Organizing Periodicals

Professional organizer Linda Koopersmith suggests easy ways to keep track of the magazine and newspaper articles you want to read, but haven't. She uses a three-ring binder to create an index of articles and a labeled magazine holder for easy access.
Don't subscribe to more magazines and newspapers than you're able to read.

When you read a magazine, keep a piece of paper and pen nearby on which to write the names of recipes and articles of interest and their page numbers. After finishing the magazine, find each entry and tear or cut out the page. Place them in a 3-ring binder and use tabs to divide them by subject.

You can also use an index for magazines that are kept intact--include magazine name, article/recipe title and date. Place this index in the binder with the other articles and store the magazines in a box in the garage or a closet. Label the box with the magazine name and dates, so you can get the right one quickly.

When you like an article in a newspaper, cut it out instead of keeping the whole paper. Throw the rest of it away.

After cutting out the article, instead of placing it in a pile or box, glue it to a white sheet of paper. One sheet of paper can hold an article on each side.

Insert these articles in a binder and divide them into sections to make them easy to find--an index also helps with organization.