toss in a bag for inspiration or use when I’m with a client or at the gym.

Finally, I labeled the spine of the binder using a marker and colorful paper and lined them up next to my desk, so I always know where creative ideas live. By going through this process you might even discover that you aren’t interested in a subscription any longer, so you can save money and stop clutter by simply cancelling it!

photo courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/