Community Chat

[software]

I do like to keep hard copies of my bank statements.

I have a file cabinet, I use file folders & hanging files.

They don't take up much room

I do my own taxes online, I keep hard copies of the returns with the W2s & such filed by year.

I own my home so any time I have repairs done or I buy a new appliance or anything for the house, I keep in an individual file.    

For utilities, all are online, paperless but when I pay a bill, I keep a copy of the payment confirmation on my laptop, in a separate file.

[gidgetgh]

I keep very little paperwork.  Extremely little.

I still get paper bills in the mail, and write checks for those (gasp!).  I get the bill in, write the check and mail it and then shred the bill..

I do have one copy of each bill that I keep in a 3 ring binder with other insurance and estate type info.  Just in case I would ever need to refer to anything.  I never rotate those.  

For like booklets and stuff that come with new appliance purchases, I have one accordion file I keep all that in.

I still get paper bank statements. I only keep 3 months of each and use a Sterilte hanging file thingy for those.  

When things come in that I need to keep for the next years tax return, I have one cubby hole in our Secretary desk that I put that in.  

That's it.  I just don't keep a lot of papers. No need. 

[SilleeMee]

Much of my paperwork is on PDF files. Paper copies get their picture taken and then they go to PDF also. I keep the paper copies until the end of the quarter then shred them.

[jannabelle1]

What are you saving/keeping that needs to be filed? Without knowing what you do, here are my suggestions:

- Use online banking to pay bills. Online banking has been around for over 30 years - it's safe and we use fewer checks. If you receive a paper bill, shred it after you pay online (or not). Your bank has a record online of all of your checks (most banks will not return canceled checks to you.) There is just no reason for people to still write out checks to pay their bills by mail....of course there are always a couple of expenses that may require a check, but they should be few. Writing checks is not safer than paying bills online or using a credit card.

- Keep a small file of your latest car and/or homeowners insurance policy. You don't need the ones you had years ago - just the current one (IMO). Or better yet - put the policy in your safe deposit box at your bank.

- For medical expenses, most large pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS) provide an online account of all of your prescription expenses for the year, for tax information so there would be no need to save receipts.

Not sure what other paperwork you might have or think you need to save.

-

[justashopper]

I keep it pretty simple.  

I only save bills until the next invoice comes in and then I shred.  So that's a small folder.  Also in there is anything I need to look at again.  For example, work benefits with how to access might be in there.  

Medical bills, papers etc.  I don't get rid of until the next year.  I have definitely been double billed.  So I don't trust those.

important papers-- legal docs, passport, checks, credit cards that i don't keep in my wallet, etc all kept in a bag in a drawer.  In my mind, if there were ever a fire, I would grab that bag! 

Taxes-- I keep bundled by year and it usually takes a big spring clean purge to get those out.  haha.  

Like someone else said, I keep reciepts and manuals together for appliances etc.

My best advice is--- ask yourself why you are keeping something. Maybe you are bogging yourself down.  If you can get the info somewhere on line, then you probably don't need to keep it.  

[qualitygal]

Thanks to one and all.  I will institute more of a shredding going on system.  Had a heart to heart talk with the Mr. and we got set down together in front of the file that was taking me over the edge and cleared away.  Then tackled a box. Felt so good.  It was weighing me down.  That way he knows what's gone, where things are that are kept.  

Thanks again.

[tobes]

@qualitygal Most of my paperwork is no longer paper, rather elecronic and stored in my cloud or on my computer.

[tobes]

@Jaspersmom Last year when I renewed my incurance (car and home) policies from AAA I received a further discount for agreeing to electronic policies 

[patbz]

@qualitygal :  I don't file very much.  I start with Suze Orman portfolio;  it has dividers for everything that its important to keep (will, trust, birth certs, passports, car and house titles etc).Actually had a few too many papers for it so I bought a similar color accordion file from WM and labelled it "Important papers #2".  I keep those 2 folders bungee corded together.  Over the years, several times I've been able to tell a neighbor or my son where they were ( when a need arose).  I also made copies of everything in those files, covered them in duct tape and sent them to my SIL in another state ( we live in forest fire country; just to be safe).  Almost all my other paperwork  is online (pay bills that way and have files on my tablet and the cloud).