The downside of owning stuff is that everything these days comes with paperwork.

Ugh.

Now, I love that paperwork when it shows me how to change the nozzles on my power washer, I’m not such a big fan of the 48 page manual showing me how to sit in a chair.

Even if you’re a fan of thrifting and vintage shopping, it’s inevitable that some tech or appliance will come with a load of paperwork. Here’s some ideas on how to manage it.

Idea #1 – digitize everything

In my first home I did a project to find every single owner’s manual I had in paper form online, downloaded and saved the PDF and tossed the original. This was a HUGE space saver, of course, but there are a few tips.

• make sure you’re matching the exact model numbers and manufacturer
• immediately rename the PDF to something you’ll recognize
• copy the PDF to an online source like Dropbox for security in case your computer crashes

This was a huge help when I moved because I could take every PDF that went with items staying in the home and give them to the new owners (who were thrilled) and also delete files for items I donated or sold.

Idea #2 – downsize the files

I remember so clearly when a blogger I used to follow shared that she had moved, to several houses, an instruction manual for how to sit on her couch in 8 languages. I checked some of my manuals and yep, I was also storing directions in multiple languages for items I absolutely knew how to use.

If you’re not a multi-lingual household, you can simply tear out and throw away those extra pages and keep only what you need.

Idea #3 – digitize the files

When I found the digital versions of my owner’s manuals online as PDFs, there were only a few that were unfindable. For each one I made the call to save as a physical copy, toss, or digitize. With a scanner, turning pages into a digital file is a 5 minute task and I could work on them slowly over time.

Idea #4 – store the files

For owner’s manuals you do want to keep, storage is critical to keeping your sanity. I recommend starting with a basket of some sort to contain everything as you’re finding owner’s manuals all over the place. Then, when you know how many you need to store you can choose a location.

File folders in a file cabinet are fine, but often you have a lot of smaller manuals and it feels wasteful. Right now I really love portable expandable file folders because you can put multiple manuals in one slot and use the front as an index. If something gets sold or thrown out, it doesn’t throw off your whole system.

If you’re ready to take this little step today, the first action is simple: grab a box, label it “owner’s manuals” and starting throwing them in whenever you find them.