how long do you keep documents for?

Willpower?

For ever. Seriously I have every pay slip, bank statement etc.

nodwah

Oh dear I'm not seeing what I want to!

I want to tell him - look everyone says chuck it all out!

Some of the older stuff I really need to get in the loft. I've just tidied up our study, but all the junk has been moved to the living room :O

nodwah

shelovestobuystuff wrote: »

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Yes,Thats the one.We went up to Loch Tay just to see the Crannog at Easter this year.Loved it,I am mad about crannogs,going back again soon.

Nice, we're looking for somewhere to go in the October holidays so that might be it.

skintlass

I have a lever arch file for each of several categories - i.e. house, utilities etc and then keep as much paperwork as the file stores. In the case of things that don't have as much attendant paperwork that may be years, otherwise not much over a year.

floss2

Having moved 7 times in 11 years, I was getting a bit bogged down with paperwork, but now all sorted into a nice new filing cabinet - the bottom 2 drawers are mine.

DF pays all bills, mortgage etc so he keeps all the utilities bills - think he has loads but don't want to know so haven't looked

I have kept all my P60's, any copies of P45's and Working Tax stuff. I also have payslips from last 3 jobs + contracts. Bank statements I've kept since 1997 (i had to pay for them, so they ain't getting shredded!) for all accounts, life insurance documents are with my will & birth certificate (+ decree absolute), car MOT's and current insurance documents + DVLC & DVLA stuff, pension documents, health stuff (dental / eyes / medical card etc)

Divorce paperwork has now been shredded as my solicitors have destroyed theirs (over 6 yrs), anything relating to my previous homes has now gone too, as has all my CSA stuff (kids maintenance now finished).

Also destroyed the letter from hospital saying my ex-husband is now infertile - maybe should have sent to his new wife as a wedding pressie! :rotfl:

Poet_2

nodwah wrote: »

Still trying to declutter and I'm drowning in a sea of paper: I've a folder for bank statements etc which is bursting open. DH wouldn't EVER throw any away but I've shredded all but the last 3 years. He also keeps everything to do with every car he's ever owned- i mean everything, recipts for new tyres, mot s tax discs. I try to keep the current things in a plastic pocket but he still gets in a state when it's time to renew anything like insurance coz he can't find the old ones. He also has every pay slip he's ever had!

So what do you keep and for how long?

I hope you're putting it all in your recycling bin :T

I generally keep ALL the stuff to do with pensions and the mortgage in a separate box file and keep everything, except the leaflets/brochures.

Insurance docs I destroy once the next 12 month one comes thru.

Warranties/receipts go in a seperate envelope in another box file which gets cleared out every 12 months or so.

I do all my banking on line so don't have paper statments to worry about.

I have 3 box files under my stairs, 1 for pensions, 1 for mortgage stuff and the third is for everything else which has separate envelopes in it which are marked on the front with what's in them. e.g. "warranties and receipts" "passports/birth/marriage certifs" and so on.

I wouldn't keep everything to do with the car, just the log book, insurance certifs and current MOT info etc. Just keep the receipts for stuff like tyres for 12 months, or however long the warranty is on them- aftyer that, why bother?

DickDastardly_2

I keep:

Important irreplaceable documents like marriage/birth/death certs, training certs, deeds, etc in a fire-proof box in the wardrobe.

Everyday stuff like most recent bills, copies of current correspondence, TV licence, etc. in an expanded file in the lounge so they are to hand.

Each car (and I am a car buff!) has it's own ring binder with all its documentation, current insurance, etc in plastic sleeves and also the spare keys on the rings of the binder.

All the bank statements are in a lever arch file but as these are our mortgage too, we have kept them from when we started the account in 2001. Ordinarily, shredded after a couple of years.

And that's it. Some other odd stuff is in a box file along with warranties and instructions. Periodically I shred these if they have expired or we no longer have the item.

I try to keep as little as possible as it is all mostly s&*t that just clogs the house up.

Summary:

Important stuff - fireproof box
Daily stuff - small folder
Other stuff - small folder

Shred the rest!:D

Lord_Lardington

Car stuff – All I keep for vehicles I’ve got rid of is the letter from DVLA that says something like “We acknowledge that you’ve sold this vehicle”.

Payslips, 6 months worth. Apply for anything, mortgages etc. never seem to require more than this. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

I think the only thing I keep for serious periods of time are P60s and P11Ds. There in the “irreplaceable” category whereas copies of other stuff are usually available.

PasturesNew

I kept everything. Every bill and every payslip I'd ever had. Every bank statement. Every insurance document. Everything. The damned lot.

Right the way back to the late 80s.

Then I had a bright idea: sell the house, give away everything I own to charity, move hundreds of miles away to a town I'd never even been to. And walk with just 2 pairs of jeans and a laptop. Finally a plan to justify getting rid of that mountain of papers.

So earlier this year I did it. And sat down and shredded the whole damned lot!! Marvellous feeling

So now, I've only got things going back 2-3 months. And this time looking to manage the paperwork overload a little better.

ali99

DickDastardly wrote: »

Important stuff - fireproof box
Daily stuff - small folder
Other stuff - small folder

Shred the rest!:D

Could I ask where you got your fireproof box from? We have just written our wills and the solictor charges £10 a year to store them, so I am looking for a fireproof box so we can look after our own for free! I also intend to store passports, birth certificates, insurance details etc in there. The only ones I have seen online so far are over £150 but there must be cheaper ones.

I keep all our payslips but destroy other documents after about 3 years - what is the point in keeping everything forever??

Cheers, Ali