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The Internet has largely eliminated the need to keep paper copies of all the important events and records in our lives. Leading a paperless life can help you reduce clutter, help you use your time more efficiently, and even save you money if you have missed bill payment deadlines in the past.
Here is everything you need to know about going paperless.
What to keep in paper form
There are some paper records you really should hold onto: marriage certificates, birth certificates, estate planning documents, Social Security cards, and tax records are some of the most important to keep), but you should be able to reduce your paper records down to one folder or binder at the largest. Almost all periodic receipts and bills can scanned in and their physical copies disposed of. These records should be stored in an archival document box or safe in your home, or in a safety deposit box at your bank.
For a more detailed list of what records to keep and for how long, visit our article on important papers to keep.
Reduce your paper mail
- Contact the Direct Marketing Association. Companies who use the DMA for bulk mailings must update their mailing list at least quarterly. Manage your mailing preferences and remove your name from the list by registering online at www.dmachoice.org.
- Some catalog companies use another bulk mail management system – Abacus – to manage their subscriptions. Contact them by email at abacusoptout@epsilon.com.
- Some mail (such as pre-approved credit card offers) comes from data provided by the credit bureaus. Call (888) 5OPTOUT to be removed from their system.
- For the other mailings you get, such as most catalogs and letters from charitable organizations you have donated to, you must contact each one individually and request to be removed from their mailing list.
- Don’t register (or reconsider registering) for contests or sweepstakes, product registrations, mail-in surveys, or shopper’s loyalty programs.
PrivacyRights.org has an in-depth article on how consumers can reduce their unwanted junk mail.
Change your billing preferences to online billing
Most utility companies, banks, insurance companies and other companies that accept recurring or frequent payments now have an electronic payment option. This is a win-win for both the customer and the company: the company reduces mailing costs and the expenses related to tracking delinquent payments, and you can pay bills automatically. Even if you don’t think online payment is an option, double-check with the company, because they may have begun offering the option to new customers but never notified their existing ones.
Scan in your important paper records
Even records that you keep in paper form should be scanned so you have at least a digital copy if the original is destroyed. If you only need to scan in items periodically, you can visit an office supply store, mailing store, or even the library for inexpensive access to digital scanners.
If you will be periodically scanning items, you might be better off with your own scanner. A self-feeding document scanner is ideal for large quantities of documents. Some will even straighten pages and file the documents as PDFs for you, like this Fujitsu scanner.
There are also smaller, more portable scanners that do especially well for receipts, and can be uploaded to Microsoft Word and Excel, but they usually aren’t self-feeding, and you’re back to placing the paper in yourself again. If space is at a premium where you live, however, this might be the choice you need to make.
Save your records electronically
Once you have the files on your computer, you should either upload them to a cloud storage system or store them on your own external hard drive. Cloud network storage devices are a good option if someone/something destroys or steals everything in your house, so your most important records are safe at an off-site location. However, they also have a higher risk of the security being compromised by data theft.
Cloud file storage providers
- Box.net is a good option for those who want to be able to try out the system and the interface for free before upgrading to a paid subscription. Prices per month hover around $6 monthly for around 5GB of information among the most popular websites for file uploading and backing up.
- If you won’t ever need more than 10GB of storage, and you don’t mind ads, check out Humyo.com for 10GB of free online space.
