Save or Shread?

[Verbalocity]

Is it necessary anymore to hold onto most paper records/statements/receipts/etc? Or is it just a waste of space in today's digital age?

I've always held onto everything, and now I have about ten years worth of it sitting in boxes.

Should I bother continuing to save any of the following...

• credit card statements
  
• bank account statements
  
• car insurance statements
  
• electricity bills / gas bills
  

...or just shread 'em?

[matty7]

i think its recommended to keep things for about 12 months then shred - not sure where i got that info but it has come in usefull for me a few times over the years - i think if you have the space then save them just for this period...

[Cardiganwearer]

I used to keep everything but I had a big clearout last year. It turned out that chucking out 20 year old credit card bills was not all that traumatic, the panic attacks and fits of public crying have largely subsided and I can now leave the house alone for short periods.

Seriously, there's a good guide here

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/0...keep-them/

[zeon]

Hello,
I would recommend taking down todays date and then anything under six years keep... Anything over.... RECYCLE...

[marshlander]

As a self-employed person in the UK I have to keep records for seven years before I can get rid of them.

[East]

I used to keep everything but I had a big clearout last year. It turned out that chucking out 20 year old credit card bills was not all that traumatic, the panic attacks and fits of public crying have largely subsided and I can now leave the house alone for short periods.

Seriously, there's a good guide here

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/0...keep-them/

I love this...thanks! I was just thinking the past month that I want to get rid of years of this crap.

[OrphanPip]

If you're ever audited you'll want to have those receipts and records.

[Rychard the Lionheart]

You could scan the documents and save them to a memory stick. then destroy the originals.

[fredv3b]

You could scan the documents and save them to a memory stick. then destroy the originals.

So long as copies are accepted by whoever you might need to give them to.