What to do when you buy stuff online.
I’ve ordered stuff for years and years online. It’s all too easy to forget what you ordered. This means if it doesn’t show at all, you don’t remember until it’s too late. So here’s my simple system for remembering.
I’ve got three folders:
- Ordered
- Received
- Registration
Here’s how it works:
Ordered: Stuff that gets ordered goes in the Ordered folder unless it’s instantly downloaded. Even then, if I think it might be crap, I’ll put it in Ordered. Once a month I go through the Ordered folder and see what I’ve actually received.
Received: Once a month the Ordered stuff goes in Received, if I want to keep a receipt. Otherwise I’ll delete it entirely. If I don’t have it and should have, I just move the email from Ordered to my inbox, and send a follow up message.
Registration: Stuff that’s registered goes in Registration. This is usually memberships, web hosting information (with passwords, setup info and such), or links.
One last note:
Sometimes if I need to follow up with someone in a month, I’ll also put the email in Ordered. That way I’ll remember to follow up. Nothing to it.
The system works great and keeps my inbox squeaky clean.