Ask Flex / Drowning in paperwork
How long should you keep mail?
Not long. Except three kinds.
"Two years of envelopes. Some opened. I might need one of them."
"Three folders: tax papers, things I own, still open. The rest went out."
"I can't throw any of it out. What if?"
"If I need it, I know which folder."
An example. Your papers, your call. A tax pro gets the last look.
Most mail can go the week it arrives, and only a few kinds need keeping, like tax papers, anything tied to something you own, and anything still open. The IRS says to keep the papers behind a tax return for 3 years in most cases and longer in some, so a tax pro gets the last look at yours.
Know the three kinds to keep.
Tax papers
The IRS says 3 years in most cases. Longer in some.
Things you own
Home, car, big purchases. Keep those papers while you own it.
Anything still open
A claim, a dispute, a bill you're fighting. Keep it until it closes.
Shred what has your numbers
Account and Social Security numbers get shredded, not tossed.
Here are the kinds of mail and papers I have piled up, with private numbers left out: [list them, like bank statements, medical bills, tax forms, insurance letters, catalogs]. For each kind, tell me whether there's an official rule about how long to keep it, and where I can look that rule up. Don't guess at a rule. If you're not sure, say so. Don't tell me to throw anything out. I'll decide that after I've checked.
Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.The Paper Pile Word Search
Nine office words are hiding in the pile, plus one bonus word. A two-minute breather.
Find the words
Learn this in the Lab, free
A free group where you learn to use Claude for the repeat parts of your job: email, reports, forms. Start with a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job.
- Free
- No coding
- Works in Claude
How do you get rid of paperwork?
Scan what you need, let go of the rest, one small stack at a time. Flex has a page on it.
What if I'm drowning in junk mail?
Turn it off at the source. The FTC lists two places to start. Flex has a page on it.
What if I have anxiety about paperwork?
A lot of people feel that. Often it's not knowing what the page wants. Flex has a page on it.
Want to hand this to Claude?
Start in the Lab with the free 9-to-5 Job Triage: a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job. Everything inside is free.