Are you a Toronto Hydro customer? Read on to find out how you can help make a difference in child health by registering for eBills.
Ah, paper! Piles stashed in drawers, desks and closets. We all have it in some form or another and wish it would magically find a way to organize itself – or even better, disappear. Truth is, managing your paper mess takes your time, which almost every parent is a little short of (to say the least). But if you don’t give it some attention every now and then, you might find yourself drowning in papers. Reducing paper use at home will reduce your stress levels and will free up some extra time to take care of more important things.
Best of all, you’re being more kind to the environment and in some cases even making a difference in child health!
Here are a few SIMPLE ways you can reduce your paper clutter. Once you and your family are in the swing of things, going paperless will become easy and even fun!
Switch to Paperless Billing
Switch to eBilling and sign up for e-statements. Most companies are already encouraging you to make the switch. There are often some extra rewards/incentives for doing so.
Right now, Toronto Hydro is making a $10 donation to SickKids (up to a maximum of $100,000), on behalf of every customer signing up for eBills.
Now that’s a feel-good change you can add to your paperless plan!
Registering is easy. Customers can login to My TorontoHydro® at torontohydro.com or ask a Customer Relations Representative for assistance by calling 416-542-8000. So, what are you waiting for? If you’re a Toronto Hydro customer, sign up before December 10, 2017 and help contribute to the well-being of your community!
*Toronto Hydro will make a $10 donation up to a maximum donation of $100,000 to SickKids Foundation for eBill registrations received October 25 – December 10, 2017. Registrants are not eligible to receive a tax receipt for the donation to SickKids Foundation.
Get Digital
In some cases, having a hardcopy is a must (birth certificate etc.) but there are a ton of documents you can safely move online or to your devices.
• Receipts: Keep your receipts in a Ziploc bag or box until after reviewing/comparing against your monthly statements. When you’re ready, snap a photo of the important ones and upload onto apps like Shoebox.
• Events/Important Dates: Forget stickies, scribbled notes and paper calendars. When our kids come home with a monthly school calendar printout, we just enter it into our family Google Calendar. We had a blast learning how to use it and our tech savvy kids caught on right away! They might even teach you a thing or two 😉
Make a Command Centre
If you haven’t seen these on Pinterest already, you’re missing out on all the fun and functional ways to maximize space and declutter your home! Keep family life running smoothly by designating an unused space (a wall, corner or even a closet) and modifying it to fit all your family’s organization needs.
Add wipeboards or chalkboards for lists and messages. Put up slots for mail, coupons or school papers for each child so nothing gets misplaced. We have an iPad stationed at ours that’s equipped with handy apps and a charging station.
Be Strategic with Mail
Get out of the habit of opening your mail at the kitchen table or living room because chances are, it will stay there for a while! Open your mail near your recycling bin so that you can toss things you don’t need right then and there. Better yet, put a No Junk mail sign on your mailbox if you can and avoid it altogether. Unsubscribe to unwanted paper newsletters and flyers. Find some online that you like or will actually need.
Let Go of Old Homework/Projects
Kids bring home some pretty sweet stuff from school. Some of their assignments and projects are total keepsakes, other day-to-day assignments…not so much. I never toss anything away without going through it with my kids because what may not be special to me, could mean something to them. I have a bin for each of them to place completed assignments. At the end of the school year, we keep what we’re proud of, then PURGE! Reminiscing through schoolyear memories and accomplishments is a great way to spend time with your kids. Teaching them how to let go is important too.
Do you have tips for reducing your family’s paper clutter? We’d love to know in the comments!
This post has been generously sponsored by Toronto Hydro, the opinions and language are my own
