Remove that junk out of a drawer or off the counter: 

Inside a kitchen cabinet:
Tape an envelope for take out coupons
Tape another for take out menus
Tape another for grocery coupons

In the 80’s I worked for Allstate Savings and Loan (later renamed Sears Savings and even later acquired by someone else).  When interest rates skyrocketed instead of a lay off, I was transferred from the loan department to the Insurance Department.   The insurance department processed thousands of notifications of lapsed insurance each month; once a notice was received, we notified the borrower (homeowner) and gave them a certain time period to submit evidence of insurance or we would “force order” the insurance for them and add it to their loan balance.  There was a lot of follow up involved. 

The department's system in place consisted of hanging file folders labeled for each date of the month (1-31) and additional folders for each month. All follow up for the current month was filed in the daily folder and upcoming paperwork was filed in the appropriate month… there is a little more to it but it is a very simple system.

I later incorporated that filing system in my (real estate) business and personal life. If I have an invitation with a map, I file it under the appropriate day (or month for future filing) and I now know where to find these “things”.  Each month, the monthly file is emptied and filed in the daily.  

What do you use to keep your paperwork under control?