Life admin, going paper free...ish?

thegreenone

My Mum kept very good records/statements and when she died, it was very easy for me to find everything.

It did make me realise that when we pass away our boys would have a nightmare finding accounts as almost all is online. I created a basic Word doc with all our accounts, pensions, utility providers, insurances and on and on. It is updated every year when we change car insurance etc. There is a copy hidden in a cupboard and my husband has uploaded a copy to the cloud.

I believe AgeUK do a proper book/file.

Rob5342

We are largely paperless, most things are stored either in folders on our laptop or in folders in outlook if they came by email. We have a small folder with the more important stuff in it, pension statements, mortgage statements etc, and car documents for when we come to sell it. We keep on top of it and every time we get a new document we shred or delete the old one.

Exodi

I keep most things and fortunately nowadays most companies provide things in digital format.

Annoyingly the main offenders of sending physical letters are usually government related - e.g. P60, NHS appointments, etc.

I generally build a pile of paperwork then do a mass scanning session once or twice a year then shred the original. I do keep a file in my home safe which has things like birth certificates, qualifications, etc.

I then have all my files on a memory stick (regularly backed up), with pretty much anything you could think of - payslips dating back 10 years, warranty information for our boiler, titles for our house, etc.

It's not too much work, and having this sort of data enables me to to create big interconnected spreadsheets (my true joy in life).

RAS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82084744#Comment_82084744

Presumably you already know who the executor will be? So meet up with them and your pdf once a year, talk it through, clarify where they might need help and confirm where the document is kept?

If nothing else it will give them confidence that they perform most of the tasks and know what they might need help with?

Sea_Shell

We've just switched energy supplier, and I'm resisting the temptation to print a hard copy of the closing statements.

They've been downloaded. So I do have a copy, just not on paper.

Must resist 😇

subjecttocontract

Im a paper lover. Keep almost everything I need in paper. I don't have a printer so, save the capital cost and the ink replacement cost, I just use my local library when I need to print (20p a sheet). Once a year I have a clear out and shred everything I don't want.

Luckybonus

It is an interesting question, as I think paperwork can take up lots of space. I keep paper copies of my utility contract, tv licence and water bill. I keep reciepts for things I have bought both clothes and household items. I tend to keep a years worth of current account statements and shred them and is I have put money into fixed rate savings, a page saying what the balance is. I also keep paper copies of my car insurance and any insurance policies. I tend to keep a years wage slips and then shred them. I still feel I keep two much paper stuff and clear things out and shred through what I don't need twice a year

noalibi

I went paperless over 10 years ago, prompted by a house move, and I’ve never looked back.

The first thing I’d recommend is investing in a decent scanner or MFP. It doesn’t have to be top-of-the-range, but make sure it’s quick, supports duplex (double-sided) scanning, and has an automatic document feeder (ADF). Being able to load a stack of papers and let it get on with the job makes a huge difference, especially when you’re dealing with a backlog or regular post.

Next, spend some time thinking about how you’re going to organise everything. A clear folder structure and a consistent naming convention are absolutely essential if you ever want to find things again. One simple tip that has worked really well for me is prefixing every document with the date it was received in yyyy-mm-dd format. It keeps everything in chronological order and makes searching far easier.

Equally important is having a solid backup strategy. Once you’ve gone paperless, your digital files effectively are your filing cabinet, so you need to treat them accordingly. I use a combination of local backups and cloud storage so that I’m covered against hardware failure as well as anything more serious.

That said, I don’t get rid of everything. I still keep certain sentimental or important original documents. For example, I’ve scanned our wedding certificate, but I suspect I’d be in serious trouble if I threw away the original!

Overall, it takes a bit of effort to set up, but once you’ve got a system in place, it’s far more convenient than dealing with piles of paper.

I also keep things indefinitely. There have been a number of times when I have had to refer back to something from many years ago.

Slightly off topic, but also keep electronic copies of user manuals and receipts for purchases. Makes it very easy to find things rather than digging through piles of paperwork to look for guarantees, etc. Also some printed receipts fade after a period of time.

Sea_Shell

Thanks @noalibi I do most of that already, but just need to "up my game" a bit and be more ruthless and less "print button happy".

Good tip about the dates when naming files. I have receipts in year folders.

Sea_Shell

What do you all do with paper receipts for things that come with any warranty?

Do you keep those, until they 'expire'?