Major purge of everything!

Vickyh

Basically we are moving at the end of the month, to about an hr away from we are now.

Basically I have kept a lot of paper. Bank stuff, recepits, letters etc.

What I want to know how long should I keep stuff till it can be shredded?

How many years worth of bank statements do I need to keep? Etc.

Many thanks

SplanK

Keeping stuff for a while on paper can be a pain. It can become unsorted, hard to find, lost, and then there is dealing with it all after.


I have just bought myself a cheap document scanner (not a flat bed) and have started to scan all my paperwork onto my computer. Its taken several nights, but I am almost there!


Destroying.... I am quite lucky that I have access to document bins at work which get destroyed by a 3rd party company so I can just dump mine into these bins. Having a lot to shred will become tedious in a domestic shredder, so you may want to consider burning them. If you don't fancy that, then call around some paper shredding companies to see how much a one off cost would be if you delivered them yourself.


Anybody else that plans to do this, however please ensure you have a good off site backup. This helps if you have a situation such as a house fire and need to access the docs.


You can also scan in bank statements, pay slips, P60's and so forth immediately. No need to keep hold of the paperwork copy either.


That way you can organise your paperwork much easier, keep anything you may need for longer and be clutter free!


To answer your question though


Bank statements: I bin them as you can request a copy directly from your bank (in fact, mine are electronic anyway).


P60/wage slips/self assessment is suggested 6 years but these again can be scanned in and originals binned.


Receipts: Depends on what it is. High value items I will keep for 4-5 years, anything small or cheap, a year or 2.


Anything for the house, such as replacement windows, major kitchen/bathroom/building work keep until you sell the house then pass on.


Utility bills, all of mine are electronic now. Anybody who needs a copy for evidence needs one that's dated within 3 months. You may want to consider keeping them for a couple of years at least however if there is any question over payment/what you owe.

cattie

Have a read here & it will give you an idea of what is recommended. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/record-keeping.htm

Personally I keep bank statements, utility statements etc for a year.

Receipts for large items purchased I keep until I no longer have the item, just in case something happens & I would need to make an insurance claim. If I've bought a large item on my credit card, I will also save the statement showing the purchase/s.