Tips & tricks

The Best Way to Save Fabric, Dolls, and Other Textiles (from Real Simple)
Wrap in archival-grade polyester film (Mylar) or in plain, prewashed muslin, then place in an archival-quality box. If possible, don't fold clothing. (Dupont Poly Film, $32 for 50 sheets, www.lightimpressionsdirect.com.)

Saving Magazine and Newspaper Articles
Tear articles of interest from magazines and newspapers as you read them. Once you have the articles you want, toss the periodical. File the articles away in plastic sheets (for protection) in binders. Label the binders by category (travel, decorating, entertaining, etc.).

What You Should Shred and When (from Real Simple)
Shredders didn't work so well for Enron, but they can at your house, especially at tax time. (And the shreds do make great packing material.) What to turn into confetti and when:
Always - Papers with your Social Security number, preapproved credit-card applications.
Monthly - ATM and deposit slips, after recording them in your checkbook and reconciling them with your monthly bank statement; credit-card receipts, after checking your statement.
Yearly - Bank and credit-card statements, if you don't itemize deductions; monthly and quarterly brokerage statements, after comparing against year-end summaries; paycheck stubs, after reconciling them with W-2 or 1099 forms.

The Best Way to Save Ephemera (from Real Simple)
Don't mix materials such as postcards, slides, and bumper stickers. Archival-quality boxes are best. Plastic, like regular cardboard, releases gases that can destroy paper. (Margo Shoe Box Art File, $22, Exposures, www.exposuresonline.com.)

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	The Best Way to Save Fabric, Dolls, and Other Textiles (from Real Simple) Wrap in archival-grade polyester film (Mylar) or in plain, prewashed muslin, then place in an archival-quality box. If possible, don't fold clothing. (Dupont Poly Film, $32 for 50 sheets, www.lightimpressionsdirect.com.) Saving Magazine and Newspaper Articles Tear articles of interest from magazines and newspapers as you read them. Once you have the articles you want, toss the periodical. File the articles away in plastic sheets (for protection) in binders. Label the binders by category (travel, decorating, entertaining, etc.). What You Should Shred and When (from Real Simple) Shredders didn't work so well for Enron, but they can at your house, especially at tax time. (And the shreds do make great packing material.) What to turn into confetti and when: Always - Papers with your Social Security number, preapproved credit-card applications. Monthly - ATM and deposit slips, after recording them in your checkbook and reconciling them with your monthly bank statement; credit-card receipts, after checking your statement. Yearly - Bank and credit-card statements, if you don't itemize deductions; monthly and quarterly brokerage statements, after comparing against year-end summaries; paycheck stubs, after reconciling them with W-2 or 1099 forms. The Best Way to Save Ephemera (from Real Simple) Don't mix materials such as postcards, slides, and bumper stickers. Archival-quality boxes are best. Plastic, like regular cardboard, releases gases that can destroy paper. (Margo Shoe Box Art File, $22, Exposures, www.exposuresonline.com.)