March Challenge: How Long Do I Need To Keep It?

One reason that paper clutter overtakes our life and home is because we simply don't know when to get rid of things. From receipts to paycheck stubs, so many of us aren't sure what's okay to throw away immediately and what we need to keep for months to years.

I did some research and found several websites that seem to agree with what to keep and for how long. Due to copyright, I can't copy the information into this post, but I can give you the links to view the information.

• Lifehack - How to Free Yourself from Paper Clutter
• Consumer Reports - Conquer the Paper Piles: What Documents to Keep, What You Can Toss - and When
• Consumer Reports - Where to Keep, When to Toss Documents
• Buttoned Up - Free Checklist: How Long To Keep Financial Records

Each year, after I complete my tax return, I go through my filing cabinet and clear it out. I get rid of old paycheck stubs I no longer need, clear out old files that have been updated, and sometimes will totally digitize some things and get rid of the file completely. I prefer to scan documents and keep them digitally as much as possible. When I file papers throughout the year, I only do that - I put the papers where they belong and don't clear out any oldies. I really don't accumulate that much over a year, so it works for me. All of my paychecks are now 100% electronic, including the stubs. It is SO nice. I sign up for electronic correspondence whenever possible for my bills, insurance, etc. Being that I'm 24 and haven't had the time to accumulate a lot of paper or become attached to a certain way of doing things, I don't keep a lot. I'm sure if I had been keeping things one way for years, it would be hard for me to change to something completely different. People are generally afraid of change, and that's understandable. If you think you'd like to switch the way you do things and go digital, try it with one thing first (such as your electric bill or your car insurance). See how it works out for you for 6 months, and if it's too much of a change, then go back to paper. If you like it and it's more manageable, begin to switch other things over as well. Then you don't have to worry how long to keep things. They'll all be kept for you in your account - or can be saved on an external hard drive (so things are backed up). I'll be covering how I categorize my filing cabinet sometime this month.

Wondering what you need to keep a physical paper file of? Check out this Infographic titled "The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die" from The Wall Street Journal (click on it to view it bigger).

Source: online.wsj.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

On a side note - last week I went to a 2-day technology/education conference. It was fun, but I came home with a bunch of paper clutter. They gave us a folder full of info that I know I'd regret just throwing away without looking at. When I got home I emptied the folder and discarded the stuff I knew I didn't need. The things I wanted to keep to read over I put back in the folder and put in my "to do" basket. The things I wanted to keep long term, such as program tutorials, I put in my "scan" file in my mail station...which has now become my "to-do station". I'm glad that I'm actually following through and not making my paper clutter worse. =]

Did you download the identify paper clutter document last Thursday? If not, get it here. You can also simply just make your own list on a blank piece of paper if you don't want to print it. If you have the list made up by Thursday, then you'll be ready for the next part of the challenge.